On October 4, 2016, Hurricane Matthew made landfall in Haiti as a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 145 miles per hour. In addition to powerful winds, the storm brought heavy rain - 15-25 inches in southern parts of the country with up to 40 in isolated pockets. With widespread damage to buildings, health facilities, and other structures, International Medical Corps' emergency response team is on the ground in southern Haiti providing surge support to those in need.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that 750,000 people are in need of humanitarian assistance, with tens of thousands of people staying in temporary shelters and hundreds seeking aid at the few functioning hospitals. International Medical Corps and other humanitarian organizations are very concerned about a potential increase in cholera cases. In addition to waterborne illnesses, there are also concerns about potential increases in Zika, Malaria, and Dengue.
International Medical Corps is meeting the immediate health and water, sanitation and hygiene needs of the men, women and children who have been impacted by the storm. Your support will help our teams deploy mobile medical units to reach areas with limited or no access to health services, prevent disease by ensuring access to clean water and sanitary facilities, launch cholera prevention efforts, and distribute urgently-needed medication and supplies.
International Medical Corps will utilize its approach to help people help themselves to ensure a long-term impact in the communities we serve. A preeminent first responder for more than three decades, International Medical Corps has extensive experience providing medical care and other lifesaving relief as well as recovery in the aftermath of disasters, including Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines in 2013, the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004.
