Helping Victims of Natural Disasters
During the past weeks, many people have lost their houses, possessions and, in the worst case, even loved ones. The emergency aid team of Welthungerhilfe currently focusses on the people in Haiti and South Asia.
Hurricanes, flooding, landslides: It seems that one natural disaster is following the other. During the past weeks, many people have lost their houses, possessions and, in the worst case, even loved ones. As always, the poorest of the poor were hit the hardest. Our emergency aid team is currently focusing especially on the people in Haiti and South Asia.
Haiti: Emergency aid Measures After Hurricane Irma
We were incredibly lucky.
Georg Dörken, WelthungerhilfeBarely a year ago, Hurricane Matthew was raging over Haiti. The storm swept across the country at 230 km/hour, tearing out trees and blowing roofs off of houses. It was therefore not without reason that Haitians prepared for the worst when Hurricane Irma was racing directly toward the island with similar fury. Countries such as Haiti, whose population suffers from hunger and poverty, are particularly impacted by natural disasters. And the country is hit by heavy storms and earthquakes time and time again.
There is nothing to add to these words of our colleague, Georg Dörken, who coordinated preparations for emergencies, because the storm changed direction shortly before Haiti and grazed “only” the northern part of the island. Nonetheless, some 1,000 people in the community of Ouanaminthe lost their homes and possessions.
At the moment, Welthungerhilfe is providing hundreds of homeless people with two-day rations of water, oil, beans and rice.
South Asia: Food Distribution After Flooding
In mid-August of 2017, heavy rainfalls in Bangladesh, India and Nepal led to severe flooding. In India, the Bihar region on the border with Nepal was particularly affected: 19 districts were and partially are still flooded, entire villages were destroyed and people are facing destitution. Many are now living in emergency shelters on the roadside. In total, approximately 17 million people in India have been impacted by the flooding.
In conjunction with its Alliance2015 partners Concern Worldwide and People in Need, Welthungerhilfe is distributing food packages as well as water purification and hygiene sets in the most-affected regions.
Lean More:
- Flooding in South Asia
- Haiti: Preparations for Hurricane Irma
- Flooding in India: A Family Fleeing the Water
