Silver Spring, MD—After causing devastating damage on several Caribbean islands, including Puerto Rico, St Martin and Barbuda, Hurricane Irma is lashing Haiti’s northern coast. Handicap International is extremely concerned for the welfare of the most vulnerable Haitians, who are particularly exposed during large-scale natural disasters.

“For these people, the situation gets worse with each new disaster,” says Catherine Stubbe, director of Handicap International in Haiti, and currently in Port-au-Prince. “Barely have they recovered from one disaster then the next occurs, leaving them slightly more vulnerable than before.”

Initial warning signs suggest the possibility of a major disaster. The information our local teams have suggests that the means already in place in the country would fall far short of what is needed to help the disaster’s victims.

Northern Haiti lacks natural obstacles, especially trees, which usually provide a buffer against heavy rainfall, suggesting that this part of the island will experience severe flooding. Lastly, a lot of people live in isolated areas without easy access to information or are unable to take shelter. Of these people, Handicap International is particularly worried about the most vulnerable individuals—people with disabilities, isolated women and older people living in difficult-to-access areas. It’s expected that emergency services will be unable to reach these areas in the days immediately after the hurricane. 

Strong winds accompanied by heavy rain could destroy families’ makeshift homes and livelihoods (plantations and cattle), leaving these Haitians entirely dependent on humanitarian aid for months.

Handicap International’s teams are preparing to travel to the north of Haiti as soon as the alert is lifted, to assess the situation in conjunction with other humanitarian aid organizations and the Haitian authorities.

The organization’s logistics experts may also launch a support operation to supply humanitarian aid to the affected areas, by organizing the storage and transport of humanitarian goods to hurricane victims.

Present in the country since 2008, Handicap International has launched numerous emergency responses in recent years, including actions after Hurricane Matthew in October 2016 and the 2010 earthquake. With 30 staff members in the country, Handicap International implements natural disaster risk reduction projects in association with the Civil Protection Department in several of the country’s departments.

About Handicap International

Handicap International is an independent international aid organization. It has been working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster for 35 years. Working alongside persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups, our action and testimony are focused on responding to their essential needs, improving their living conditions, and promoting respect for their dignity and basic rights. Handicap International has set up development programs in more than 60 countries and intervenes in numerous emergency situations. Offices in Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States work constantly to mobilize resources, jointly manage projects and to increase the impact of the organization’s principles and actions. Handicap International is one of six founding organizations of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), the co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997; and the winner of the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize in 2011. Handicap International takes action and campaigns in places where “living in dignity” is no easy task.

After devastating several Caribbean islands, Hurricane Irma is moving toward Haiti’s northern coastline. People living in this disaster-prone country with frail infrastructure and ill-equipped emergency services are preparing for the worst. Since 2013, our teams have been helping isolated and vulnerable individuals protect themselves in natural disasters like Irma through our disaster risk reduction project.

Category 5 Hurricane Irma, the longest-lasting, top-intensity hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic, began its northern pass of Haiti today, September 7. Handicap International is mobilizing its teams to intervene as soon as it's safe to support people affected by the storm's high winds and rain. Our team, based in Port-au-Prince, is already in touch with Haitian authorities, and is preparing to go to the affected areas as soon as it's safe to conduct the first evaluations with its Haitian partners.

In October 2016, Hurricane Matthew slammed into Haiti, affecting thousands of people. Present in the country since 2010, Handicap International was able to launch immediate response by providing support to vulnerable people such as pregnant woman, older individuals, and people with disabilities. As part of our emergency response, our teams provided rehabilitation care to more than 240 people, including Carole and Lorestal. Their stories: 

Carole lives in the rural region of Sud with very basic living conditions. “My home was destroyed by Hurricane Matthew,” Carole explains. “I took refuge in a friend’s house, where I still live with my mother and children. My right thighbone was badly injured and I couldn’t walk. Thanks to Handicap International, I was given rehabilitation care and crutches. Now I can walk again.”

Lorestal lives in the town of Les Cayes, in the Sud region. He explains how Hurricane Matthew affected him. “My knee was injured, which already had arthritis. I find it difficult to move around now. I live in a three-meter-square tent with my wife and children. It’s an isolated region and there are no health facilities nearby. Luckily I met some people from Handicap International in December and they gave me rehabilitation care and crutches. I’d eventually like to sell bread to earn a small income.”

MORE OF OUR EMERGENCY RELIEF WORK 

Logistics

Hurricane Matthew and the flooding in the north and south of the country have damaged a large number of roads and bridges. Handicap International set up a logistics platform, which uses the roads and sea routes to cover the Sud, Grand Anse, and Nippes areas in order to facilitate the shipment of humanitarian aid to people in the hard-to-reach areas. We dispatched 32 road and 12 sea convoys and shipped close to 400 tons of humanitarian aid–shelters, tools, and hygiene kits–in partnership with other humanitarian organizations. 

Clearing the rubble

Handicap International is supporting the clearing work organized by the local districts in Grande Anse by transporting rubble and helping to reopen roads vital for transporting humanitarian aid and restarting economic activity. 

Caring for the most vulnerable

Handicap International also identifies the most vulnerable people–isolated heads of household, pregnant women, elderly, and people with disabilities–in Grande Anse and Sud. We also work to make sure other humanitarian stakeholders provide access to services for these vulnerable members of the community including healthcare, education, and rehabilitation.

Rehabilitation and counseling

Two mobile teams each comprising of three experts–a project manager, a counseling project manager, and a social worker–were deployed after the hurricane to the town of Les Cayes to look after the injured. Each team assessed the state of the hospital and rehabilitation services and supplied wheelchairs, crutches, and walkers. More than 150 people attended rehabilitation sessions. We also ran counseling sessions for the victims.

“We don’t currently have the financial resources to provide an adequate response to a disaster of this magnitude," explains Hélène Robin, head of Handicap International’s emergency response. "Needs are enormous and varied. Our teams are making every effort to meet people’s essential needs, but we don’t have the means to ensure people are able to get through this latest ordeal, or to help them recover again."