Haiti: Floods in the Nord-Ouest Department - Flash Update No.1 as of 22 September 2025

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Flooding in Port-de-Paix and Bassin-Bleu (16–17 September).
  • 823 families affected, 650 houses flooded, several people missing.
  • One person injured.
  • Civil Protection and OCHA coordinating the response.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

During the night of 16–17 September 2025, heavy rains fell across most communes of the Nord-Ouest department, causing the Trois-Rivières River in Port-de-Paix to overflow suddenly. The floods resulted in extensive inundations across several neighborhoods in Port-de-Paix and Bassin-Bleu.

According to the Directorate of Civil Protection, about 823 families were affected. In Port-de-Paix, 550 houses were flooded, 75 severely damaged, and 25 destroyed. Several fishermen went missing in the middle of the eel fishing season. A child sustained a head fracture in Grand Lakou. A decomposing body was also found on the banks of the river at Nan Rozye (Chansolme). The northern façade of the Departmental Emergency Operations Center (COUD) suffered significant damage.

The floods caused major material losses across multiple sectors: school supplies were destroyed, plantations along the Trois-Rivières River and in Audrin were devastated, and small businesses suffered considerable losses. Damages were also reported in fishing and livestock sectors. A landslide occurred in Ti Fond.

Infrastructure was heavily impacted. The Trois-Rivières bridge sustained damage and now poses a danger to the population. Several roads linking affected communities were cut off, including the road connecting Port-de-Paix with the Bas Nord-Ouest communes, which became impassable due to the flooding. The northern façade of the COUD was severely damaged. In addition, Dumarsais Estimé Street has been blocked by garbage for several months, compounding sanitation risks.

In Port-de-Paix and Bassin-Bleu, several streets and neighborhoods remain under water. The quality of water distributed by DINEPA has deteriorated significantly, raising health risks for the population.

PRIORITY NEEDS

Priority needs identified include clearing and evacuation of blocked roads and high-risk areas, provision of sanitation kits (wheelbarrows, boots, shovels, pickaxes, rakes, etc.), distribution of non-food items such as hygiene kits, kitchen sets, tarpaulins, blankets, mattresses, and mosquito nets, as well as fuel supplies for Civil Protection generators and logistical support for mobilized volunteers.

COORDINATION

Civil Protection has collected data and produced three situation reports, while conducting awareness campaigns through its volunteers. A rapid damage and needs assessment (RDNA) is ongoing in Port-de-Paix and Bassin-Bleu. OCHA is supporting Civil Protection in coordinating and mobilizing the emergency response.