Haiti

In humanitarian crises, women and girls are disproportionately affected. But far from being passive victims, women are amongst the first responders these emergencies, bringing vital skills and knowledge to help save lives and livelihoods. Louisiane Nazaire is one of these women. When Hurricane Matthew struck Haiti in October 2016, she and other members of a women-led cooperative leapt into action. Louisiane explains why women's leadership is essential in emergencies. 

Will the US make history and vote for its first woman president? At ActionAid women's leadership is at the core of our approach and our organisation. As a young girl growing up in the US, ActionAid project manager Kiran Gupta admired Hillary Clinton, and continues to be inspired by women leaders the world over. 

Last week I travelled to Haiti as part of ActionAid’s emergency response team in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, which struck on 4th October, killing hundreds of people and destroying thousands of homes and livelihoods.

Since Hurricane Matthew hit Haiti on 4 October, ActionAid's local staff have distributed emergency supplies to over 16,000 people. While distributing these supplies, our teams have met many children who, thankfully, survived the full force of the hurricane, but whose futures still remain uncertain. Hungry and living in temporary shelters, with little hope of returning to school quickly, these children need support in the weeks following the immediate aftermath of the disaster. We cannot forget the children still at risk in Haiti. 

Alliance works for ActionAid in Haiti. He is in our emergency response team currently travelling through Haiti to reach the cut off area of Grand’Anse in the south of the country. He is working with partners and women community leaders to distribute emergency food and water, and to assess the impact of the hurricane and the scale of the further emergency response needed. Yesterday Alliance reached the small town of Vallue, and here tells us how Hurricane Matthew has affected the people there.

Over half a million women, children and men in Haiti are currently in urgent need of food, clean drinking water and safe shelter after Hurricane Matthew, the most powerful hurricane to hit the Caribbean in nearly a decade, struck the country on Tuesday.