Aid for Flood Aftermath

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), through its country office in Santo Domingo, helped mobilize aid and coordinate relief efforts following widespread flooding in Haiti and the Dominican Republic in late May.

In a June 1 appeal, PAHO called on the international community to mobilize $300,000 to support immediate health sector needs created by the floods, which killed between 2,000 and 2,500 people and left an estimated 12,000 homeless in the two countries.

PAHO sent teams into affected areas and set up a "situation room" in its Santo Domingo office to monitor epidemiological developments. PAHO experts—including an epidemiologist, a sanitary engineer, and specialists in logistics, health services, and public education—were brought in from Ecuador, Mexico and elsewhere to support the relief efforts.

Much of these efforts have been concentrated in the town of Jimaní, in the Dominican Republic, which was the hardest hit. Nearly 400 residents were killed and 272 remain missing. Its Melenciano General Hospital was flooded, causing extensive losses in equipment and medical supplies and requiring patients to be transferred elsewhere. The town as a whole was left without telephone service, drinking water or electricity.

PAHO also activated its Humanitarian Supply Management System (SUMA) to help coordinate distribution of disaster assistance, which totaled more than $1 million by mid-June.