disaster Archives - GlobalMedic

Haiti Earthquake Response 2021

On August 14, at 8:29 ET Haiti was hit by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that caused widespread destruction in the Sud, Grand’Anse, Nippes, & Nord-Oues Departments. Only two days later, Tropical Depression Grace passed through the country, adding landslides and flooding to the initial damage. Hundreds of aftershocks continued throughout August and September, posing even more risks to an already vulnerable population. More than 60 health facilities have been damaged across the most affected departments, and 171 school buildings were completely completely destroyed, which represents roughly 16 per cent of all schools in these areas. At least 83,770 homes have suffered varying degrees of damage and 53,815 have been completely destroyed. An estimated 2,200 people have been declared dead (with numbers expected to rise) and 329 are still missing.

Haiti has been in an ongoing state of recovery since the 2010 earthquake recovery that has already been hindered by the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent assassination of the president.

There is an urgent need for fresh water as thousands of Haitians have been displaced and many homes have been left without electricity and water. This need is compounded by the elevated risks of waterborne diseases such as cholera as well as the potential spread of COVID. Food insecurity is also a critical issue – prior to the earthquake, an estimated 4 million people were already food-insecure and at risk of hunger in Haiti. The earthquake has increased the number of people experiencing food insecurity and worsened the conditions for those already food insecure.

GlobalMedic is responding.

800,000+ PEOPLE AFFECTED

650,000+ IN NEED OF HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

100,000+ DAMAGED & DESTROYED HOMES

GlobalMedic sent prepositioned aid prior to the earthquake, including 1,600 of Family Emergency Kits, each with enough Procter & Gamble Purifier of Water Sachets to purify 2,400 litres of water. An additional 720 Family Emergency Kits were packed with Imerys Household Water Purification Units, a compact and easy-to-use system that provides families with access to clean drinking water. All of the Family Emergency Kits contained essential hygiene items such as soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste as well as solar lights. This prepositioning allowed our partner, World Vision, to immediately distribute a total of 2,320 Family Emergency Kits to families in need of fresh water.

Shortly after the earthquake, we deployed our Rapid Response Team to bring in 6 AquaResponse3 Water Purification Systems. The team collaborated with GlobalMedic’s local partners to ensure that the Water Purification Systems were put into use right away.

Volunteers in Canada assembled 400 Emergency Food Kits which were sent to Haiti by air. The kits contain dried staple foods, such as rice, pasta, green peas, corn meal, kidney beans and pigeon peas. Our local partners are in the process of distributing essential food items to families that need them most.

We are continuing to evaluate needs on the ground to see what additional support we can provide.

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World Humanitarian Day 2021

Kaitlin Waters – Communications Intern

World Humanitarian Day (WHD) is held every year on August 19, to pay tribute to aid workers who risk their lives in humanitarian service, and to rally support for people affected by crises around the world. GlobalMedic also tributes WHD as the day that we all collectively recognize humanitarian personnel and their efforts, as well as the rising climate crisis.

GlobalMedic was founded on emergency response and humanitarianism. While we run many non-emergency and capacity-building programs, most of our work continues to be critical intervention in the wake of disaster and crisis. WHD is the day we get to reflect with our global community on all the hard work we’ve collectively done over the years.

A Bit of History on World Humanitarian Day

World Humanitarian Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly to commemorate the death of Sergio Vieira de Mello and 21 of his fellow humanitarians in a bombing of the Baghdad headquarters of the UN in 2003. The United Nations General Assembly formalized the day as World Humanitarian Day in 2009. Each year WHD focuses on a theme, and last year’s theme was paying special tribute to the real-life heroes who have committed their lives to help others in the most extreme circumstances around the world, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year WHD is highlighting “the immediate human cost of the climate crisis by pressuring world leaders to take meaningful climate action for the world’s most vulnerable people (UN, 2021).”

What’s so Important About This Year’s Theme?

Over the years, it has become more widely understood that climate change and climate emergencies have immediate consequences on the world, especially to the most vulnerable. This year’s WHD is focused on highlighting these consequences and ensuring that the voices of vulnerable people are heard. With the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in November, this theme is set to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. In hopes that the COP26 world leaders not only talk about climate change but also what nations are planning to do to tackle it.

#TheHumanRace is not just about raising awareness or the COP26 conference, it’s about no longer standing on the sidelines, and entering the race against climate change. GlobalMedic has been a part of #TheHumanRace and operating in disasters and conflicts for almost 20 years. Within our years of operation we’ve noticed that the needs are only continuing to increase and as a global community, we need to be aware of some of these consequences.

“The climate crisis doesn’t affect everyone equally. People in vulnerable communities are already losing their homes, their livelihoods, and their lives”
UN, 2021

What GlobalMedic Does to Combat Climate Emergencies

During my summer internship, I’ve learned about the wide array of programs and responses that operate within GlobalMedic. From the Water, Food, Flood, Medical, Shelter, and drone RescUAV programs, GlobalMedic is diversified and modular in any humanitarian situation, both domestically in Canada and abroad to help people in need.

GlobalMedic’s responses are usually in conjunction with humanitarian crises and consistent climate disruption. Hurricanes, forest fires, droughts, and floods have been increasingly prevalent in day-to-day life and have become more severe due to the continuous strain we put on our environment. Climate change is a top driver of humanitarian need and human suffering, particularly for the poorest countries. The impacts threaten to deepen already wide inequalities, resulting in consequences felt by the world at large, including instability, violence, and displacement. The climate crisis is a humanitarian crisis.

