Dominic MacSorley CEO of Concern Worldwide recently visited Haiti where he worked alongside the Concern Worldwide team as they distributed vital aid. As a result of that visit Mr MacSorley is urging donors all over the world to “wake up” and help achieve the UN’s target of raising US$120 million. The UN is appealing for funds but so far only 20 per cent of its target has been raised. Mr MacSorley said that nobody should die because there is a lack of money.
Immense challenges
He added that despite the immense challenges faced in Haiti, it is still a country where there is access. There is no war taking place, no bombs are being dropped and therefore there should be no excuses for why the appeal’s target has not been met. He went on to say that it was disgraceful that the response from major donors has not been more robust.
Immediate response
In the wake of Hurricane Matthew, the Irish Government’s aid program responded almost immediately. Within a few hours of the crisis supplies from Panama were airlifted and Concern Worldwide was able to distribute them. Whilst Mr MacSorley says he welcomes the additional announcement of further funding to the tune of $1.65 million, the overall response from donors with the deepest pockets are failing the country and they need to step up. International development budgets tend to ignore Haiti where less than 40 cents of every $100 is funnelled towards prevention and disaster risk reduction.
Delivering aid
Concern’s relief efforts are focused on preventing the spread of cholera in the country’s capital Port-au-Prince as well as delivering emergency relief kits to thousands of families who live on the Haitian island of La Gonâve. The island is about an hour’s boat ride away from the mainland and took the brunt of the storm with crops and homes along the coastline completely wiped out. According to the UN, as many as 2.1 million people were affected by the hurricane out of a population of 10.1 million.
Worries of cholera outbreak
The worry is that the death toll could rise and there is massive concern that could be a huge outbreak of cholera considering the terrible conditions that people are living in. So far there have more than 510 cases of cholera and Concern is focusing its efforts on preventing more people from contracting the waterborne disease.
