Severe flooding leaves at least 3 dead, 15 injured in Grand’Anse, Haiti

Severe weather affecting Haiti’s Grand’Anse department between November 30 and December 2 claimed the lives of at least 3 people and injured at least 15 others. The worst affected was Jeremie city, where floodwaters submerged approximately 80% of its land area.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) initially reported that 2 individuals lost their lives, 13 others sustained injuries and 2 individuals were missing in the nearby Dame-Marie commune. 60 people have been displaced across the region, and 160 have been directly affected by the disaster, according to their data.

Local media sources reported 3 fatalities in Jeremie on December 3, including 2 children killed by a landslide in the Versailles neighborhood. Saint Antoine Hospital admitted at least 15 injured residents after floodwaters hit residential areas.

Visuals captured by reporters depicted neighborhoods submerged under muddy waters, with widespread destruction to homes and infrastructure.

The flooding follows an earlier crisis that affected Haiti’s southern region from November 10 to November 12.

Torrential rains drenched the Sud department, causing severe flooding in municipalities such as Les Cayes, Torbeck, Port-Salut, and Saint-Louis-du-Sud.

Preliminary assessments by the Departmental Directorate of Civil Protection (DGPC) identified 3 558 families in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

Reports confirmed 1 fatality in Île-à-Vache, while 2 individuals were reported missing in Port-à-Piment and Les Cayes.

Infrastructure damage from the November floods was extensive. In Les Cayes, 800 homes were reported flooded, while Torbeck experienced water intrusion in 1 526 houses.

In Saint-Louis-du-Sud, 495 homes suffered damage, with residents of coastal localities such as Derrière Largon left isolated due to debris-strewn roads.

Port-Salut saw flooding in 733 houses and recorded landslides in areas such as Masson and Morne Chouquette.

Efforts to address these earlier impacts included forming a technical response unit consisting of DGPC officials and international organizations such as the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), and United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

Emergency measures prioritized hygiene promotion, food distribution, and educational material delivery.

UNICEF provided between 500 and 800 hygiene kits for cholera prevention, while WFP accelerated its food aid programs in affected coastal areas.

References:

¹ Haiti – Severe weather and floods (IFRC, NOAA-CPC) – ECHO – December 4, 2024

² Torrential rains: Grand’Anse and the North hit by devastating floods – Zantray news – December 3, 2024

³ Haiti: Floods in Jérémie, deaths recorded, including children – PouSiOuPaTKonnen – December 2, 2024

Rishika Yadav

Rishika holds a Master’s in International Studies from Stella Maris College, Chennai, India, where she earned a gold medal, and an MCA from the University of Mysore, Karnataka, India. Previously, she served as a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India. During her tenure, she contributed as a Junior Writer for Europe Monitor on the Global Politics website and as an Assistant Editor for The World This Week. Her work has also been published in The Hindu newspaper, showing her expertise in global affairs. Rishika is also a recipient of the Women Empowerment Award at the district level in Haryana, India, in 2022.

This author does not have any more posts.