Disaster Preparedness

Natural hazard and violence continue to trigger sudden displacement in the Port-au-Prince Metropolitan Area and other parts of the country. Haiti is the Caribbean country most affected by major climatic events, including earthquakes, hurricanes and floods. On August 14, 2021, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck the Grand Sud departments, killing 2,200 people and injuring 12,000, according to the Directorate General for Civil Protection of Haiti (DGPC). Following the earthquake, 137,500 homes were destroyed or damaged, while some affected communities were still in the restoration phase of the damage caused by Hurricane Matthew in 2016. 

To support affected populations and better prepare for displacement triggered by natural hazards, IOM is strengthening local expertise in terms of construction that is better adapted and more resilient to natural disaster and is building the capacity of authorities and other relevant actors to respond in the event of a disaster. IOM is regularly conducting emergency simulation exercises to allow for authorities, the Red Cross, the police, schools and members of communal structures, to train their capacities to effectively react in the event of a disaster. 

From its office in Les Cayes, in the South department, IOM is supporting the reconstruction of resilient housing, with a focus on isolated rural areas particularly hard hit by the 2021 earthquake. Through this work IOM, in cooperation with the “Réseau des Centres d’appui à la reconstruction dans le Grand Sud”, is increasing the demand for more resilient housing by homeowners and training construction professionals. 

To ensure response capacities in the event of sudden displacement, IOM maintains a stock of Non food-items (NFI) in its warehouses in several departments. Via IOM’s “Common Pipeline” partners can order NFI from the IOM stock to be distributed in case of an emergency situation. Via it’s established network of enumerators IOM is able to rapidly assess displacement as it occurs and informs partners about numbers, locations and needs of internally displaced persons (IDP).