Haiti: Severe Climate Events - Flash Update #2 (As of 6 June 2023)

This report has been prepared by OCHA with contributions from humanitarian partners and in close coordination with the General Directorate of Civil Protection (DGPC). It contains the latest information available as of 6 June 2023.

HIGHLIGHTS

• On 3 June 2023, a low-pressure system caused torrential rains across the country. Most departments experienced severe flooding, rockslides and landslides.

• The DGPC's provisional figures for the storms now show 39,458 households affected, 3,586 people evacuated, 51 deaths, 140 people injured, 31,591 homes flooded and 2,445 homes destroyed or damaged.

• IOM, UNICEF and WFP emergency managers are working with the DGPC to put in place a multi-sectoral emergency response plan for the worst-affected communes.

• The hurricane season began on 1 June. With similar or more severe meteorological events expected in the coming months replenishing humanitarian supply stocks is essential.

• On the morning of 6 June, a magnitude 5.5 earthquake shook the Grand'Anse department. Government rescue operations are underway.

KEY FIGURES

39,458
Households affected (DGPC)

3,586
People evacuated (DGPC)

51
People dead (DGPC)

140
People injured (DGPC)

31,591
Homes flooded (DGPC)

BACKGROUND

On Saturday 3 June, Haiti was hit by a particularly intense rainstorm, causing uninterrupted downpours across the country. The torrential rains, accompanied by gusty winds and thunderstorms, were triggered by the formation of a low-pressure system which remained stationary over the country throughout the day. The heavy rainfall caused numerous streams and rivers to overflow, as well as rockslides and landslides in riverside communities.

These phenomena were all the more destructive considering that some communes, such as Port-de-Paix (North-West), had already experienced heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding the previous week. As such, the area’s soil, already saturated with water, were unable to absorb the additional rainfall.

Although the situation appears to have subsided by 4 June, the Haiti Meteorological Unit (UMH) is warning of the possibility of a new low-pressure system passing over in the coming week. In the event of heavy rainfall, the still-waterlogged soils will be unable to prevent further flooding, rockslides and landslides and cause the current death toll to potentially rise. The UMH and the DGPC are conducting an awareness-raising campaign, calling on people living in areas at risk of flooding to be vigilant and to adopt the usual safety precautions in the event of downpours.

On 6 June, residents of Jérémie, the capital of the Grand'Anse department, were awakened by a magnitude 5.5 earthquake. This is the second time that the region has experienced seismic activity in recent days following a 4.1-magnitude quake on 4 June. This department was one of the hardest hit during the August 2021 7.2 magnitude earthquake that affected over 800,000 people. The DGPC, who currently report 3 deaths, 28 people injured and several collapsed homes, is concentrating efforts on rescue operations. The humanitarian community in Haiti stands ready to support them.