Hurricane Matthew, which developed into a hurricane in the Windward Islands in the Caribbean on September 26, made landfall in southwestern Haiti on October 4 (as a Category 4 hurricane with maximum sustained wind of 230km/h※1), and caused flooding and landslides over a wide area. So far, 473 casualties have been officially reported, while 175,509 others have evacuated※2. Reuter has reported that more than 1,000 people have died, but an accurate number of casualties is difficult to obtain due to the confusion on the ground and ongoing road disruptions. Currently, a total of 2,128,708 people have been affected by the hurricane, including 750,000 who are in need of emergency assistance※2. Republic of Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere, experienced this hurricane while it had yet to recover from the 2010 earthquake that struck the capital city of Port-au-Prince. The level of poverty in the area affected by this hurricane is 70%※3, and there are concerns for a cholera outbreak as sanitation worsens in this area.

At Japan Platform (JPF), ever since it was reported that the hurricane was expected to make landfall, we continued to gather information in order to prepare for appropriate responses in accordance with the changing conditions. With the aforementioned current conditions on the ground and the feared increase in damages as a result of severed access to the affected area, we determined it necessary to mobilize emergency assistance at this time. To swiftly respond to the needs of those affected by this hurricane, we will provide funding to JPF member NGOs that already have experience working in and are familiar with Haiti. Currently, three NGOs have expressed that they will mobilize for this relief program.

Among those NGOs is AAR Japan (Association for Aid and Relief, Japan), which implemented aid activities in Haiti as part of JPF's 2010 Haiti Earthquake Victim Relief Program, and remained engaged in the nation until 2016 through the provision of assistance for people with disabilities. AAR Japan has already sent their Japanese staff to Haiti, who left Japan on October 11, using their own funding. Plan International Japan also already had experience in Haiti, having implemented a water and hygiene promotion project there that was funded by other sources. Plan International has already established its presence in the country as well. Both NGOs are in active preparation to immediately begin implementing their aid activities as part of JPF's relief program in Haiti.

*1: VOSOCC (Virtual On-site Operations Coordination Centre) [October 6, 2016]
*2: Haiti: Hurricane Matthew, Situation Report No.9, OCHA [October 13, 2016]
*3: 2016 Flash Appeal Haiti, OCHA [October 10, 2016]