CARE mounts response in Haiti, where Sandy left 52 dead and thousands homeless
ATLANTA (Oct. 30, 2012) -- The international humanitarian and relief organization CARE offers its deepest sympathy to everyone affected by Hurricane Sandy, a deadly storm that has brought shared misery to the United States and the Caribbean.
CARE’s international emergency response teams are on the ground in Haiti, where damage DSCI1508caused by Sandy’s three days of continuous heavy rains have already left 52 people dead. Worst-affected are low-lying communities in western Haiti still recovering from damage caused by Tropical Storm Isaac in August. In Grand Anse province, according to CARE staff members on the ground, Sandy destroyed and damaged 2,955 homes, decimated half of the cropland and left 14 people dead. In Léogâne, two villages were destroyed by the flooding caused by the storm, leaving more than 300 families without homes or belongings. In addition, large areas of farmland have been inundated, destroying much needed local crops.
CARE’s emergency responders are focused first on delivering emergency clean water and hygiene supplies to the worst-affected communities in Grand Anse. Responding as quickly as possible is essential to halting the spread of deadly water-borne diseases such as cholera. Some 30 cases of cholera have already been reported in Grand Anse alone, with more than 300 reported cases across the country and six deaths.
“From Haiti and the Caribbean to the northeastern United States, the breadth of the damage caused by Sandy is unlike anything most of us have ever seen,” says Jean-Michel Vigreaux, CARE’s country director in Haiti. “We’re hopeful that people in communities that were not affected by the storm will do what they can to support relief efforts in the worst-hit areas.”
Founded in 1945 with the creation of the CARE Package, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE has more than six decades of experience delivering emergency aid during times of crisis. Our emergency responses focus on the needs of the most vulnerable populations, particularly girls and women. Last year CARE worked in 84 countries and reached 122 million people around the world.
To learn more about how CARE is responding to Sandy and to support our emergency relief efforts, please visit www.care.org.
Media contact: Brian Feagans, [email protected], 404-979-9453
About CARE: Founded in 1945, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE has more than six decades of experience helping people prepare for disasters, providing lifesaving assistance when a crisis hits, and helping communities recover after the emergency has passed. CARE places special focus on women and children, who are often disproportionately affected by disasters. To learn more, visit www.care-international.org. Learn more about CARE's work in Haiti here.