Death and Damages from Hurricane #Isaac in #Haiti – Chart & Video

Chart of damages from Hurricane Isaac compiled by Haiti's Civil Protection Department of the Ministry of the Interior.

As of 11 p.m. on August 26, the day Hurricane Isaac struck the island of Hispaniola, Haiti’s Civil Protection Department of the Ministry of the Interior reported the following tragedies: 

. 19 deaths, 6 disappearances, and 22 injured

. 15,812 evacuated, 14,672 in 92 shelters, and 3,632 families without shelter

 . 951 houses flooded, 335 destroyed, and 2,346 damaged.

It is unclear how “houses” were defined or if the UN Cluster system was consulted for these figures.  In any event, it is heartening to see a Haitian Ministry assessing damages and displacement.  As climate-related disasters escalate, argues humanitarian organizations like Oxfam America, it will become imperative for local governments — rather than international NGOS — to be prepared take the lead in measuring and responding to disasters within their borders.

An aerial video taken by MINUSTAH (the UN Ministry of Stabilization in Haiti) of widespread flooding of Port-au-Prince may be seen here. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoUfj1skABA

Figures were circulated thanks to Marc Cohen of the Humanitarian Policy Office of Oxfam Americavia the Haiti Advocacy Working Group (HAWG).  The HAWG is an association of over 30 U.S. human rights and faith- based organizations advocating together for economic justice and effective and transparent aid to Haiti. 

Oxfam America is a grantee of the Ansara Family Fund and of the Haiti Fund at the Boston Foundation for its work to equip Haitian NGOs to track the deployment and impact of US foreign aidto Haiti.