Haiti: Floods in the South Department - Flash Update No. 01 (as of 15 November 2024)

This report is produced with the support of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in collaboration with humanitarian partners present in the South department and with official data from the departmental authorities. An update will be made according to the evolution of the situation.

KEY MESSAGES

• From November 10 to 12, 2024, torrential rains fell across the entire Sud department, causing severe flooding. The municipalities of Les Cayes, Torbeck, Port-Salut and Saint-Louis du Sud are among the most affected.
• According to the DGPC, 3,558 families have urgent humanitarian needs in these four municipalities. One death was reported in Île-à-Vache and two people are missing in Port-à-Piment and Les Cayes.
• A technical unit composed of technical executives from the Departmental Directorate of Civil Protection of the South and international partners was set up with the aim of monitoring the planning actions and the implementation of the response.
• Needs assessments are continuing and humanitarian partners are preparing their interventions , particularly in terms of food assistance, hygiene kits, school kits and WASH kits.

Situation Overview

General context

Between 10 and 12 November 2024, heavy rains hit the Sud department, causing flooding in several municipalities and causing one death and the disappearance of two people. According to the information available, the most affected municipalities are: Les Cayes, Torbeck, Saint-Louis-du-Sud and Port-Salut. According to the first available data, damage was also reported in the agricultural and livestock sectors in the majority of municipalities in the department. In addition, access to several municipalities, including Maniche , became difficult due to damaged roads strewn with debris and alluvium. Most rivers were in flood.

These storms, caused by a tropical wave in the western Caribbean Sea, come in an already difficult context for the population of the South. The department is facing the economic repercussions of a multidimensional crisis and the presence of 116,602 displaced persons, including 36,813 in Les Cayes, who fled violence by armed groups in Port-au-Prince (source: IOM, DTM #8). In Les Cayes, many residents attribute the flooding to the lack of mitigation measures, such as cleaning out canals and clearing out outlets. Weather monitoring remains active until the official end of the hurricane season on November 30.

Assessment of affected areas

Les Cayes: Several areas of downtown Les Cayes are difficult to access due to flooding (Derrière Fort, La Savane, Pont Combo, street leading to the Immaculée Conception hospital in Les Cayes, Massey, Foucault, Pont-Centre). The same is true for the communal sections; A partial assessment reports 800 flooded houses in the city of Les Cayes.

Torbeck: 1,526 houses are flooded in the municipality according to information from the Municipal Committee for Disaster Risk Management (CCGRD).

South St Louis : About 495 homes are flooded, according to the municipal technical coordinator of Saint-Louis du Sud. The most affected areas are the localities of Malval and Derrière Largon , a marginalized community located by the sea. The latter is now landlocked, the recent bad weather having blocked the passage allowing residents to leave their fishing village or access it .

Port-Salut : 733 houses are flooded in Bord de mer, Daïde , Dupin Laforce, Scipion, Carpentier, Bouchure Félix, Makaya and Dumont. Cases of landslides are identified in Masson, Marcabée and Morne Chouquette.

Maniche : The Maniche road is inaccessible due to the impact of runoff water.