Hurricane Matthew has had a devastating effect on the Grand Sud region of Haiti, where UN Environment has been working for the past six years.

The disaster has caused loss of human lives, damaged infrastructure, caused total or partial loss of harvests and destroyed a large number of houses. The Government of Haiti estimates that 1,410,907 people are in need of assistance.

In the days before the hurricane, through its office in Port Salut, UN Environment assisted the Government of Haiti in the South to evacuate people living in vulnerable zones near the coast or small islands.

In the Sud Department, one of the zones most affected by the hurricane, UN Environment helped evacuate fishing communities and their fishing materials. Prior to the hurricane, UN Environment had worked with fishermen on an emergency preparation protocol for disasters. As Hurricane Matthew approached, these fishermen helped each other move boats and equipment to shelter, in line with the protocol.

The Haitian government, as well as humanitarian actors on the ground, are increasingly concerned about the effects of cholera and other diseases linked to poor sanitary conditions. Assessments of the damage are not yet complete, but initial estimates indicate it is considerable.

As over the past several years and in the context of this latest disaster, UN Environment continues to assist the Government and people of Haiti thanks to the generous support of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. UN Environment’s operations in Haiti are supported by the Post-Conflict and Disaster Management branch based in Geneva.

Photos from the ground can be seen by clicking here.

For more information on ongoing efforts click here here or write to sophie.brown@unep.org