Haiti Earthquake: USAID Fact Sheet #6

The August 14 earthquake in Haiti had resulted in at least 2,207 deaths, injury to more than 12,260 people, and damage to or the destruction of nearly 130,000 houses, with at least 344 people missing, as of August 22, according to the Government of Haiti (GoH). In response, relief actors— including USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) members— continue to conduct assessment and response activities across southwestern Haiti to determine priority needs in coordination with the GoH Civil Protection General Directorate (DGPC). On August 21, USAID DART Lead Tim Callaghan, Joint Task Force (JTF)- Haiti Commander Rear Admiral Keith Davids, and GoH DGPC Director Jerry Chandler travelled via U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) helicopter to visit Grand’Anse Department’s Pestel commune and Sud Department’s Les Anglais and Maniche communes. During the visit, DART Lead Callaghan identified food, shelter materials, and safe drinking water as priority needs for earthquake-affected households in the three communes, as well as health care services and medical commodities in Les Anglais. In addition, the officials noted continued humanitarian access challenges to affected areas as a result of damaged infrastructure and insecurity along some land routes, underscored by the continued blockage of the main bridge into Grand’Anse’s Jérémie city due to damage.