Overview:
The DDPP-NO, the Civil Safety authority for the Northwest, confirmed that the current deluge has left 13 lifeless, 15 significantly injured, and inflicted important injury on the area’s housing inventory, destroying 100 properties, severely damaging 500, and flooding 11,000, exacerbating the area’s already precarious financial state of affairs.
PORT-DE-PAIX, Haiti — Weeks of torrential rain in Haiti’s Northwest division culminated in extreme flooding within the capital metropolis of Port-de-Paix on the night of Dec. 22. Regardless of residents’ pleas for preventative motion, the flooding has resulted in important lack of life and property injury.
After greater than six weeks of relentless rain, town of Port-de-Paix was utterly submerged. Landslides triggered by the torrential downpours brought about a number of deaths and accidents, in addition to widespread injury to properties.
A preliminary report from Frantz Monfort Ifrène, the North-West Departmental Director of Civil Safety (DDPP-NO), said the extreme climate had resulted in:
- 13 deaths, together with three on Rue Trois Grâce, three on Ruelle Moïse and one in Morne Bethel.
- 15 significantly injured.
- 100 homes destroyed.
- 500 homes severely broken.
- 11,000 homes flooded within the metropolis middle and the first, 2nd and third sections of Port-de-Paix, together with properties, colleges, warehouses, and authorities and personal workplaces.
- Roughly 20 autos swept away.
The report confirmed that the deaths have been attributable to the landslides.
The North-West Directorate of Civil Safety has begun reduction efforts to help the hundreds of victims.
“We made visits to town middle of Port-de-Paix, to the first part, Baudin, and to the 2nd communal part, Aubert,” the DDPP-NO specified. “The departmental directorate of the Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Communication (MTPTC) is beginning clearing actions within the metropolis middle of Port-de-Paix to evacuate water on public roads, deploying groups of volunteer rescuers and coordinating clearing operations in severely affected areas.”
Port-de-Paix mayor requires vigilance amid criticism
Confronted with the severe flooding, the mayor of Port-de-Paix urged residents to stay vigilant. “We name for optimum vigilance, significantly in weak areas, resembling basins, ravines and neighborhoods near rivers,” the mayor stated in a press launch.
Regardless of acknowledging the emergency, city officers have confronted criticism for not taking preventative measures. Residents have lengthy referred to as for improved drainage and watershed administration, however these requests have largely gone unheeded. Now, amid the disaster, the municipality is interesting for citizen cooperation.
“The City Corridor is actively working with the related establishments to evaluate the injury, clear blocked roads and supply help to the affected areas,” the Communication Workplace of the Port-de-Paix City Corridor stated in a press release. “We ask for everybody’s cooperation to take care of order and shield our fellow residents. We stay mobilized to make sure your security and handle this tough state of affairs. Collectively, we’ll overcome these challenges.”
“The authorities are there merely to evaluate the injury,” stated Duken Philistin, a younger resident of Trois Grâce road. “They by no means made any resolution to make forecasts or establish areas the place residents ought to construct. We’re victims of the state’s carelessness. They need to make each effort to assist us now. They need to clear the streets and public market areas in order that our actions can resume.”
Residents blame negligence for flood injury, cite lack of infrastructure funding
Port-de-Paix residents have sharply criticized state authorities, accusing them of negligence and a failure to handle long-standing infrastructure issues.
Mrs. Joanel Frankel, a neighborhood resident and enterprise proprietor, stated she warned the North-West Departmental Director of the Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Communications (MTPTC) concerning the potential for the Port-de-Paix River, often called rivyè pòtpè in Creole, to overflow because of a scarcity of upkeep. She stated the director dismissed her issues. Her bar and restaurant subsequently suffered in depth injury within the flooding, with losses she described as “invaluable.”
“Greater than a month in the past, I went to the departmental administration of the MTPTC to alert Director Angelot Oracius Joseph on the degradation of the Port-de-Paix River, which is positioned a couple of meters from my enterprise,” Frankel stated. “He by no means intervened to facilitate the cleansing, and sadly, due to his negligence, I misplaced my bar and restaurant. The water took away a number of mills. I’m not in a position to assess the price of this injury as a result of I misplaced every part. Different residents on Christophe Road suffered the same destiny.”
Many residents in areas affected by landslides stay of their broken properties, unsure the place to hunt shelter.
“The authorities are there merely to evaluate the injury,” stated Duken Philistin, a younger resident of Trois Grâce road. “They by no means made any resolution to make forecasts or establish areas the place residents ought to construct. We’re victims of the state’s carelessness. They need to make each effort to assist us now. They need to clear the streets and public market areas in order that our actions can resume.”
Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, head of the Transitional Authorities, acknowledged the disaster and promised speedy assist for flood victims in Cap-Haitien and Port-de-Paix.
“Following the unhealthy climate that severely affected the North and North-West, Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé is giving his full assist to the victims,” a put up on X, previously Twitter, from the Prime Minister’s Workplace stated. “A process power has been set as much as present speedy and efficient help to catastrophe victims. The federal government stays mobilized to assist households and rebuild destroyed or broken infrastructure.”