Challenges That Gonaives Arrondissement Faces

Located on the northern part of the country and 110 kilometers from the national capital of Port-au-Prince, Gonaives is an agricultural municipality. Cotton, sugar, coffee, mango, banana and cabinet wood are among its most common produce. It is a great municipality but it has gone through a lot.

Hurricanes and floods are common in Gonaives as it is situated in a valley with many hills and mountains surrounding it. Not only that, it is also adjacent to the Caribbean Sea. Different natural disasters have already wreaked havoc in the town. In September, a tropical storm named Jeanne hit Gonaives, killing over 2,500 people. The storm triggered floods and mudslides that affected the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.

Four years ago, meanwhile, Gonaives felt the lash of three storms - Gusta, Hanna and Ike. This series of calamity led to the deaths of 530 people and affected a total of 50,000 residents. Though Gonaives was not that affected by the devastating earthquake in 2010, it still struggled with the disaster's aftermath. More than 35,000 people were forced to go to the city in order to receive medical and housing assistance. This made it difficult for hospitals in the area to cope with the rush of people in need of treatment. Also, Gonaives' resources were not enough to provide assistance to everyone as it has yet to recover from the effects of a previous hurricane.

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