Haiti: Hurricane Matthew - Situation Report No. 7 (11 October 2016)

Highlights

• 2.1 million people, including 894,057 children, are affected.

• 1,410,774 people (12.9% of the population), including 592,581 children need humanitarian assistance.

• 750,000 people, including 315,000 children, need urgent humanitarian aid for the next three months.

• 175,509 people displaced.

• 473 people dead, 75 missing, and 339 injured, according to official data available on 11 October.

Situation Overview

The Category-4 Hurricane Matthew that struck parts of Haiti violently on 4 October caused the largest humanitarian emergency since the 2010 earthquake. The Directorate of Civil Protection of Haiti has so far confirmed 473 deaths, 339 injuries, and 75 people missing. The number of evacuees is 175,509 people scattered in 224 temporary shelters. Among the approximate 2.1 million people affected, UNICEF estimates that 894,057 are children. Nearly 1,410,774 people need humanitarian assistance, including 592,581 children.

In close coordination with the Government of Haiti and other partners, the Humanitarian Country Team in Haiti launched yesterday, 10 October, a Flash Appeal seeking US$119.8 million in emergency funding to meet the most urgent humanitarian needs of 750,000 people, including 315,000 children, for the next three months. With countries, agencies, and donors slowly responding to the appeal, the needs are becoming increasingly urgent. The Flash Appeal is in addition to the 2016 Haiti Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP). Targeting vulnerable groups in identified priority sectors, the appeal takes into account the capacities at the national level and of humanitarian partners on the ground. Partners are developing individual projects in support of sector activities and financial requirements identified in this appeal while adapting their response to the results of the most current assessments undertaken by the various partners of the humanitarian community.

Humanitarian needs include access to a sufficient supply of quality water, education, shelter, child protection, health and nutrition. Many houses, schools and hospitals have been damaged or destroyed in the affected areas.

Cholera continues to be a large concern and emergency interventions are complementing the existing cholera response where possible. Moreover, preliminary reports from the Emergency Food Security Assessment indicate that the North-West Department is severely affected, where 60-90% of crops are lost (WFP SitRep, October 10).