Hurricane Matthew bears down on the Caribbean
Most powerful storm to hit Haiti in generations
Hurricane Matthew tore through the Caribbean, destroying homes and communities in its path.
The category 4 storm hit some of the region’s most vulnerable areas, including Haiti, which is still recovering from the catastrophic earthquake in 2010. The death toll is nearing 1000, while an estimated 90% of buildings have been levelled in the south of the country.
The hurricane, which hit Haiti with 230 km/h winds, is the most powerful storm to affect the island in more than 50 years.
Haiti is one of the world’s poorest countries and many homes are extremely vulnerable to the strong winds. The level of damage is not yet known, as some parts of the country are totally cut off, with no means of communication, but initial reports show that at least 350,000 people have been affected by the hurricane.
A ShelterBox Response Team, including Canadian SRT Andre Bloemink, has arrived in Haiti and is working with local Rotary contacts to start assessing the extent of damage firsthand. Our team are noting a movement of Haitians helping Haitians — communities coming together to work on self-recovery.
We need to prepare for the worst. We already have limited stocks of aid stored in Haiti, but if initial reports are correct, it won’t be enough. We need your support to make sure we have enough aid to respond whenever disaster strikes.
Our teams are no strangers to working in the Caribbean.
In 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, killing more than 250,000 people and leaving a further million homeless.
We responded immediately and had a team on the ground assessing the situation within a day.
The quake caused damage on an epic scale and many of the worst-hit communities were accessible only by helicopter. However, ShelterBox teams worked tirelessly throughout 2010 to reach families in need of shelter, using any means possible.
We believe that no family should be without shelter, and our teams will go to the ragged ends of the earth to support communities. ShelterBox’s work would not be possible without the generous support of donors across the country who believe in our mission.
Please donate today to help families affected by Hurricane Matthew and other disasters around the world.
