Large areas of flooding and landslides in the Dominican Republic and Haiti followed Tropical storm Noel. The areas of the Dominican Republic hit particularly hard were those in the south, where many people have died. SOS Children's Villages there have not been directly affected, but families are in need of food and medical help in areas where SOS Children's Villages already runs social programmes. A needs assessment is currently being carried out and preparations are being made for a possible emergency relief programme to support families that have been affected.
In Haiti the effects of the tropical storm were not as devastating as they were in the Dominican Republic. Cleanup work in areas that had been flooded back in the first week of October had to be put on hold or stopped as a result of the heavy rainfall.
Two hurricane fives have already caused serious damage in the Caribbean and Central American countries this year. Those that suffer most are the poor in Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Honduras.