Update on Haiti Recovery
Recent reports have been released detailing the situations in Haiti as they continue to recover from the detrimental impact of Hurricane Matthew. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has published an analysis called Haiti: Humanitarian Snapshot that shows extremely high numbers of damage and need for help. According to the report, 2.1 million people in Haiti were affected by Hurricane Matthew. Of those people, 1.4 million are still in need of some form of humanitarian assistance. While these statistics seem drastic, there are even more difficulties being faced by the country right now, most of which are harder to measure.
On top of the damage caused by natural disasters like the earthquake of 2010 and Hurricane Matthew, Haiti is facing food insecurity, a cholera epidemic, and a displaced people crisis. The cholera epidemic broke out after the earthquake and has never fully been controlled. Help is needed with water sanitation and hygienic resources, coordination and protection of camps and shelters, and food distribution. Orphanages are vastly outnumbered by neglected children, and many of those children are malnourished.
The OCHA report states that “The humanitarian context in Haiti remains challenging as the country continues to be affected by a convergence of humanitarian crises further aggravated by Hurricane Matthew which has severely impacted the pre-existing humanitarian situation. Despite the immediate humanitarian response provided so far- 1.5 million vulnerable Haitians are currently food insecure and 280 thousand highly food insecure and in need of urgent food assistance.”
Many great relief efforts are currently being made to work against these challenges. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is working to revive the agricultural production on the island, which accounts for 60% of the main food source for Haitians. The United States has sent $2.7 million of relief funds to help farmers and fishers gain back their local economy. These actions are essential for the recovery of the country. But the children in the orphanages still need our help.
That is why the Brian Young Foundation is maintaining our commitment to the children of Haiti. We at the Brian Young Foundation have been working directly with orphanages on the island to combat the effects on Haiti’s underserved youth. We know the tremendous power we have to make a lasting impact on the quality of their lives. These neglected kids deserve a safe environment with nourishing meals, access to education, and loving care. With your continued support, we can keep our mission strong and work towards a brighter future for the beautiful island of Haiti and its wonderful people.
Originally published at http://brianyoungfoundation.org.
