What happens when one of the smallest UK missions globally is preparing for a long delayed election and gets hit beforehand by a Force 4 hurricane? We found out last week. Preparing for elections which we hoped would deliver a stable government, we were pushed into full crisis mode with the approach of the strongest storm to hit Haiti in a decade.
In a country still recovering from the 2010 earthquake, resilience is the watchword:
For the people: Haitians are remarkably resilient, despite everything that comes their way;
For the small British community here, the majority of whom are here helping Haitians;
For the DFID country programme, which is helping rural communities prepare for just such an event;
For British government efforts here when faced with the catastrophic aftermath of Hurricane Matthew.
Coming onshore somewhat ironically at Les Anglais (the English), Matthew has affected at least 2.1 million Haitians, 1.4 m of whom now need immediate assistance, 175,000 forced into shelters, 80-100% of crops destroyed, and more than 300 schools destroyed. With countless lives lost and shelter, food and water stocks destroyed across whole communities as well as the resurgence of cholera, the Haitian government quickly reached out to the international community. Within hours and ahead of almost any other donor, our DFID country officer had mobilised an emergency response: water, sanitation, kitchen and hygiene kits already pre-placed in country, and supplemented by supplies from the UK. The £8m announced by DFID Minister Priti Patel will go towards addressing shelter, cholera, water and sanitation over the coming months.
In a country with a small but valuable UK footprint, assisting the Haitians is a moral responsibility and the UK is recognised as a world leader.
And as for the elections? They’ll happen. But first we have a job in support of that famous Haitian resilience.
