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FROM THE FIELD

Haiti: preparing for hurricanes
23 Jul 2009 08:00:28 GMT
 Source: Oxfam GB - UK
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Background

•  Haiti troubles

•  Haiti floods

•  Hurricane Ike

•  Caribbean-Atlantic storms

•  Hurricane Gustav

MORE >>

As hurricane season sweeps in, Yolette Etienne explains why Oxfam’s work to get Haiti ready is no easy task.

A Haitian woman washes a blanket in Gonaivez, North Haiti on 20 September 2008, after the passing of 'Ike', 'Gustav' and 'Hanna'.
A Haitian woman washes a blanket in Gonaivez, North Haiti on 20 September 2008, after the passing of 'Ike', 'Gustav' and 'Hanna'.
Not one. Not two. Not three. But four hurricanes or tropical storms in under a month hit Haiti last year. They would have severely damaged even the most well-developed country. Imagine the destruction in the poorest country of the Western Hemisphere.

The experts said - you can always doubt what experts say, but this is what they said - that these kinds of phenomenon are due to climate change. I’m not an expert but I am Haitian, with more than ten years experience with Oxfam. I don’t remember a year like 2008.

The impact of these hurricanes and tropical storms are more severe in the country because Haiti provides an open invitation for nature’s worst destruction. Deforestation, poverty, high-density population in urban areas, lack of measures to face the emergencies - you name, we have it.

These are not excuses. We at Oxfam have to do something. But can we solve all the problems in a short time period? No, we can’t because miracles are hard to achieve. But we try and will give our best to make it possible. 

A training exercise on how to save lives in a flood [Photo credit: Abbie Trayler-Smith]
A training exercise on how to save lives in a flood [Photo credit: Abbie Trayler-Smith]
The Oxfam programme has various approaches to tackle the extreme vulnerability of the people and to lessen the impact of natural disasters. Building of new drainage channels, cleaning and rebuilding the old ones; training and implementation for early warning systems; coordination with the State, international organisations, other NGOs and local committees - most of them formed by community volunteers. You can read more in our Latin American and Caribbean Magazine. This will give you an idea how difficult it is to implement a programme that can fully solve all the problems at once.

The new hurricane season is here. For good or for bad, Haiti is where it is. We know that sooner or later more hurricanes will hit the country, and probably, as the experts said, will be bigger in intensity and more frequent.

It is important to understand the new challenges and to reach out to donors, in partnership with other organisations and the Haitian government, to help communities not just for the short term but for the future.

So, with our eyes wide open, we prepare and help the communities where we work to face the hurricanes in the best possible way and try to reduce the impact to a minimum.

See also Oxfam’s work in Haiti

View Haiti audio slideshow

Help vulnerable communities in Haiti protect themselves from climate-related disasters.


More from the Oxfam Press Office at http://www.oxfam.org.uk/news


[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

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Topics

•  Hurricanes and cyclones

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Emergencies

•  Haiti floods

•  Caribbean-Atlantic storms

•  Hurricane Hanna

•  Tropical storm Three

•  Haiti troubles

•  Hurricane Ike

•  Hurricane Gustav

MORE >>

Members

•  Oxfam GB - UK

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[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]

Background information

Briefings
Haiti floods - [Who works where]
Caribbean-Atlantic storms - [Who works where]
Hurricane Hanna - [Who works where]
Tropical storm Three - [Who works where]
Haiti troubles - [Who works where]
Hurricane Ike - [Who works where]
Hurricane Gustav - [Who works where]

Topics
Hurricanes and cyclones
Facts & figures
Haiti
Statistics graphs
Human development index ranking (2005)
Chart for Human development index ranking
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Last updated:Thu Jul 23 08:17:06 2009