By Alexandra Strzempko | Development Officer, Institutional Partnerships
Dear Supporter,
With the help of your generous support, Concern Worldwide has provided extensive assistance to Haiti while the country has recovered from the effects of Hurricane Matthew, which struck in October of 2016. While most of the damage from the storm was concentrated in the southern and northern regions of the country, many other areas were also hard hit, including the island of La Gonâve, off the coast of Port-au-Prince.
On La Gonâve, Concern conducted emergency distributions to over 8,000 people, providing essential items such as hygiene kits, tarpaulins, jerry cans, and tents. Concern also supplied water purification tablets to ensure that people had access to safe drinking water and to prevent the spread of cholera. Additionally, Concern distributed nearly 500 shelter repair kits on the island and recipients received support and training to build better and more resilient homes. Concern also conducted a cash-for-work program, hiring community members to help rehabilitate over a mile of strategic road on La Gonâve in order to connect residents to the main market town.
In the slum neighborhoods of Cité Soleil and Grand Ravine in Port-au-Prince, Concern provided emergency aid immediately after the hurricane, and has continued to work in these communities, helping residents construct drainage canals, retaining walls, and gabion walls for erosion protection in order to promote long term resiliency to disaster.
In total, Hurricane Matthew caused nearly $2 billion in damages, including $600 million in the agricultural sector. The hard-hit southern peninsula of the country provides about one-third of Port-au-Prince’s food supply, and the losses of crops and fishing equipment will have long-term implications for food security. The storm has also set back almost every key initiative underway in Haiti. As a result, it is more important now than ever to invest in long-term development and resiliency efforts in Haiti.
Increased security issues surrounding Haiti’s elections have made it difficult for our communications team to gather recent case studies to share with you. However, we can assure you that our dedicated team continues to assist the people of Haiti, with a focus moving forward on the urban context in Port-au-Prince. This will include a multi-year integrated community development program aimed at building not only critical infrastructure but also livelihoods, resilience, equality, and healthy families.
This Global Giving project is coming to an end, but we thank you so much for your support and we sincerely hope that you will consider supporting our other projects around the world. We would especially like to direct your attention to our response to the Hunger Crisis in East Africa, which can be found here: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/combat-hunger-in-east-africa/
As always, thanks for your interest in our work and support for the people of Haiti.
By Alexandra Strzempko | Development Officer, Institutional Partnerships
By Alexandra Strzempko | Development Officer, Institutional Partnerships
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