Help 6,000 Families Affected by Floods in Haiti

Dear Supporter,

Thank you for supporting Concern Worldwide as we help the people of Cité Soleil in Haiti rebuild their community after the devastating flooding in July 2016. Thanks to you, we have made significant progress in cleaning up Cité Soleil and unclogging canals in the neighborhood in order to prevent similar flooding in the future. 

Even before the storms, the people of Cité Soleil were some of the country’s most vulnerable. The slum, built on a former garbage dump, is overcrowded, with many living in shacks fashioned from corrugated steel. The area lacks access to safe drinking water, toilets, and electricity. 

The few resources and facilities the community did have were swept away or flooded during the rains. In total, nearly 6,000 families were affected, with many forced to stay living in flooded homes — sleeping in beds surrounded by stagnant floodwaters — because they had nowhere else to go.

Those who were physically able tried to start the cleanup of homes and streets immediately, but without the proper equipment they could only push waste and water into already clogged canals. With hurricane season lasting through the fall, the community was extremely vulnerable to a similar calamity occurring with the next heavy rains. Of even greater concern were the pools of stagnant water that remained, increasing the risk of cholera and mosquito borne-illnesses like malaria and yellow fever.

After the floods, Concern teams visited the multiple neighborhoods that make up Cité Soleil, assessing damage and gathering information from the communities. Because of the continuing rains, tarps were given to families to prevent further water damage in their homes. Jerry cans were also distributed, so residents could store clean drinking and cooking water. Concern teams held sanitation and hygiene training to reduce risk of diseases, particularly in children, who were playing in and around areas littered with waste.

After speaking with block and community leaders, Concern mobilized a cleanup effort, equipping residents with rakes and shovels. One village member remarked, “Nobody came to see if we needed anything. Concern is the first and only organization that came voluntarily and walked around with us.” Despite the deep mistrust between the local communities and the mayor’s team, Concern was able to unite both parties around cleaning and preventing future flooding. 

Heavy rains hit Cité Soleil again on August 5^th, but this time water did not overflow in areas that had participated in the cleanup organized by Concern. Community blocks that had not engaged in the cleanup effort did experience flooding. After seeing this success, the mayor’s office launched a town wide campaign where neighborhood groups organized a weekly maintenance operation to look after the narrow streets and keep them clear of trash.

Next Steps 

Some unexpected good did come out of this disaster: with Concern facilitating dialogue, community leaders and local gangs set aside their differences and worked together to mobilize their blocks for the cleanup. It is hoped this will be the first step towards greater cooperation for the good of Cité Soleil’s residents.

Because of donors like you, Concern’s Haiti team was able to respond rapidly to this emergency, immediately putting in place measures to stop the spread of disease, enabling Cité Soleil’s residents to take back their neighborhoods from the contaminated floodwaters, and ensuring systems are in place to keep canals clear and stop disasters like this from happening in the future. Though the July floods were tragic, the robust response by the people of Cité Soleil has left the community even stronger and more resilient than it was before.

Hurricane Matthew struck Haiti with extreme force on Tuesday, October 4. In the wake of this disaster, Concern will continue to assist the people of Cité Soleil, and plans on developing further projects within the area. There is still a great deal of work to be done, and Concern will continue to engage with community leaders and the local government to get that work done. 

Links:

• Concern USA Update