Haitian devastation: Kildare woman’s work on the front lines to help after the earthquake that wreaked havoc

On August 14, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck the island of Haiti, 125 kilometers west of the capital, Port-au-Prince. More than 2,200 people were killed and 130,000 homes were destroyed or severely damaged in Jeremy, Sud and Nebes. The earthquake (and the ensuing Storm Grace on August 16) exacerbated the vulnerability of an already suffering population, with 80% of the country living on US$2 or less prior to the disaster.

October is the start of hurricane season in the Caribbean, and thousands of families are still without adequate shelter or food, receiving only a certain number of tarpaulins or other support. Families are in dire need of resuming their agricultural and small business activities so that they can support their livelihood.

ActionAid provides long-term support to women and children in developing countries so that they can overcome their obstacles. We work with women because the rights of women and girls around the world are most affected by poverty; For example, girls are the first to drop out of school when families cannot afford school fees, and this contributes to the cycle of poverty for women, many of whom never learn to read and write. We work with local women in our emergency response to ensure they have the skills to make decisions and lead response programmes, such as choosing who should receive emergency distributions, organizing distributions and having a say in long-term response plans.

ActionAid has been based in Haiti for over 30 years and has been working in the areas worst affected by the earthquake. ActionAid’s staff in Haiti, together with women from affected communities, began responding to the earthquake the next day, visiting communities to assess damage and get an idea of ​​urgent needs. ActionAid’s International Humanitarian and Resilience Team supported them with immediate funding to start a response with hygiene kits, tarpaulins and cash for the most affected families.

I was sent over the following week, on assignment for a month, to support our amazing local team as I am part of an international humanitarian roster of senior emergency managers. You have helped our team and local partners conduct a detailed assessment of needs in the medium and long term. We are now seeking funding for a long-term plan because our contingency budget is for immediate needs only and will run out in another month.

emergency kits

I visited a community called Rousseau, in Haiti’s Grand Anse province, one of the areas hardest hit by the earthquake, to help with ActionAid’s distribution of hygiene supplies. These products consist of soap, washing powder, sanitary towels, toothbrushes and toothpaste, toilet paper, Clorox and Aqua water purifier brands. Kits are delivered in a plastic bucket instead of a reusable plastic bag.

We also distributed the equivalent of 200 euros to families whose homes were completely destroyed by the earthquake. They can now invest in rebuilding some sort of shelter for themselves.

Families in areas such as Grand Anse were already receiving food relief from the World Food Program and ActionAid; Then came the earthquake, which destroyed or destroyed nearly 130,000 homes. A day later, the torrential rains caused by Hurricane Grace washed away the temporary shelters they had built. People here are desperate.

I’ve heard of people blocking aid convoys on the road because they are tired of waiting for support and are frustrated seeing trucks passing by when they need it most. I didn’t really know what to expect with our latest distribution; We are the only NGO present in our operational communities.

I was a bit surprised when we broke into the Women’s Safe Space office yard to see people waiting patiently for us not rushing toward the car.

The local women leaders who manage and lead the humanitarian response for ActionAid have jumped into action to help us unload the back of the truck. We took the supplies to a room at the back of the office. Here, they quickly and efficiently organize supplies into individual buckets.

We have stopped at the homes of several program participants on their way to distribution. I cannot even properly describe the misery I saw.

Damage to a house in Jeremy

People sleep under tarpaulins attached to sticks, or in their kitchens (separated from the rest of the house and not made of blocks so the structure is safer).

I saw elderly couples, pregnant women, and young children living in these conditions with their house on the ground in a pile of blocks and stones beside them. Or – just as badly – the houses are still standing but have huge cracks in the walls and floors and are not safe at all. Some families slept in the premises of the local school.

When I asked ActionAid partner Femme De Tetes Ensemble de Grand Anse leaders all local Haitian women about the current needs of women here, the first thing they mentioned was food, then shelter. There is currently no support for parents who sleep in schools. They need funds and support to restart their small business so that they can provide for their families. They also need to rebuild homes for protection.

Women are particularly at risk of violence when they live in such conditions. And they need to “build back better” so that their homes can withstand the stress when the next storm or earthquake comes.

ActionAid, with the support of our generous supporters, responds to those who need it most. But there is still a long way to go to make these communities safe. We will continue to work with local women’s organizations in the recovery and reconstruction phase to help them rebuild their lives.

We would like to thank all the generous Irish supporters who donate to ActionAid Ireland and make our work possible.

If you would like to support the Haiti earthquake appeal, you can call us at 01878 7911 or donate online at www.actionaid.ie.

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