PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti (CMC) – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has launched an appeal to help Haiti prepare for the 2024 hurricane season, which occurs between June 2 and November 30.

The call for assistance comes as the French-speaking Caribbean Community (Caricom) country is still struggling to deal with the gang violence that has pushed thousands of children and their families into poverty.

Last month the country suffered from the passage of a weather system that hit Bassin Bleu in the country’s Northwest department, injuring at least 112 people including 29 children.

The authorities reported that an estimated 4,350 people, including 650 children, lost their homes and that many are now living in temporary shelters.

“With every cyclone, every tornado, every flood, children will lose their homes, their livelihoods, their lives, and the season has barely started,” said Bruno Maes, UNICEF Representative in Haiti.

“We support children after every disaster, but support from the international community is essential for us to enhance our preparedness and response capabilities for the worst-case scenarios,” he added.

UNICEF and partners are supporting affected families in Bassin Bleu to recover from the disaster and UNICEF and the Civil Protection Department are distributing cash assistance to the 300 most vulnerable affected families, to ensure their recovery and that they do not sink into further poverty.

To avoid a further collapse of the local health system due to increasing demand and depleting supplies, UNICEF is also supporting the local hospital by providing it with medical and nutrition supplies, including ready to use therapeutic food (RUTF) to ensure the continuity of the treatment for children suffering from wasting.

UNICEF said that children aged three to 17 years will benefit from recreational activities and psychosocial support. Families will be sensitised on the protection of children, as well as against violence and abuse.

Despite transport and humanitarian access constraints due to armed groups controlling key supply routes, UNICEF said it is also preparing for the season by prepositioning medical and hygiene supplies in strategic locations across Haiti to reduce delivery time when natural disasters hit.