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Humanitarian organisation Plan International is mounting an emergency response to meet the urgent needs of storm affected Haitians.
Tropical storm Isaac left a trail of destruction in Haiti as it made a landfall on Friday night. About 400,000 homeless people are still living in makeshift camps in the country since the 2010 earthquake. They are among those who have been most affected. Strong winds and further rainfall are forecasted to cause further suffering.
“Our priority is children. They are most vulnerable during emergency and therefore need special attention,” said John Chaloner, Plan International’s Country Director in Haiti. “Our response will focus on life saving needs such as clean water and food as well as safety and security and protection for children.”
Plan is deploying specialists to assess needs of storm affected children.
With heavy rains and flooding there are additional concerns for water borne diseases and potential public health emergencies such as cholera.
Plan will be distributing relief items stockpiled in its warehouses to people living in temporary shelters. The organisation is working in close coordination with government’s Emergency Operations Centres.
Plan works in communities in 9 districts, including Jacmel, where the storm had a big impact. Some 2437 people have been moved to temporary shelters in Jacmel and 3000 in the other communes of the department of Croix-des-Bouquets according to national authorities. A CAD (Centre d’Action pour le Developpement), which Plan supports, has been severely affected by the storm.
Plan is working in close collaboration with national and local authorities, as well as UN and international aid agencies.
“Working together in coordination with others is a key lesson we have learnt from the past disasters,” said Dr Unni Krishnan, Plan’s Head of Disaster Response and Preparedness. “Disasters affect children disproportionately and meeting their needs and protecting their rights are paramount in humanitarian situations.”
Since 1973, Plan has been working with Haitian communities to improve the lives of children and their families. Plan’s programmes focus on education, healthcare, livelihoods, disaster risk reduction initiatives, and the participation of children and young people in child rights campaigns.
In neighbouring Dominican Republic, also partially affected by the storm, Plan has put active monitoring and preparedness measures in place. Plan runs several disaster risk reduction and preparedness projects in both countries that share the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean.
Editor’s notes:
- Founded 75 years ago, Plan is one of the world’s oldest and largest child-centred community development organisations with programmes in 50 developing countries. Since 1962 the organisation has operations in the Americas.
- Since 1973, Plan has been working with Haitian communities to improve the lives of children and their families. Plan’s programmes strengthen education, healthcare, livelihoods, disaster risk reduction initiatives, and the participation of children and young people in child rights campaigns.
- Plan was among the first international agencies to start relief work in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. More details about Plan’s recovery efforts can be found here.
- Plan has been working in the Dominican Republic since 1987, helping poor children access their rights to education, health and protection, and working with communities on sustainable livelihoods.
Media contacts:
Frantz Jean Communications Manager, Plan in HaitiEmail: Frantz.Jean@plan-international.orgMobile: +509 3445 2702Paloma Ruiz CeballosPress and Media Officer, Plan Dominican RepublicEmail: Paloma.ruiz@plan-international.orgMobile: + 1 829 344 5138
Davinder Kumar Press Officer, Plan International Headquarters, UKEmail: Davinder.Kumar@plan-international.orgMobile: +44 7739 326164