Below are some responses GlobalMedic runs in conjunction with the climate change and humanitarian crisis:

Forest Fires

Forest fires have been increasing dramatically, as climate change is leading to longer, harsher droughts and more extreme weather events. In early 2020, we witnessed this through the massive forest fires that blazed through Australia, an event that heightened our awareness of the impacts we have on our environment.

GlobalMedic responded to the wildfires here in Canada from Fort McMurray in 2016, British Columbia in 2017, and Alberta in 2019. GlobalMedic is also on standby with the forest fires spreading across Canada this year, and even more alarmed that forest fires have broken out in other parts of the world like the Mediterranean. Our responses are built upon the resources, support, and capacity to manage the emergency. However, with increased fluctuation in both the intensity and amount of forest fires, and natural disasters in general, many organizations must prepare for an increased strain on their operations, and the people being affected.

Time is already running out for the world’s most vulnerable people — those who have contributed least to the global climate emergency yet are hit the hardest, and millions of others are already losing their homes, their livelihoods, and their lives.

A group of volunteers packing hygiene kits to support Canadians in Fort McMurray

Hurricanes

Climate change has increased tropical cyclone intensity, rainfall, and storm surges. We can see these increased intensities through Hurricane Dorian 2019, and Hurricanes Eta and Iota that hit the same areas back-to-back at the end of 2020 — both of which GlobalMedic responded to. With hurricanes and tropical storms becoming more severe, GlobalMedic wants to highlight the immediate consequences of the climate emergency for the world’s most vulnerable people. We as a global community need to stand in solidarity with the needs of climate-vulnerable people and make sure their voices are heard.

Hurricane Dorian 2019 was an extremely powerful and catastrophic Category 5 Atlantic hurricane, which became the most intense tropical cyclone on record to strike the Bahamas and tied for the strongest landfall in the Atlantic basin. It is also regarded as the worst natural disaster in the Bahamas’ recorded history. 43 people were killed and over 76,000 people were affected by the storm. With the damage so extensive, people in the Bahamas were in immediate need of clean water, food, and shelter items. Immediately following the storm, GlobalMedic deployed our Rapid Response Team with several aid responses and the RescUAV Team with drones to provide on-the-ground assistance. Though GlobalMedic may have alleviated the humanitarian emergency within the area, we cannot help but reflect that this is a worldly by-product of environmental negligence.

#TheHumanRace

Because of everyone’s increased struggle in combating the effects of climate change, this year’s theme is aimed at increasing awareness, action, and vocalization of climate change. Join GlobalMedic and other humanitarian leaders and organizations in their efforts. May it be volunteering, donating, or becoming an environmental advocate in your day-to-day life, one thing is for certain, #TheHumanRace has already started, and we are not too far behind to catch up!

Click to find out more about World Humanitarian Day, GlobalMedic’s Hurricane Dorian response as well as our other programs, and how you can be a part of #TheHumanRace!

Hurricane Eta and Hurricane Iota Response 2021

Hurricanes Eta and Iota have severely impacted countries across Central America. In early November Hurricane Eta crossed through Central America bringing with it persistent winds and heavy rainfall. This resulted in flooding, landslides and crop damage across Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. Only two weeks later Hurricane Iota, the strongest Atlantic hurricane of 2020, made landfall over northern Nicaragua and continued along virtually the same path as Hurricane Eta. Once again the region was hit with strong winds and rainfall, exacerbating the previous damage caused by Hurricane Eta.

7.3 MILLION AFFECTED

500,000+ DISPLACED

2 CATEGORY 4 STORMS

It is estimated that 7.3 million people have been affected by these storms, with Nicaragua, Guatemala and Honduras having the highest number of affected people. In many places floodwaters have not fully receded and in Honduras additional rainfall in December has only worsened the flooding. These storms have hit highly vulnerable communities with existing needs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. GlobalMedic is responding.

Our Response

We are packing Family Emergency Kits to distribute to families affected by these hurricanes. The Family Emergency Kits include a water purification system, basic hygiene items, and a solar light. The water purification system is vital because many families have lost their homes and access to clean drinking water. The hygiene items are included to help families regain a sense of normalcy as well as prevent the spread of COVID-19. The solar lights provided much needed light and security since many were without electricity. In partnership with World Vision we are distributing 2,320 FEKs in Honduras and an additional 2,320 FEKs in Nicaragua.

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Philippines: Typhoon Goni and Vamco Response 2020

On November 1, 2020 Typhoon Goni made landfall in the Philippines and is the strongest typhoon to hit the country this year. Just over a week later, Typhoon Vamco made landfall becoming the fifth tropical storm to reach the country in a three week period. These storms brought destructive winds and torrential rainfall, triggering extensive flooding across multiple regions in the country.

2+ MILLION AFFECTED

5 STORMS IN 3 WEEKS

500,000 DISPLACED

Over 2 million people have been affected by severe flooding and more than 500,000 people have been displaced. Landslides and power outages are affecting many parts of the country and families have been forced into evacuation centres. GlobalMedic is responding.

Our Response

We are packing Family Emergency Kits to distribute to families affected by the typhoons in the Philippines. The Family Emergency Kits include a water purification system, basic hygiene items, and a solar light. The water purification system is vital because many families have lost their homes and access to clean drinking water. The hygiene items are included to help families regain a sense of normalcy as well as prevent the spread of COVID-19. The solar lights provided much needed light and security since many were without electricity.

We have also been working with our local partners, the Trinity Fire Volunteer Department, to respond to emergent needs on the ground. We have helped to fund the procurement of a rescue boat and other rescue supplies which are being used to rescue those trapped by flash flooding. We are also working with them to distribute aid and assisting with the initial debris clean up.

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