Haiti: tens of tonnes of humanitarian aid transported

Over a month after Hurricane Matthew hit Haiti, tens of thousands of people are still living in makeshift shelters . Those affected do not have easy access to healthcare or drinking water, and cholera epidemics continue to pose a threat.

Logistical constraints
Hurricane Matthew and floods in the north and south of Haiti have damaged dozens of roads and bridges. To help transport humanitarian aid to remote areas by sea or land, Handicap International has set up a logistics platform in the cities of Les Cayes and Jérémie. The organisation’s teams have already transported 54 tonnes of equipment, in conjunction with other humanitarian organisations, to people living in remote areas. Dozens of boats and some forty lorries have been identified to transport humanitarian cargo, with volumes expected to increase in coming weeks.

Distributions of emergency kits, hygiene kits and household items
Handicap International is also organising the distribution of 1,000 emergency kits , hygiene kits and essential  household items in the department of Les Nippes to provide people with a roof over their heads and decent living conditions and to stop the spread of epidemics.

Rehabilitation and psychosocial support
Two mobile teams of three experts  were deployed to the city of Les Cayes to case-manage the injured immediately after the disaster. Each team assessed conditions in the city’s hospitals and its rehabilitation services, supplied wheelchairs, crutches and walking frames, and organised rehabilitation sessions for more than 150 people. The organisation also ran psychological support sessions for victims: “A lot of people have been deeply affected by the hurricane. Some of them have lost everything and live in temporary shelters with little privacy or security. It’s very destabilising and adds to the pain of losing a relative or injury,” explains Fanny Del who is overseeing Handicap International’s emergency operations in Port-au-Prince. Additional teams are being formed and will soon be deployed to the city of Les Cayes, then Jérémie.

Including the most vulnerable people
The organisation is also identifying the most vulnerable people – isolated heads of households, pregnant women, older people and people with disabilities – in the departments of Grande Anse and Sud, and provides support to humanitarian actors to secure their access to humanitarian services (healthcare, education, rehabilitation, etc.).

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Handicap International’s response: key figures

• 151 people benefited from rehabilitation sessions
• 70 people benefited from psychological support
• 136 vulnerable people identified by Handicap International in communities. The organisation ensures access to humanitarian services (healthcare, rehabilitation, etc.)
• 1 logistics platform set up by Handicap International in the cities of Les Cayes and Jérémie. 8 journeys organised for 40 trucks and 10 boats, and 54 tonnes of humanitarian equipment for other partners transported and distributed to people living in remote areas.
• 1,000 emergency kits containing hygiene kits and essential household items will be distributed in the department of Les Nippes, in conjunction with Solidarité International