A storm like this is not one big disaster, but a thousand small private tragedies affecting one person or one family at a time.
This is the stark reality of a storm the size of Hurricane Irma, as expressed by one of CCI’s partners in Northwestern Haiti. Though it was expected to be much worse, the devastation was crippling, as families were still in recovery mode from Hurricane Matthew 18 months ago. While CCI and our partners are beyond grateful there were no lives lost, the losses incurred are truly significant. Goats and chickens are gone, gardens and crops are totally destroyed, and houses and buildings were left without their roofs or holes in their siding.
Haitian farmers are feeling the effects of this storm to its fullest extent. Due to the devastation Hurricane Matthew brought in 2016, many of the local crops, such as banana plants, were extremely new, and therefore, easily ripped out by Irma’s winds. A local farmer named Camelia told one news agency, “We don’t have any farm; It took everything.”
Further, the constant devastation being felt in Haiti, whether it be hurricane, famine, or earthquakes, is making Haiti as a nation even poorer than it already was. Small scaled Haitian farmers were hit especially hard because farming is their only source of income. Additionally, much of the livestock used to feed their families has been lost either during or after the storm, or taken by looters. There is no back up plan for these people; they are left with no money and no food.
CCI works extensively in the far Northwest region of Haiti, where many of these small scale farmers are located. Areas such as Vion and Jean Bois were hit hard by extensive flooding and hurricane force winds, resulting in damage to numerous buildings and the aforementioned lost crops and livestock. This has led to dire straights for many of these CCI sponsored children, and their parents.
The CCI sponsored children will still receive the meals they get when they go to school, as it will resume shortly, but neither the children, nor their parents will get meals they would have gotten from their crops and livestock. These families need our help to not only rebuild, but to survive.
It is for these reasons CCI has our Emergency Relief Fund – all funds from this will go directly to those affected by Hurricane Irma. Specifically, this fund will be used to replace livestock, such as goats and chickens, seeds and other garden tools, and building repairs. These Haitian families have been hit again, and they need our help to recover and rebuild.
To learn more, visit:
CNN Coverage of Atlantic storms Maria, Jose, and Lee
Miami Herald coverage of Hurricane Irma damage in Haiti