Hurricane Irma: Thousands of Children Evacuated

Friday, September 8, 2017

Thousands of children have been evacuated from dangerous areas as deadly Hurricane Irma bears down on Haiti.

World Vision regional leader John Hasse said that as a preventive measure, Haiti’s Social Welfare Institute had ordered the evacuation of 4800 children from high risk areas prone to flooding and mudslides, while 800 children from 24 orphanages nationwide had also been relocated to safer areas.

Mr Hasse said World Vision would collaborate with the Haitian government to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and will establish child friendly spaces in the most vulnerable areas.

World Vision Haiti has five child-friendly spaces still operating in La Gonave, as part of the humanitarian response provided after Hurricane Matthew last year.

Hurricane Matthew affected 2 million people, while the full-force Category 5 Hurricane Irma is expected to impact more than 2 million people on Haiti’s northern seaboard, and also impact central areas where 6.5 million people live.

World Vision’s response plan, focused on saving lives, protecting children and ensuring improved resilience, will reach more than 240,000 people, including more than 140,000 children in four geographical regions.

More than 58,000 children in Haiti are sponsored through World Vision.

Lifesaving emergency supplies will be distributed in hurricane-hit areas using WVI Haiti’s pre-positioned stock, which currently includes 7000 hygiene kits, 10,000 sawyer (bucket) filters, 14,000 bed sheets, 20,000 mosquito nets and 35,000 jerry cans. Hurricane-affected households headed by women as well as families with children under the age of 5 and people living with disabilities will be prioritised.

Other emergency response priorities will include:

• Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), including rehabilitation of water points and hygiene education
• Food assistance, including food vouchers or general food distribution depending on market accessibility
• Children in Emergency measures including the establishment of child friendly spaces and psychosocial support
• Shelter, including government designated shelter management, school rehabilitation, roofing vouchers and construction technique training
• Livelihood, including seed/livestock distribution and agricultural training to recover subsistence production capabilities.

World Vision will conduct rapid assessments, in coordination with UNOCHA and the Government of Haiti, of the damage aftermath.

National Director, World Vision International Haiti, Flore-Marie V. Laurent, said urgent action would be needed to reduce the impact of hurricane damage, prevent outbreaks of infectious diseases such as cholera, and improve child safety.

For interviews, contact Stuart Rintoul at World Vision Australia 0407 241 492

 

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