Brazilian Contingent in Haiti Lends Support to Regions Most Affected by Hurricane Matthew

By Brazilian Ministry of Defense Social Communication Office, with communication from CONTBRAS
October 11, 2016

The Brazilian Contingent (CONTBRAS) in Haiti deployed troops to the country’s south, where the most damage was caused due to Hurricane Matthew, from Octiber 4th-7th. More than 450 service members are working on the relief operation to support the victims of the catastrophe in the cities of Les Cayes, Jeremie, Port-Salut, and Camp Perrin, among others. Peace Force members from Brazil’s Infantry Battalion (BRABAT) and Engineering Company (BRAENGCOY) had already preemptively deployed to the country’s south to offer initial assistance in response to the hurricane. During the course of October 7th, a platoon from the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) Marine Corps Operational Group was the first to arrive in the city of Jeremie. Together with the Brazilian Army’s Engineering Company, they carried out reconnaissance work throughout diverse regions and worked to clear the roadways to allow for the arrival of humanitarian assistance to reach the local people. “All our Marines knew that their main task was not security, but rather the immediate clearing of roadways to allow trucks carrying water and food to reach the affected populations,” stated Brazilian Marine Corps Commander Jose Emilio de Oliveira Rodrigues. The members of CONTBRAS are also carrying out joint tasks with military members from other countries to receive the different donations that are arriving from the international community at the international airport in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, especially, food and water. Members of Brazil’s Air Force are responsible for all the logistics by air; they are transporting the material for the Brazilian Contingent and the humanitarian aid for Haiti. A stretch of about 100 km on Haiti’s southern coast was destroyed by 240 km/hour winds.