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Hit by several significant emergencies in recent years, the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on August 14 caused more damage, destroying critical infrastructure resulting in more than 2,180 deaths, more than 12,200 injuries, and 298 people missing so far. The Red Cross has been working to meet the urgent needs of people impacted since the first moments after the earthquake occurred. 

In the wake of Hurricane Matthew, many families and individuals in Haiti had their livelihoods destroyed overnight. Severe damage to both the agricultural and fisheries sectors meant the majority of the population lost their primary sources of income. In addition to these challenges, poor households in Haiti allocate a high percentage of their budget to energy expenditures, especially when they use poor-quality and energy-inefficient equipment.
 

Over the last few years, some humanitarian crises have attracted worldwide attention, such as the 2015 earthquake in Nepal and Hurricane Matthew in 2016.  Despite the avalanche of coverage these emergencies generate, there exist other emergencies that are “silent” and slip under the radar of the media  and the general public. While under reported, the affected populations still have urgent needs to be met.

In Haiti, Cliford Monfort has helped to respond to disasters including the 2010 earthquake, Hurricane Matthew in 2016, and most recently Hurricane Irma in 2017. 

Long before Hurricane Irma hit Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Red Cross volunteers from these countries were trained and ready to help with a variety of new skills, systems, and equipment, thanks to a Canadian Red Cross project called CERA (Capacity Building for Emergency Response in the Americas).

Read how the Canadian Red Cross, with support from the Government of Canada, was able to provide much needed support to vulnerable communities during Hurricane Matthew in Haiti. When the storm hit, and as time followed, the Red Cross worked to meet immediate needs on the ground, provide important supplies, and travel to hard-to-reach areas to deliver medical care. 

Meet Erwan Cheneval, a rapid response manager with the Canadian Red Cross. Erwan works to address some of the challenges that happen when mobilizing humanitarian operations, details that are extremely important to the success of these operations. 

For International Women’s Day today, we want to highlight stories of women who have gone above and beyond to provide care and assistance. Throughout history, women have played an important role in the Red Cross movement here in Canada and abroad.  Today, we’re celebrating Canadian women who are making a difference in the world with the humanitarian work they do whether it’s responding to disasters, providing lifesaving assistance in challenging situations or helping improve the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable people.