Haiti After Hurricane Matthew

It has been a week since Hurricane Matthew roared through the small island nation of Haiti and decimated the towns and villages there. Some areas have been wiped completely out of existence by the ferocious Category 4 storm. The death toll is catastrophic with one estimate by Reuters of 1,000 lives and other estimates between 500 and 700 lives.

The aid for this desperate nation has been slow to materialize. A report by NBC News with sources from the U.N. stated that the outlying areas of Haiti have no clean water supply and no antibiotics. The spread of cholera is a real concern in the conditions there and medical supplies as well as food supplies are limited in many areas which will lead to more deaths unless that situation rapidly improves.

The loss of basic human services will create conditions where other diseases will take the lives of the elderly and the children. The destruction has displaced families and orphaned children who then have to travel several miles on foot, often while injured, to get medical attention. Then, upon arrival they are told that there are no supplies or medicines to provide that treatment.

The situation in Haiti is a humanitarian disaster. The U.S. Marines, as many news agencies have reported, have been very active in deploying to remote areas in helicopters with supplies but the need is tremendous and they need more help.

In my career I have worked in the non-profit sector and the healthcare sector. I worked for an organization that provided medical supplies and pharmaceuticals to Haiti. The situation there has seen long periods of instability, corruption, and violence. A natural disaster such as Hurricane Matthew serves to exacerbate these issues.

However, there are also partner agencies and trusted NGOs as well as humanitarian operations through the U.N. that can provide the necessary support needed for this ravaged country to rebuild. The U.N. has announced an emergency campaign with that goal in mind. The relief efforts have to be ramped up, and with the infrastructure there already compromised, the need for helicopter drops and coordinated supply routes remains crucial to the success of the entire relief operation.

Haiti is a neighbor to us and is in dire need of help. The impoverished nation will be forever altered by this disastrous storm. They need our support more than ever. In my experience with working with people who have supported operations on the ground there in the past, the roadway systems are not good in ideal conditions. This has played a key role in cutting off so many people in need of assistance that the U.N. estimates that 1.4 million people have received little or no assistance.

Furthermore, of that number about half of them, or about 750,000 people are in danger of dying from either starvation or disease. The emergency aid provided in the immediate future will literally save lives.

There are several relief agencies that are trusted which will be involved in the coordinated effort. Please consider supporting this cause by contacting the U.N. or The Red Cross to make a donation or determine which organizations will be aiding in this massive humanitarian operation.

You can make a difference in the lives of so many suffering people through your support. My prayers remain with all those impacted by Hurricane Matthew.