Hurricane Matthew: Race against the clock as casualty numbers threaten to overwhelm health centers

Four days after the disaster, maritime traffic appears to have been restored in the south of Haiti, although only light vehicles can currently access Les Cayes, a city in the department of Sud severely affected by the disaster.

The city of Jérémie in Grand’Anse, which has been almost entirely destroyed, remains impossible to access. It will be several days or weeks before all land routes reopen.

"We are working to supply immediate aid to survivors who have lost everything. Casualty numbers are high," said Hélène Robin, head of Handicap International’s emergency response.

"Our teams in the field have two priorities: to provide them with immediate and appropriate care to make sure they do not die from their injuries or develop permanent disabilities, and to supply people affected with the equipment they need to build a shelter and prepare food."

The United Nations  estimates that more than 750,000 people need immediate humanitarian aid, and has confirmed that very heavy damage is expected in the Grand-Anse and Sud sectors, particularly in the cities of Jérémie and Les Cayes. We are still waiting for information from Gonave Island and the Nord-Ouest department, which are cut off from the rest of Haiti.

To supply humanitarian aid to the most isolated areas, Handicap International plans to reinstate its logistics platform, originally set up in response to the hurricanes of 2008. The platform will be made available to all humanitarian organizations and will help redistribute aid centralized in Port-au-Prince, to avoid overcrowding in the capital. 

To assist families who have lost everything, Handicap International is preparing to distribute repair kits including ropes and tarpaulins to make emergency repairs to their homes, along with cooking kits. The organization also plans to distribute water purification tablets to avoid the spread of epidemics.

In the wake of the 2010 earthquake, Handicap International trained some 50 physical therapists, compared to the dozen whop were in Haiti before the disaster. Our emergency team will work to provide physical rehabilitation to casualties and provide them with follow-up care. Handicap International also expects to provide emergency psychosocial support to people traumatized by the disaster.