Guy Lepage, with the Canadian Red Cross and Ernst Jean Haitian Red Cross volunteer, explain disaster preparedness to hundreds of school children.
Armand Bobya, logistics delegate for the Canadian Red Cross, manages relief items that have been prepositioned should a future disaster strike.
Stories from the field
Preparing for the storm
September 20, 2010
As families continue to try to cope after the January 12th earthquake in Haiti, hurricane season has begun, bringing with it heavy rains and the possibility of powerful storms that may cause further tragedy to an already vulnerable nation.
While the Red Cross responds to the continuing needs in Haiti, important hurricane preparedness activities are also underway.
Canadian Red Cross volunteer Guy Lepage was deployed to Haiti for a one-month mission to support preparedness activities. As part of a wide-spread International Red Cross preparedness plan in Haiti, Guy’s focus was in Jacmel, where he and members of the Haitian Red Cross are teaching communities about the importance of preparedness.
“Understandably, the focus in Haiti since January 12th has been on earthquake recovery,” says Lepage. “Now we are trying to get the word out to community leaders, organizations, women’s groups and individuals to think about preparing themselves in case a hurricane hits the island.”
The devastating affects left behind by the earthquake means that families are exposed and vulnerable to disaster risk. The Red Cross is stressing the important of disaster preparedness, but also disaster response readiness.
Red Cross preparedness activities in Haiti include:
- Awareness – Hundreds of thousands of SMS text messages have been sent out in Creole that provide advice on hurricane preparedness and what to do if one strikes. In addition to this, information is also being shared on local Haitian Radio.
- Emergency response preparation -- Emergency relief items for 25,000 families have been prepositioned in Haiti and Panama for quick distribution if needed. Emergency response teams in Haiti are also prepared to respond immediately if needed.
- Reducing disaster risk in communities -- Red Cross staff and volunteers are working directly with communities to assess their needs, and together are developing action plans and activities to mitigate risks. Activities include: digging drainage channels/clearing blocked drains, first aid trainings, and community-based early warning systems (using whistles, flags and radios) to alert community members of danger.
Should disaster strike and the response needed go beyond the current local capacity, Red Cross Societies around the world, including the Canadian Red Cross, are ready to provide additional support.
