Devastation in the Caribbean: helping the victims of Hurricane Ivan

Note: The following appeal is now closed.  You can support our ongoing work by donating to the Canadian Red Cross

 

The Need

The immense power of Hurricane Ivan has left several Caribbean islands in ruins, dozens of people dead, tens of thousands homeless and struggling without food, clean water, power, hospitals or other essentials.

The hurricane had already wreaked havoc in Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines when it reached Grenada. There, winds in excess of 220 kilometres per hour tore homes from their foundations and tossed belongings across the island like confetti. Much of the island is in tatters, or submerged in murky waters.

Approximately 90% of Grenada’s homes have been damaged, and 60,000 people—two-thirds of the island nation’s population of 95,000—have been left homeless. In the capital city of St George, almost every major building in the picturesque city has suffered structural damage. The storm also destroyed the emergency operations centre and badly damaged the main hospital. Up to 8,000 people are now packed into 47 shelters. There is no clean water supply and no electrical power on the island.

With economic mainstays such as agriculture and tourism now wiped out and damage estimated to be in the hundred of millions of dollars, the island’s population will have a long and difficult recovery.

Although the hurricane—the most powerful storm to rip through the area in a decade—spared Jamaica the full force of its fury, it still destroyed homes and infrastructure and killed at least 16 people. Ivan is expected to leave a trail of devastation as it continues its march through the Caribbean on a course for Cuba, packing winds over 250 kilometres per hour.

It will take Hurricane Ivan only hours to lay homes and lives in ruins. It will take years for the heaviest hit areas to recover.

How the Red Cross is helping

The international Red Cross community has been actively assisting the thousands of families left in desperate need by hurricanes this year. Local Red Cross Societies have aided emergency efforts as much as possible. However, they too have been hampered by the storm. In Grenada, the headquarters of the Grenada Red Cross was destroyed, making it necessary to operate from an emergency shelter. Desperately needed help from outside the affected area has been deployed.

International and regional Red Cross disaster teams are already in Grenada, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic, and humanitarian workers have been pre-positioned across the storms path.

The Cuban Red Cross is assisting with the massive emergency response to Ivan’s approach, which entails evacuating over 1.3 million people and large amounts of livestock. Even before Ivan hit the island, the Red Cross began talks with other organizations about rehabilitation and recovery plans.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has launched a preliminary appeal for $1.75 million (Cdn) and has already released funds from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund for immediate needs. The funds will be used to provide those affected with shelter materials, food, blankets, kitchen sets, hygiene articles and jerry cans to support 10,000 people in the coming 6 months. Longer-term needs will be evaluated in the days and weeks ahead.

The Canadian Red Cross has already provided $50,000 to help with relief efforts, and is appealing for caring Canadians to assist. The Canadian Red Cross has also deployed a delegate to Jamaica, and will activate family reunification services once the worst of the emergency has passed. This will help family members to locate their loved ones in areas where the phone lines have been destroyed.

How you can help

Canadian Red Cross is urging Canadians to give generously as the needs are great.

In-kind donations of food, clothing and other items, while well-intentioned, are not the best way to help those in need and therefore are NOT accepted. There are tremendous processing and transportation costs involved in shipping these items to beneficiaries. Local purchases of food and clothing are more culturally appropriate and cost-effective.

Make your donation to 2004 Hurricane Relief:

  • online
  • toll-free at 1-800-418-1111
  • in person at any Red Cross office
  • by mailing a cheque or money order (no cash in the mail, please) to Canadian Red Cross, National Office, 170 Metcalfe Street, Suite 300, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 2P2. Earmark your donation “2004 Hurricane Relief”

Donations will be used to provide relief and recovery for the most vulnerable people affected by hurricanes this season.

Want to help in other ways? Contact your local Red Cross office to learn about:

  • Organizing an event to raise funds in your community.
  • Setting up an employee giving campaign at your workplace.

 

Please give generously to those whose lives have been devastated this hurricane season. Your help can’t wait.