Goto main content

Haiti: Handicap International prepares to launch response as Matthew nears landfall

Emergency
Haiti

Handicap International’s teams are preparing to provide assistance to the victims of a potential natural disaster as hurricane Matthew impacts Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti on Monday 3 and Tuesday 4 October.

Handicap International’s teams are preparing to provide assistance to the victims of a potential natural disaster as hurricane Matthew impacts Jamaica

Handicap International’s teams are preparing to provide assistance to local populations as hurricane Matthew impacts Carribean islands / Stock photos | © W.Daniels / Handicap International

Hurricane Matthew, ranked at Category 4 of the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity, threatens to make landfall in Jamaican, Cuba and Haiti on Monday 3 and Tuesday 4 October, potentially affecting thousands of people. With winds predicted to reach 259 km per hour, the hurricane could cause heavy rain, flooding and landslides in Haiti, particularly in the country’s southern peninsula, where almost one thousand people have already been evacuated by the authorities on Sunday evening.

“Hurricanes cause casualties and damage homes, crops and roads, and generally have a very serious impact on the most vulnerable people, particularly those living in makeshift housing and in isolated regions. We have taken measures to shelter our teams from a potential disaster, and have maintained our response capacity in order to provide support to the victims of this hurricane. Our teams in Europe are also on stand-by if we need to deploy more emergency staff to the region,” explains Jean-François Michel, the manager of Handicap International’s operations in Haiti.

Keeping the most vulnerable people informed
Handicap International has implemented natural disaster risk reduction projects in association with the Civil Protection Department in several of the country’s departments for a number of years. The goal is to help the most vulnerable people prepare for the onset of a natural disaster and to protect themselves from it. 

Handicap International in Haiti
Present in Haiti since 2008, Handicap International has provided support to tens of thousands of victims of the earthquake of January 2010. 

Where your
support
helps

PRESS CONTACT

CANADA

Fatou Thiam

 

Help them
concretely

To go further

Earthquake in Morocco:  post-emergency physical rehabilitation
© M. Itouhar / HI
Emergency Rehabilitation

Earthquake in Morocco: post-emergency physical rehabilitation

Present in Morocco since 1993, HI is working alongside its partners to provide physical rehabilitation assistance to the survivors of the earthquake that hit the country in September 2023.

“There will be a significant increase in the number of people with disabilities in Gaza”
© S. Sulaiman / HQ
Emergency

“There will be a significant increase in the number of people with disabilities in Gaza”

HI physiotherapist Maria Marelli makes regular visit in Rafah to support our team. She tells us her experience:

Syria: An endless humanitarian crisis
© HI
Emergency

Syria: An endless humanitarian crisis

After 13 years of armed conflict, the humanitarian situation in Syria continues to deteriorate. Country Director Myriam Abord-Hugon paints a bleak picture.