Forming on the coast of Africa in the last weeks of September, Hurricane Matthew gained strength and moved North. By the first week of September, the hurricane reached a peak of category five when it hit the caribbean. Jamaica, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic were among the countries that were hit the hardest. The storm also hit the United States, with the most damage seen in the eastern coast of Florida, and North Carolina.
The most damage by far, however, was in Haiti. On October 4th, Hurricane Matthew hit the country, as a category four hurricane. According to Reuters.com, “the storm left 1.4 million Haitians in need of aid, and 175,000 homeless.” The United Nations has been shipping aid to the country, and the United States has been shipping supplies in by helicopter. However, many Haitians are not receiving the supplies they need.
Hospitals in the country are lacking vital medicines and anesthesia, and are struggling to keep up with the influx of patients. Many hospitals have been damaged by the storm, which has made a dire situation for the injured and sick alike.
In the aftermath of the storm, as more parts of the island start to rebuild, the effects of the storm are starting to become evident. A cholera epidemic has started to break out in the country, as many residents are lacking clean drinking water. According to Cnn.com, “The World Food Program estimates that 100% some of the country’s agricultural areas. Without aid from outside countries, Haiti will likely experience food shortages in the weeks, or even months to come.” When asked about the possibility of a potential famine, Pierre Marie Boisson, an economist with the Haiti Sogebank says in an interview with cbc, “Yes, it is a real risk.”
BHS students can help Haiti recover from Hurricane Matthew through several international organizations. “The Red Cross, Unicef, Food for the Poor, and Partners in Aid have been helping disaster victims”, according to USA Today. The American Red Cross released a statement to CNN saying, “We believe our efforts in Haiti have made important investments in Haitian people, institutions, systems and lasting infrastructure including the employment of numerous Haitians in disaster management leadership positions in our projects and in the Haitian Red Cross,” the agency said.
