Disaster Fund

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A disaster can be defined as “any situation involving the severe disruption, distress, and suffering of large numbers of people … that demands a humanitarian response.[1]” This can include any natural disaster such as floods, earthquakes or prolonged droughts as well as health epidemics, political unrest or wars. 

 

World Neighbors is a long-term development agency and typically does not assist with disaster relief and rehabilitation efforts.  Under certain circumstances, however, World Neighbors will respond to disasters, frequently working in partnership with other agencies. We will always seek to respond to affected people’s expressed needs and to build upon their capacities, organizational structures and coping mechanisms, addressing the immediate crisis in a way that returns them as quickly as possible towards a long-term development process. 

How does World Neighbors respond to disasters?

World Neighbors long-term programs seek to improve local capacity for development, and by doing so, the programs also contribute to reducing participants’ vulnerability to disasters. This happens, for example, when farmers adopt more sustainable agricultural and environmental management approaches; community-based organizations gain increased capacity to address new challenges that inevitably arise; or particularly vulnerable communities develop contingency plans to respond in the event of a disaster.

When disasters strike and World Neighbors determines that it will respond, we use financial resources raised for the disaster response to achieve the following goals:

  • To help the affected communities meet their emergency needs for survival and recovery; and
  • To transition as quickly as possible back to long-term development objectives.

Donate to this special fund and start helping today.

Haiti suffers fourth hurricane in three weeks

The latest report from Cantave Jean-Baptiste
–  World Neighbors area representative for Haiti


September 8, 2008
Port-au-Prince, Haiti

From August 15 to September 7, four hurricanes hit Haiti:

  • Fay: August 15 and 16, affecting the South of the country (about 190 deaths)
  • Gustave: August 25 and 27 (South, 77 deaths)
  • Hanna: September 1 and 3, (all over the country, over 500 deaths)
  • Ike: September 6 and 7, (North, over 300 deaths).

Three weeks, then, under hurricanes! September 8 is the first sunny day over Port-au-Prince and other regions in Haiti.

On September 1, most of the field staff left Port-au-Prince for the program areas. The hurricane Hanna met 6 of them in their areas. And the rains and the winds only stopped last night.  

The communication between the main cities has been interrupted after bridges collapsed on the Nationale #1 road in Montrouis and Ennery. Another bridge fell down in Mirebalais. There is no way to go from Port-au-Prince to the Artibonite department, from Gonaives to Gros Morne and Saint Michel. 

Staff went to Ivwa to talk to members and leaders of our partner organization OPD-8.  Freta, one of the villages that belong to the multi-village association, is lower down the mountainside and was affected severely.  At least 12 houses were destroyed. The road from the nearby town of Montrious to Freta is destroyed, and they can’t even get supplies in on the backs of animals, let alone motorcycles or cars.  World Neighbors Haiti staff has accessed this and other villages by walking, and talking to leaders who have walked out.  Likewise it is not possible to get vehicles up the mountain road leading to upper Ivwa communities – staff members have walked.  Their task is to talk to leaders, assess damages and possible responses. They will send photos and further information when they have it.  Most houses are made of dried mud and walls have become saturated and collapsed in many cases.  In Freta, many people have sought refuge in a church and school building.   

Crops and animals have been taken away or buried in all program areas. 

It will take time to get a complete survey of the damages in all the program areas, including Ivoire, Bayonnais and Ranquitte (areas in transition) and Ennery, Bailly and Boucan Richard (the new program areas). The field visits this week will provide first hand information about the nature of the damages and the kinds of support needed to help the affected families to overcome the disaster effects and tend to resuming normal life. World Neighbors was the first organization that leaders from Ivwa and Bayonnais contacted for support. Other organizations have not yet responded in these areas and the Haitian government’s capacity to coordinate aid is weak and will not likely focus on the rural areas where World Neighbors works. So it will be vital that we respond! 

We would like to alert all our financial partners for any support opportunities they could allow to Haiti.

       -  Cantave Jean-Baptiste

 

World Neighbors Responds to Flooding in Nepal and India

On Monday August 18, the largest river in Nepal, the Koshi, broke through its retaining wall, causing massive damage in some of World Neighbors programs in Nepal and Northern India. The floodwaters have swept across farmers’ land, drowned their livestock and destroyed their villages and roads.  Access to safe food has been severely compromised, drinking water is contaminated and the stagnant waters left behind have become an active breeding ground for insects carrying deadly diseases like malaria. Our neighbors in Nepal and India are hurting and they need our help!

World Neighbors disaster response team is releasing $10,000 to support the urgent relief needs of those affected in our South Asia programs. As with any of our disaster responses, the money will first be used for basic needs such as temporary shelter, safe food, clean water and medical supplies with future funding being used to transition our programs as quickly as possible back to long term development goals. 

You can help in this urgent situation by making a special gift to World Neighbors Emergency Response Fund and by spreading the word to others about this pressing need.

 

 [1] The Oxfam Handbook of Development and Relief, Deborah Eade and Suzanne Williams, Oxfam (UK and Ireland), 1995. p. 811.