ADRA’s emergency response to Hurricane Irma has begun across the Caribbean and other affected regions.
Hurricane Irma has left massive destruction in its path, and ADRA is actively responding. The response is growing every day as emergency response staff gain access to areas hit by the Category 5 storm and more destruction is uncovered. The urgency is also heightened by the fact that Hurricane Maria is expected to land soon and may hit some of the same regions again.
BARBUDA & ANTIGUA
Barbuda made headlines after Hurricane Irma devastated 90% of its infrastructure, and now the island is under a mandatory evacuation for all citizens as Hurricane Maria approaches. The local Seventh-day Adventist church is managing one of the shelters providing safety, and further intervention will be possible as soon as it is safe.
HAITI
Haiti was spared the full force of the storm but northern parts of the country were still battered, leaving close to 10,000 in emergency shelters and many areas inundated by flood waters. Cholera and other waterborne diseases are a big concern, which ADRA Haiti’s response will address with hygiene kits and water purification, as well as food and non-food items.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
ADRA is distributing food vouchers to 1800 people who were hit especially hard by Hurricane Irma in the Dominican Republic. These vouchers are plastic cards preloaded with a set amount of money that can be used in local shops and markets. Marketplaces take an extra hit in disasters, so vouchers like these both feed families and help invest in rebuilding the local economy.
PUERTO RICO
The damage in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Irma is not centralized, and many areas are still cut off from transportation. ADRA has already collected and distributed food to hundreds of families and are currently planning further needs assessments in devastated areas as soon as it is safe to do so.
ST. MARTIN, ANGUILLA, & TORTOLA
Food and water are urgent needs in the islands of St. Martin/Maarten and Anguilla in the Caribbean, as well as Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. ADRA is currently procuring critical resources to distribute by the end of the week to these locations, which were hard hit by Hurricane Irma.
TURKS AND CAICOS
The Turks and Caicos Islands saw massive amounts of damage and access to the hardest hit islands – South Caicos, Grand Turks, and Providenciales – remains limited. ADRA is preparing vital resources, including shelter tarps, to transport as soon as possible.
Make an urgent contribution to ADRA’s emergency fund now.
