CMAT wraps up the mission in Haiti with a visit to the Canadian embassy and a debrief/sitrep with the Canadian Ambassador Paula Caldwell.

January 8, 2017:   In October, 2016, a catastrophic hurricane struck the island nation of Haiti.  A three member team from CMAT was deployed to install a NOMAD water purifier, delivered medications and other aid supplies to the city of Les Irois in the Grand Anse region of Haiti. The team was deployed from November 2nd until November 16th, 2016 and comprised of Martin Metz (Paramedic – Team Lead), Kate Auger (Nurse Practitioner), Marc Dupuis (Firefighter).

Community members in Les Irois filling water containers with clean drinking water, from the Nomad purifier installed by CMAT.

In collaboration with the UN/UNICEF WASH cluster, the CMAT team assessed Les Irois as the area which would benefit the most from the deployment of the NOMAD water filter.

To read the deployment summary report, please click here:  CMAT Haiti 2016 Hurricane Matthew Deployment Summary.

CMAT Response Team has safely arrived in Jérémie! A big thank you to our transport team.

November 5, 2016 – Jérémie, Haïti:

CMAT Response team visited several areas in the vicinity of Port au Prince, to scout potential locations for the Nomad water purification unit.  One of the areas visited was Léogâne, where CMAT ran a field hospital in the immediate aftermath of the 2010 Earthquake.   (click on thumbnails to view larger images)

BC Paramedic and CMAT Team Leader Martin Metz discussed possible locations for Nomad Water Purification Unit. There are many NGOs on the ground working together to ensure all areas are properly assessed and obtain the appropriate support. CMAT prides itself on ensuring strong collaborative partnerships with local groups and other international responders.

Meanwhile, Kate Auger (NP, Ontario) and Marc Dupuis (Firefighter, Quebec) met with several local groups to learn of local initiatives and discuss potential collaborative projects.

Kate Auger met with FDS Haiti (el Fuego del Sol) to discuss potential long term medical projects in the Dominican Republic, to help meet the primary needs of displaced Haitians. Stand-by for updates on this potential project and how you may get involved. Shown here is just one of many sustainable development projects FDS Haiti has been working on. These cooking stoves extend the flame and heat by 60-90mins and convert briquettes into charcoal. Thank you to Kevin Adair, President of FDS Haiti for the wonderful demonstration.

After lengthy discussion with the Canadian Embassy in Port au Prince,  representatives of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) cluster, and Logistics cluster, it was decided that the team would venture out to the remote region around Jérémie, estimated to be approximately 8 hours drive south of Port au Prince.

CMAT loaded up its medical supplies and Nomad Water Purification system for the journey to Jérémie, and once in Jérémie, CMAT will meet with the local WaSH cluster representatives to finalize its final deployment location.

CMAT continues to appeal for donations to help offset the cost of this project.  Please donate generously.

CMAT Team departing Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport for Haiti
When: Wednesday November 2, 07:00
Where: Air Transat check-in counter

CMAT Director Dave Johnson sending off the high-capacity water purification unit to Haiti.

MONTREAL Nov 1, 2016 – Members of Canadian Medical Assistance Teams (CMAT) will be departing early Wednesday (November 2) for Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, accompanied by a large-capacity water purification unit, and other relief supplies.

On October 4th, Hurricane Matthew violently struck Haiti and resulted in the country’s largest humanitarian emergency since the 2010 earthquake. While the immediate health impact of the disaster was managed locally, CMAT has since been collaborating with local and international agencies, helping to coordinate a response to relieve the suffering of those affected by the Hurricane, and support the population through the anticipated longer-term health consequences of the storm.

CMAT’s Response Team consists of 3 members from across Canada:

• Martin Metz, Vancouver, BC
• Kate Auger, Collingwood, ON
• Marc Dupuis, Val Des Monts, QC

With more than a decade of international humanitarian deployment experience among them, the team will be bringing valuable expertise to the region, along with critical water purification equipment to help rebuild the country’s capacity, and address the worsening situation of water-borne illness. To date, the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs have already reported over 3,000 cases of suspected cholera.

CMAT would like to thank the the following partners who have generously assisted CMAT with this deployment:

• Air Transat
• Air Canada
• WestJet
• Farrex Freight systems
• The generosity of individual donors.

Donations gratefully accepted via Canada Helps!  Click below to donate.