Long-term Resilience Building in Dominica

Initial Assessment:  IsraAID’s Emergency Response team arrived on the island of Dominica, in the Caribbean, on 3rd October. The team of six specialists includes; medical professionals, mental health experts, and water engineers. The isolated island was ravaged by Hurricane Maria on 18th September, and the initial assessments noted the extensive devastation to the island’s building, water and agricultural infrastructure. The 75,000 island inhabitants were left with no access to clean water, and no forms of telecommunication.

By mid October:

• Approximately 40% of the island’s water supply has now been reconnected.
• Approximately 90% of the roads have been cleared from debris.
• The medical system is operational but remains very stretched, with limited medical supplies - some of the wards in the island’s Princess Margaret hospital were destroyed by the storm and 64% of the village clinics were damaged, though most have resumed at a partial level.
• Schools are closed until further notice – 27 out of 79 schools are currently operating as shelters, and 49 were severely damaged. 

Locations: IsraAID is currently the leading implementing partner in the south-east of the island. The remote villages located there are particularly hard-to-reach, with inaccessible roads, which prevents aid from reaching the people. Since the capital city, Roseau, has been severely damaged, these villages have become even more isolated. IsraAID is committed to channel aid to those who need it the most.

Activities: Following their assessment, the IsraAID team is: providing medical care in village clinics; temporary water and hygiene solutions; psychological relief activities for children, and distributing relief and shelter items. So far:

• 530 families, including over 1590 individuals, have received relief items including hygiene kits, roof tarpaulin, kitchen items and solar lamps.
• 30 water filtration units were set up in shelters, community centers and water sources, impacting over 1,500 people. All Water, Sanitation and Hygiene activities are conducted in full partnership with the Dominica National Water Company.
• 3 medical clinics and 1 hospital have been supported and strengthened by IsraAID’s medical personnel.

Story of Impact: Albert (name changed), 63, lives alone in the village of La Plaine. He has witnessed three major hurricanes in his lifetime, but this was the worse. Albert is a farmer, but at 63, has now been forced to put his construction skills back into practice. “We can’t wait for anyone to come and help, we need to help ourselves.” Albert used the remaining materials from his destroyed house, and constructed a small shed to live in. He thanked the IsraAID team for distributing tarpaulin saying, “At least I will have a dry place to rest my head tonight.”

Next Steps: The team is committed to supporting the most vulnerable populations in Dominica, and going forwards will:

• Continue to offer immediate emergency relief, while working together with the government and local partners towards recovery.
• Accompany the Ministry of Education with the reopening of the island’s schools, by training teachers, creating an educational plan for the post-disaster response, and providing a positive, psychological environment for the island’s children.
• Continue to support the medical system towards its recovery in the south-east district.
• Work with the local community council to plan for social and economic rehabilitation.

More updates to follow - huge thanks for your ongoing and generous support!

Initial Assessment:
IsraAID’s Emergency Response team arrived in Puerto Rico on 27th September, with a Spanish-speaking team of water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH), and mental health professionals. The team first conducted a rapid assessment of the island’s key needs by visiting numerous shelters, and meeting with local authorities, civil society organizations, the local Jewish community, and the local psychologist association.

Their initial reports noted the extensive, mass devastation to the island’s main infrastructure, and highlighted the most acute problems, including: no electricity; lack of fuel and generators; limited and in some more remote areas, no access to clean, running water; limited access to medicine; urgent needs for food and other basic items such as hygiene products; and specific communities at considerable risk of post-trauma, mental health ramifications.

Locations:
The IsraAID team identified four areas to initially focus their efforts in: Cantera, Loiza, Canovanas and Toa Baja. These are some of the poorest, lowest-income communities affected by the hurricanes, east and west of San Juan (due to great shortage of fuel, efforts were directed to areas that could be reached with a limited amount). The selection of those areas was made after consulting with local community leaders, and taking into consideration FEMA’s Housing Unit Data.

Activities: Following the assessment, the team prioritized and implemented the following activities:

(1) Distribution of water filters:
Water filters were distributed in 7 communal areas and centers, with comprehensive, supplementary training in Spanish, to ensure they are used effectively. In addition, IsraAID coordinated with FEMA Safety and Disability Unit to train 20 people from rural mountain areas, which are difficult to access, about the installation, use and maintenance of filters. The Head of Safety agreed to supervise the distribution of these filters, using this newly-trained group of people, and its department centers. Each filter can provide clean water for approximately 25 people. To date, the team has distributed 29 filters, impacting over 725 people.

(2) Distribution of food and other basic relief items:
The team visited the four areas of Cantera, Loiza, Canovanas and Toa Baja, and distributed food, and other items, such as hygiene products and solar lamps and chargers, to 110 families. The solar lamps and chargers are critical due to the lack of electricity and availability of generators.

(3) Psychological support:
The team visited 6 shelters and gave direct mental health support to some of the most vulnerable individuals. They also worked closely with the Puerto Rican Association of Psychology; and two local psychologists and an Anthropology Professor from UPR (and from the Jewish community of San Juan), joined the PSS team as volunteers. This builds the capacity of the local volunteers and organizations to ensure a wider impact and network of support.

So far over 2,300 people have been reached by our team’s activities in Puerto Rico!

Next Steps:
A Spanish-speaking water engineer from Israel is joining the team, plus, another relief manager who previously worked in the Florida Emergency Response team. In addition to continuing the existing activities, the team is currently planning a larger-scale water purification program, with local partners, to have a wider reach. The team has met with two local specialists to discuss optional programs regarding the matter of water quality and its relation to epidemic diseases. Due to the high mortality rate of livestock since the hurricane, some bodies of water are contaminated. In areas where people have no running water, they are using these bodies of water for their daily necessities, therefore putting the health in danger.

More updates to follow!