Haiti – The situation after the passage of Hurricane Matthew

07 October 2016
Haiti – The situation after the passage of Hurricane Matthew

(ANS - Port-au-Prince) - The situation in Haiti after the passage of Hurricane Matthew is becoming more and more serious and alarming. Now that communications between the North and the South of the country are recovering we are able to understand better the true extent of the disaster. More than 300 people have already been confirmed dead and there is concern that this number will continue to rise.

"The cities of Les Cayes and Jérémie are the most affected. It is a real catastrophe,” according to Fr Hubert Mesidor, Salesian Delegate for Social Communications of the Vice-Province of Haiti. “The images remind us of the earthquake of 12 January 2010.  The wind has taken away everything, especially the corrugated tin roofs. It is difficult to reach the affected areas because many bridges have been damaged by the raging waters."

In addition to the terrible death toll and the suffering caused by the damage, the greatest risk now comes from the insecurity in which the people have to live. "Currently there are over 50,000 homeless families in the southern part of Haiti. And there is real fear of a resurgence of the epidemic of cholera and other similar epidemics," says Fr Mesidor.

After the earthquake of 2010 the Salesian Mission Office in New Rochelle worked with the Rinaldi Foundation in rescue operations and reconstruction in Haiti. They have now issued a statement, in which they say:

Disaster experts agree that one of the biggest mistakes in the Haiti earthquake aftermath in 2010 was that too many people were sent to Haiti (and sent unprepared). … What they need are relief supplies: water, food (rice, beans, and oil), sheet metal and plywood. The goal is to begin offering a hot meal to 3,000 children a day as soon as possible.

Salesian Missions has missionaries, schools and programs helping the poor in cities and towns not only throughout Haiti, but also in the Dominican Republic, so this adds to its ability to coordinate response efforts. The fastest way to make sure people get what they need is to fund the organizations already working on the ground in the affected areas.

The experience both the Rinaldi Foundation and Salesian Missions gained after the 2010 earthquake is invaluable at times like this. Not only are Salesian missionaries often called upon by the government to assist, their programs are trusted by locals who know it is a place to turn during emergencies.

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