Hurricane Matthew Response - One Year Report

On October 4, 2016, Haiti was ravaged by the powerful category 4 Hurricane Matthew which brought heavy rain and strong winds. In its aftermath, Hurricane Matthew left behind loss of life resulting from large scale floods and mudslides, destruction and damage of homes, schools and health facilities, collapsed bridges and widespread crop devastation throughout the country. UNOCHA estimated a total of 2.1 million people to have been affected by Hurricane Matthew, of which 1.4 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance. The majority of needs have been concentrated in the hardest hit areas of the Southern Peninsula, including the Departments of Nippes, Sud and Grand’Anse, as well as the Island of La Gonâve. 

Immediately after the hurricane, World Vision International-Haiti started responding to the needs of the affected children and their communities. On October 7, 2016, a Category III – Global Response was declared; officially launching a large-scale response in targeted communes of the Nippes and Sud Departments as well as the island of La Gonâve and the mountain areas of Port-au-Prince. The response focused on families whose homes were destroyed or damaged by Hurricane Matthew, families with children under the age of five or disabled people and families headed by women or children. Hygiene promotion and basic skills training were planned alongside NFI distribution to prevent water-borne diseases outbreaks. This report details the key accomplishments during the emergency relief and early recovery phases of the Hurricane Matthew Response during the period of October 2016 to September 2017.