GIEWS Update - Hurricane Matthew: Floods and Loss of Crops Raise Food Security Concerns for Over a Million People in Haiti, 24 October 2016
Summary: FAO's GIEWS update on Hurricane Matthew, a Category 4 storm with 230 km/h sustained winds that made landfall in southwestern Haiti on 4 October 2016 and was, of the countries hit, by far the most affected. It reports 473 confirmed deaths at the time of writing, severe damage to at least 1,855 homes, roughly a quarter of the expected 2016 cereal crop lost, cereal import requirements set to reach their highest level since the 2010 earthquake, and 1.4 million people in need of food assistance.
Key Findings
- Hurricane Matthew made landfall in southwestern Haiti on 4 October 2016 as a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 230 km/h, making Haiti by far the most affected country in the regional impact area.
- Early reports cited 473 confirmed deaths, some unconfirmed reports above 1,000 deaths, severe damage to at least 1,855 homes, and 1.4 million people in need of immediate humanitarian assistance.
- Grand'Anse, Sud and Nippes were directly in the hurricane path, exposing 960,000 people, or 9 percent of Haiti's population, to winds of 90 to 120 km/h and storm surges.
- Government and FAO estimates put crop losses at USD 360 million and damage to productive infrastructure, including irrigation, fishing equipment and stocks, at USD 178 million.
- The update estimated close to 30 percent of usable agricultural land was impacted when the southern parts of Ouest and Sud-Est were included.
- FAO forecast cereal import requirements at a record 680,000 tonnes and sought USD 9 million to assist 300,000 severely food-insecure people, or 60,000 households, through the Flash Appeal launched on 10 October 2016.
How to cite
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO); Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS), GIEWS Update - Hurricane Matthew: Floods and Loss of Crops Raise Food Security Concerns for Over a Million People in Haiti, 24 October 2016, https://reliefweb.int/attachments/bb5386b7-82ea-3df2-89ce-7e5dc3060402/a-i6266e.pdf