Fourteen days after Tropical Storm Gustav made landfall, followed by Tropical Storm Hanna and then Hurricane Ike last week, many areas are still inaccessible in devastated Haiti.

Photo: Francois Servranckx, MSF |
Extensive flooding destroyed homes and affected the water supply in Gonaïves, northern Haiti.

Since arriving in the northern Haitian city of Gonaives on September 4, one of the worst affected areas in the country, MSF teams have carried out 641 medical consultations and performed 25 surgical procedures. Half of the people screened so far by MSF have suffered at least minor injuries.  The remaining patients are suffering from diarrhea (and related dehydration), respiratory diseases, infections, and skin problems linked to polluted water, with such cases on the increase.  While most of the patients are adults, an increasing number are children.

With floodwaters now receding slightly, people are beginning to return to Gonaives, adding additional stress on already strained health and sanitation facilities. Temporary health clinics in some schools are lacking basic materials and equipment. MSF teams have donated medical materials and plans are underway to open a field hospital in Gonaives.

Currently, MSF has five medical personnel (2 doctors and 3 nurses) and six logistical staff (three general logisticians and three water and sanitation specialists) in Gonaives.

Clean Water a Priority

At the Rabouteau Health Center in Gonaives, MSF has carried out over 150 consultations as of yesterday.  One third of the people examined were children under five years of age. Two water bladders were also set up at the center in order to provide clean drinking water, which is in very short supply in the city.

Limited Access to Other Devastated Areas

Access to other hurricane-affected areas outside of Gonaives is extremely difficult; many roads and airstrips are flooded, bridges are destroyed, and there is a general lack of fuel, which is reducing, if not preventing, relief assistance

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