Haiti Emergency Response: Phase One Complete

PBV began gathering information and contacting local partners immediately after Hurricane Matthew struck the Caribbean region in the first week of October 2016.

During the week of 17th October, PBV established a formal partnership for Hurricane Matthew Emergency Response New York-based nonprofit, World Cares Center, with whom PBV partnered to respond to Hurricane Sandy in the USA in 2012/2013.

Emergency Response Operations

A PBV staff member departed for the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince with Lisa Orloff, Founder and Executive Director of World Cares Center, arriving in the morning of 29^th October.

After liaising with local staff and preparing emergency supplies, PBV and World Cares Center departed for Jeremie, approximately 280km drive away.

The town of Jeremie, with a population of 31,000, was one of the areas most affected by Hurricane Matthew.

Map of Port-au-Prince & Jeremie

Source: BBC.co.uk – http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-37570409

Between 29^th October and 1^st November, PBV and World Cares Center delivered much-needed assistance to the communities in and around Jeremie (see the “Impacts” section below).

World Cares Center (which has extensive experience in Haiti since the 2010 earthquake) had already identified a reliable coordinator in Jeremie who was able to gather beneficiaries, communicate with stakeholders, and provide local knowledge which proved to be a major asset.

The joint team took all necessary precautions to ensure their safety as they moved around the affected areas, and ensured not to be a burden on affected communities by being self-sufficient and well prepared.

Impacts

PBV and World Cares Center successfully delivered the following services:

TRAINING & CAPACITY BUILDING
Delivered a training session to 80 community leaders representing 12 communes in the Jeremie area. The training focused on disaster management and community health and sanitation (including cholera prevention).
DISTRIBUTION OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMNENT (PPE)
Delivered 80 Personal Protective Equipment kits to community leaders who attended the training session above. The PPE kits included gloves, goggles, and respiratory masks, enabling them to help their communities in a safe and effective way.
DISTRIBUTION OF HYGIENE KITS
Delivered 400 hygiene kits in the commune of Rouseaux. The hygiene kits included soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, towel, mosquito repellent, and other essential items.