City Council Member Mathieu Eugene Announces Hurricane Relief Task Force For Haiti

Local politicians are announcing relief efforts for Haiti, which faces a humanitarian crisis in the wake of Hurricane Matthew, starting here in Flatbush — a longtime epicenter of the Haitian-American community.

Hurricane Matthew touched down in Haiti on Tuesday, October 4. Since then, the natural disaster has affected 350,000 Haitians and left the country facing the worst humanitarian crisis since the devastating 2010 earthquake, reports CNN. Latest figures project that 15,623 people have been evacuated and 1,855 homes have been flooded, according to the Civil Protection Department.

District 40 City Council Member Mathieu Eugene, joined by the Haitian Ambassador to the United Nations, Haitian Consul General, a representative from the New York City Office of Emergency Management, and other organizations and elected officials, announced the Permanent Emergency and Disaster Organization task force to address relief efforts for Haiti.

This task force will work alongside medical professionals and emergency responders to help Haiti create a more solid infrastructure for future disaster relief efforts.

“Right now, the people of Haiti don’t have an infrastructure to respond to emergencies like these,” Eugene told the Brooklyn Eagle. “The task force will work together to create a permanent emergency and disaster management organization — like the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) here in the United States to respond to emergencies such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and other natural disasters.

“It is imperative to create a sustainable organization supported by an improved infrastructure that will be better prepared to assist Haiti,” Eugene wrote in a statement.

As of Thursday morning, Hurricane Matthew is making its way to the Bahamas and Florida, hurling 125 mph winds through its path, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Council Member Jumaane Williams, District 45, Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte and 42nd Assembly District Leader Josue Pierre are also working closely with local Haitian organizations to identify needs and provide support to those impacted by the hurricane.

How to help: Donate items and supplies at the following locations —

Flatbush-YMCA at 1401 Flatbush between East 26th Street and Rogers Avenue.

The Multicultural Bridge Project at 1894 Flatbush Avenue between East 38th Street and Avenue L.

Haitian Family Resource Center at 1783 Flatbush Avenue between Avenues J and K.

For people with family and friends in Haiti, a hurricane relief and evacuation center has been opened at HAC-Haiti’s community center in Croix De Bouquets. The contact information is listed below:

HAC-Haiti Community Center at #64 Rue Double Harvest, Croix De Bouquets, Haiti
Contact:
Samuel Darguin
HAC-Haiti Country Director
Info@hac-haiti.org / Info@hacus.org
509.360.94056 / 509.468.21875 / 509.310.19819