Hurricane Tomas hits Haiti; damage assessments underway

The worst of Hurricane Tomas has passed through Haiti, where World Vision's earthquake relief and cholera responses were already underway.

Heavy rains and flooding have been affecting people living in post-quake camps. 

World Vision's relief team has been preparing for severe weather in Haiti over the past week, while continuing to respond to the cholera outbreak, focusing on prevention and hygiene education in Port-au-Prince camps.

The storm brought strong wind, heavy rains and flooding. Three deaths have been reported. World Vision’s response team is beginning assessments and will develop an appropriate and swift response.

"First the earthquake, then the cholera outbreak, and now severe weather here. All of it is testing the limits of Haiti," said World Vision’s Sabrina Pourmand-Nolen in Haiti.

Preparing for the worst

World Vision staff been working over the past week to help prepare children and families living in camps in Port-au-Prince for the storm. Activities included:

• Distributing hurricane preparedness messages in French and Creole
• Temporarily dismantling the Child Friendly Spaces tents
• Ensuring all water tanks are full and latrines are desludged and secured
• Mobilising a post-storm rapid assessment team
• Securing contents of the health tents, but keeping them open as much as possible to provide cholera prevention measures

In addition, the organisation is working with other agencies, including the American Refugee Committee and Oxfam at Corail, to protect the families in those camps, including establishing the warehouse at Corail as an emergency shelter.

Cholera

Meanwhile, the death toll from Haiti's cholera epidemic has exceeded 500, according to the country's health ministry. Most of the cases have been outside Port-au-Prince. World Vision's proactive prevention focus has included hygiene education, hand-washing demonstrations and soap distribution.

"The effect of these natural disasters and the outbreak highlight the ongoing vulnerability here," said Pourmand-Nolen.

"It is a reminder to the international community that one of the most critical things that must happen for Haiti to recover from the multiple tragedies this year is a commitment to build its infrastructure.

"Access to clean water, sanitation facilities, healthcare, and education will create a stronger Haiti in the future."

8 November 2010