From 14 August to 14 November 2021, three months after the earthquake, Haiti’s Grand Sud continues to recover. However, it still faces a number of major challenges, such as the passage of cyclone Grace five days after the earthquake, the food insecurity that was already affecting the country, the violence and insecurity of people and property, and the lack of fuel that is paralyzing country and hampering the arrival of the necessary aid. Despite these difficulties, it is important to note that the coordination of the South department (COUD) is working with local players, and national and international organizations, and is seeking to optimize existing resources, as well as those arriving, thanks to a high level of solidarity.
ASB Haiti has been working in the South since 2017, following Hurricane Matthew, in partnership with strong organizations and in coordination with local authorities. Since Saturday 14 August, ASB has been working with its partners to distribute drinking water in the affected communities. This distribution is taking place in situ, in areas that are difficult to access, with the active participation of members of partner organizations. To date, some 1,032,000 liters of drinking water have been distributed to around 47,000 people. After the emergency phase, ASB is focusing on other actions in collaboration with its partners, particularly in the areas of water and sanitation, with an emphasis on the school community and the disabled community.
New local teams have been trained and deployed as part of the humanitarian action project. The project teams in Saint Louis and Tiburon have resumed their activities as part of the Bengo-funded project to strengthen the resilience of population groups and organizations to disaster risks. They have also joined the team in Petit Goâve, which had already been affected by the 2010 earthquake. These teams are working energetically and understand the importance of this project, which aims to revive agroecological production, promote water and sanitation, and develop community and climate resilience in rural areas.
