PADF to Provide Aid to Families Affected by Hurricane Matthew

WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Pan American Development Foundation is preparing to procure and
distribute emergency relief supplies to those affected by Hurricane
Matthew in the Caribbean, particularly in Southern Haiti.

As many as five million Haitians are vulnerable to the impact of the
devastating Category 4 Hurricane that made landfall on Tuesday. More
than 600,000 people in Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Cuba
are in emergency shelters, according to the United Nations Office for
the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Half of them are in
Haiti.

Some areas in southern Haiti and southwestern Dominican Republic
received up to 40 inches of rain in less than 48 hours. Storm surges and
hurricane-force winds have caused extensive property damage as well as
life-threatening flash floods and mudslides.

“This hurricane is extremely powerful and has caused widespread damage,”
says Nadia Cherrouk, Country Director of PADF Haiti. “Our staff is
working to deliver urgently-needed supplies to people in isolated,
coastal areas. Time is of the essence.”

In the days following the hurricane, thousands of people will need
emergency relief supplies and access to clean water and sanitation in
order to prevent the outbreak of bacterial diseases like cholera and
water-borne illnesses. Logistics support, including transportation and
the clearing of roadways, will also be an urgent priority. PADF plans to
conduct a needs assessment as soon as conditions improve on the ground.
This will inform both the emergency response for immediate priority
needs and plans for medium- to long-term recovery.

The provision of relief supplies to Haiti is part of a first response
phase. The Foundation plans to collaborate with its local partners and
an extensive regional network that includes grassroots and
community-based organizations in the affected areas.

“We’re looking to meet the most pressing needs of those affected by the
hurricane,” says Liza Mantilla, Director of Disaster Management. “We
will collaborate with our partners to plan a comprehensive response and
recovery. Haiti will need our support long after the rain has stopped.”

PADF has been working in Haiti for more than 35 years. As the
humanitarian arm of the Organization of American States (OAS), PADF
responds to the region’s major natural disasters and humanitarian crises
throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Learn more at www.padf.org/matthew.

Contacts

Pan American Development Foundation
Hearly G. Mayr
Director
of Communications and Public Affairs
+1-202-280-3846
hmayr@padf.org