Haiti regularly confronted with bad weather experienced a deadly weekend. Floods and landslides affected seven departments of the country, leaving at least 42 dead and 11 missing according to civil protection. The UN reports 15 dead and 8 missing. More than 13,000 people were displaced, and bad weather caused extensive material damage.
The heavy rains particularly affected the city of Léogane, where the damage was caused by three flooded rivers. At least 20 people died there, according to the emergency services. “The inhabitants are desperate. They have lost everything: the waters have ravaged their fields, carried away their livestock”, described the mayor of Léogane. In this town, thousands of families are affected, and the population urgently needs food, drinking water and medicine.
In addition to these human tragedies, the country is facing a severe humanitarian crisis. According to the UN, nearly half the population needs humanitarian assistance, a figure that has doubled in just five years. The hurricane season is just beginning, and this heavy toll highlights the country’s vulnerability to natural disasters and the shortcomings in terms of risk reduction.
Prime Minister Ariel Henry activated the National Emergency Operation Center (COUN) in response, but according to some experts, carrying out work on the watersheds of the rivers could have made it possible to limit the damage in Léogane.
In short, beyond the material damage, the underlying consequences of the bad weather affecting Haiti show the need for the authorities to thoroughly rethink public civil protection policies.