Haiti: Hurricane Matthew
by
2016: Haiti, a nation still recovering from the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in 2010, was struck by yet another natural disaster. On October 4th, Hurricane Matthew
swept across what is considered to be the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, destroying crops, livestock, and homes, and leaving many thousands of people destitute. With limited
space, temporary shelters are housing as many homeless as possible, but thousands are still sleeping under trees and are in desperate need of aid. The United Nations estimates that more than one million Haitian lives were affected by the hurricane, and that 800,000 people are in urgent need of food.
The UN has only raised 1/3 of the estimated recovery funds needed, and multiple other agencies and organizations are working together to bring restoration to the damaged nation. After the 2010 earthquake, a network of emergency response centers were established to streamline the delivery of aid and provisions around the island, and this network is being used for the hurricane relief efforts today.
On World Food Day 2016, LifeRice volunteers packaged 66,000 meals to help meet the country’s immediate needs. This was part of an international effort to deliver an initial 1,000,000 meals to the nation of Haiti in the first weeks after the disaster. With incredible damage to crops, livestock, and fruit trees, the nation’s future food security is also under threat. Working through agencies that are
on location in the country, LifeRice will continue packaging and delivering meals over the next weeks and months to the hurricane survivors.
If you would like to be a part of the relief work happening in Haiti, please visit our website for options to donate or to volunteer at a packing event. All of our food product is paid for and packaged by local volunteers, and there is always room for more help!
As we work together, we can help end world hunger, one meal at a time.
