Mission context
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 in Haiti
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.
ACTED
Food distribution for people affected by Hurricane Matthew (Grand'Anse, 2017)
Current projects
ACTED
Sanitary cord, distribution of cholera kits (soaps, aquatabs, buckets) and awareness of best hygiene practices as part of an intervention by the cholera emergency team in the commune of Torbeck, Les Cayes, Sud
©Pierre Duyckaerts for ACTED Haiti
©Bruno Fert for ACTED Haiti
©Pierre Duyckaerts for ACTED Haiti
ACTED
Post-Hurricane Matthew Field Flooding - Jérémie-Dame Marie Road, 2016
ACTED
Identification of suspected cholera cases in the cholera unit of the Les Cayes health centre, rehabilitated by ACTED, Les Cayes, Sud
Identification of suspected cases of cholera, Centre de santé de la commune des Irois, Grand'Anse
ACTED
Distribution of food rations to families affected by Hurricane Matthew, Matador, Irois commune, 2016
ACTED
Water point built at the entrance to the commune of Dame-Marie (Grand'Anse) to facilitate access to drinking water and prevent the spread of cholera, 2016
ACTED
Disinfection of sensitive areas during the intervention of an emergency cholera team in the commune of Torbeck (Les Cayes, Sud), in partnership with Médecins du Monde