Haiti’s geographical location and low response capacity make the country particularly vulnerable to climate change and frequent natural disasters, including earthquakes, droughts and hurricanes. Climate change is contributing to an increase in the frequency of disasters, with consequences lasting over time, in addition to a pre-existing situation of extreme poverty. Almost two years after Hurricane Matthew, over 1 million out of the 2.1 million people affected by the hurricane are still in need of humanitarian assistance. At the end of 2017, only 10% of people whose housing had been partially or completely destroyed by Hurricane Matthew were provided with a more resilient housing solution.
Lack of access to water, hygiene and sanitation services as well as food insecurity and the need for shelter and non-food items are among the main concerns. The cholera epidemic, which broke out in 2010 and has not yet been contained despite a decline in intensity, remains a major public health problem.
ACTED is a leading actor in the fight against cholera in Haiti. Through the establishment of sanitary cords around affected households, distribution of cholera kits and awareness-raising session, ACTED works at containing and preventing the spread of the epidemic. ACTED commitment in Haiti also includes improving access to water and sanitation infrastructures, through the rehabilitation and improvement of hygiene and drinking water supply systems for the population.
In the South and Grande Anse regions, ACTED is also rehabilitating health facilities within the framework of a consortium, with the aim of improving access to maternal and child health. In Grande Anse, which was strongly hit by Hurricane Matthew in 2016, ACTED teams are training masons to build houses that meet para-cyclonic and seismic standards, and helping families rebuild their homes in a safer and more sustainable way. ACTED is also involved in the fight against climate change with the implementation of sustainable agriculture programming in the Artibonite department.
Video UNICEF Haiti – Combatting cholera in Haiti: home straight
His name: Vibrio cholerae. Its victims: Haiti and its inhabitants. Since October 2010, the epidemic is rife. Nearly 10,000 people died, and 820,300 people affected by cholera-like diarrhea. Today, in most parts of the country, cholera is being defeated. There are still some suspect cases of cholera in the hard-to-reach areas of the Center and Artibonite departments. But even there, the diarrheal disease is about to be eliminated. No cholera case has been confirmed since February 4, 2019.