World Concern prepares Emergency Response in Haiti

Food, Water, and Shelter Materials Pre-Positioned to Aid Families Impacted by Hurricane Matthew 

OCTOBER 3, 2016 (Port-au-Prince, HAITI) – World Concern, a Shoreline-based humanitarian relief and development organization, is preparing to respond in Haiti, as Hurricane Matthew moves toward the island nation, packing 140 mph winds and threatening to dump up to 40 inches of rain.

Wind and rain are already being felt in Haiti’s capital city of Port-au-Prince, where millions of people are bracing for the category 4 hurricane, expected to make landfall late tonight.

World Concern staff in Haiti are working to pre-position emergency supplies to aid families, as well as monitoring World Concern-trained civil protection committees, which are actively moving through their communities, alerting families, helping them move to evacuation shelters, and mobilizing their response teams. 

Of special concern are displaced people who recently arrived from the Dominican Republic who are living in tents.

“While we hope to get all of them into shelter, they will likely lose everything they own,” said World Concern Disaster Response Director Chris Sheach.

Other communities where World Concern works are directly in the storm’s path. Extreme poverty and lack of infrastructure in Haiti make the population extraordinarily vulnerable.

“Many of the families live in poorly built houses, which cannot withstand the forecasted winds in excess of 130 mph,” explained Sheach. “We are currently prepositioning to deliver food aid, clean water, and shelter kits. We will send out an assessment team as soon as possible.”

Text the words “Haiti Relief” to 34444 to donate any amount by credit card, or visit the website to help.


At World Concern, the solutions we offer, the work we do, creates lasting, sustainable change. Lasting change that provides lasting hope.Our areas of expertise include disaster response, clean water, education, food security, child protection, microfinance and health.