World Vision staff in Haiti prepare for Hurricane Matthew

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Hurricane Matthew, a Category 4 hurricane, has hit Haiti with powerful 230km/h winds, heavy rain, and strong storm surges. As expected, the storm is making communication with many areas impossible. All the coastal areas are currently on high alert for high tides and populations living near the coastline were advised to evacuate as tidal waves as high as 8 meters (25 feet) were expected. World Vision staff in Haiti expects to see heavy damage and injuries.

"We will be moving supplies accordingly so we can provide relief as quickly as possible to those who need it,”  John Hasse, National Director of World Vision’s programmes in Haiti.

“We are closely watching the forecasts, monitoring where the worst-hit areas will be and moving supplies accordingly so we can provide relief as quickly as possible to those who need it,” says, John Hasse, National Director of World Vision’s programmes in Haiti.

Our staff on the ground have been working around the clock for the past several days to prepare for and pre-position as many supplies as possible. Currently, we are ready to support between 10,000 – 15,000 families through our prepositioned items including:

• 27,000 blankets
• 20,000 jerry cans
• 26,000 tarps
• 6,000 flashlights

We are also acquiring:

• 50,000 Hygiene kits (Including water container-bathing soap bar- bathing towel-toothbrush-toothpaste-mosquito nets-Oral rehydration salts)
• 15 million water purification tablets (Aquatabs)
• 50,000 kitchen sets
• 50,000 baby kits
• 40,000 tarps
• 50,000 flashlights
• 35,000 jerry cans

World Vision has been working in Haiti for 38 years and has worked with the Haitian government to prepare for – and protect people from – hurricanes in its rural long-term development program areas, which are far more likely to see damage from a hurricane.

Each year, World Vision works with the Department of Civil Protection in hurricane planning. Following a hurricane, World Vision helps local and national authorities conduct damage assessments and responds according to the scope and severity of the damage, as well as availability of resources, in collaboration with other humanitarian agencies.