The Pan American Health Organization said yesterday that it is very concerned about Haiti and warned that the pandemic of the new coronavirus will unleash a humanitarian crisis in the Caribbean nation, where millions of people face food shortages on a daily basis.
“I want to sound the alarm of an impending humanitarian crisis,” said PAHO Director Carissa Etienne in a video-press conference from Washington. “A perfect storm is coming,” he said after urging the formation of a foreign aid coalition.
Etienne explained that although only 100 cases of COVID-19 sufferers have been reported so far, it is highly likely that the number will increase in the coming weeks.
Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere, reported its first two cases of the new coronavirus on March 20.
Since the new coronavirus arrived in the region, some 17,000 Haitians have returned to their country from the neighboring Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti and already has community contagion in its territory. At least another 55,000 Haitians are expected to return in the next two to three weeks.
The Haitian government has cut hours of work for banks and public offices, has closed schools and has asked the population through radio messages to stay home, but thousands of people go to street markets and use buses. .
Etienne said it is “extremely difficult” to implement social distancing measures in Haiti. Much of the population lacks access to clean water and sanitation, and lives in crowded homes.
Some four million people face food shortages and “there is a risk that food insecurity will grow” as a result of the coronavirus, Etienne said, noting that there could also be social unrest.
Limited capacity
The director of PAHO also indicated that the Haitian health system has limited capacity, there are few beds to serve patients in hospitals, insufficient medical personnel and equipment to protect them.
“There is a real risk of a major outbreak followed by a humanitarian crisis,” said the official, urging the Haitian authorities to implement measures together with a coalition of countries and organizations. He explained that among the measures that should be taken are avoiding social contact through hugs and kisses, limited daily access to food markets, the installation of hand hygiene stalls.
Piade caution to the region
PAHO also warned yesterday that the spread of the new coronavirus will continue to accelerate in Latin America in the coming weeks and urged the countries of the region not to rush to lift the measures of social distancing.
“Since Latin America started in March, May will be a very critical month,” said Marcos Espinal, director of PAHO’s Department of Communicable Diseases.
MITIGATION
It takes time.
Marcos Espinal asked “not to let your guard down and continue with mitigation and prevention measures” after explaining that the pandemic is a process that takes time.
They double.
The PAHO director, for her part, explained that there are many areas in the Americas region where the number of COVID-19 cases is doubling in a few days. He cited the United States, Canada, Brazil, Ecuador, Chile and Mexico as examples.
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