CARE: Monitoring the Progress of Tropical Storm Emily

Working with national and international partners, local authorities and the humanitarian community, CARE is monitoring the progress of the storm.

"We are getting ourselves ready to conduct rapid assessments so we can respond efficiently to high wind and flooding damage as well as to the risk of cholera spikes," says François Desruisseaux, Director of CARE Haiti Disaster Response Program.

According to the Haitian President Joseph Michel Martelly, 680,000 people are still living in 1,061 camps in temporary structures that are highly-vulnerable to the elements and situated in flood-prone areas. Haiti's Civil Protection Directorate estimates approximately 300,000 people across the country could be negatively affected by the destruction brought by this tropical storm.

"We are mobilizing people who can distribute non-food items pre-positioned by the international humanitarian community, such as UNICEF and the International Organization for Migration," explains Desruisseaux. "CARE intends to focus its response on ensuring access to potable water, sanitation and hygiene initiatives, namely through the distribution of hygiene kits as well as by conducting community awareness sessions and sensitization, important for the prevention of cholera outbreaks."

About CARE in Haiti: CARE began working in Haiti in 1954, providing relief assistance to people affected by Hurricane Hazel. In the years that followed, CARE began to shift its focus towards more long-term development, establishing projects in maternal and child nutrition, community development, education and health for preschool children, primary health care, water and sanitation, agriculture, income generating activities, small enterprise development, and emergency response. In all its activities, CARE aims to serve the poorest and most marginalized populations, which include women and youth. CARE Haiti focuses its activities on some of the most vulnerable regions including the Grande Anse, Artibonite, Nippes and Northwest departments.

About CARE: Founded in 1945, CARE is one of the world's largest humanitarian aid agencies. Working side by side with poor people in 72 countries, CARE helps empower communities to address the greatest threats to their survival. Women are at the heart of CARE's efforts to improve health, education and economic development because experience shows that a woman's achievements yield dramatic benefits for her entire family. CARE is also committed to providing lifesaving assistance during times of crisis and rebuilding safer, stronger communities afterward.>