Return to listing
Stamford, CT, May 28 2004 – As the death toll rises in the wake of the deadly flooding in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, AmeriCares is flying $1 million dollars worth of lifesaving relief supplies to this beleaguered island, for those stranded without access to shelter or clean water. The cargo will arrive in Santo Domingo on Sunday, May 30, supplementing two AmeriCares shipments of health care supplies valued at $5 million, which were delivered to in-country partner organizations this week.
AmeriCares has regularly provided humanitarian assistance to the Dominican Republic and Haiti, dating back to1984. The humanitarian and disaster relief agency was able to respond hours after this disaster hit due to essential supplies it pre-positioned in both countries in anticipation of the floods that wreak havoc every spring.
These shipments consist of critical medicines and hospital supplies such as antibiotics, respiratory medicines, nutritional supplements, IV sets, anti-inflamatories and medical equipment.
Celina de Sola, director of emergency response for AmeriCares, said: “Whole villages have been destroyed and access to victims is nearly impossible due to the flooding and landslides. This makes our relief efforts that much harder, but fortunately we were able to act quickly by mobilizing materials we had pre-positioned in both countries prior to the floods.”
The flooding began when torrential rains sent rivers of mud and churning waters through Hispaniola, the Caribbean island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic. To make matters worse, the storm has washed out many of the island’s major roadways, making it extremely difficult to reach some of the hardest hit areas of the country.
It is estimated that as many as 2,000 people have lost their lives in the wake of floods along the southwestern border between the two countries and throughout the south central portion of Haiti.