SitRep - Haiti (1)
SITUATION REPORT: Sandra Cox UPDATED: January 19, 2010
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND — January 19, 18h00
Brief description of the emergency
An earthquake of magnitude 7 struck Haiti on January 12 at 17h00. At least 70,000 people were killed and have been buried, with estimates up to 200,000 people could have been killed. Among the dead is prominent ACT Alliance staff member Rev Sam Dixon (UMCOR) and Rev Clinton Rabb of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. United Methodist News Service said the two outstanding individuals had been lost. Other staff, sadly, remain missing from other ACT members.
The earthquake caused massive damage to the city already beleaguered with staggering poverty. An estimated 60-80 percent of buildings in Port-au-Prince were destroyed. More than one million people are without adequate shelter and no immediate prospect of accommodation in camps. While aid is getting through, fears prevail that reduced fuel supplies will hamper the operation. Looting and violence are escalating as people compete for limited food and water supplies.
Relief efforts to date have been hampered by difficulties in getting supplies into Haiti because of damaged airport and port facilities, and intermittent closures of the border with Dominican Republic (DR). Collapsed infrastructure such as roads and bridges along with fuel shortages and communication difficulties are further complicating matters.
ACT Rapid Support Team
Haiti has prompted the first major deployment of RST team members since the team’s inception late last year. The RST team for Haiti is almost entirely in place. Coordinator Elsa Moreno is currently in Santo Domingo and is planned to arrive in Haiti tomorrow, Wednesday January 20. Already in-country are communicator Paul Jeffrey, finance officer Eric Celiz and security officer Sicko Pijpker. The RST is led by the Lutheran World Federation as the chair of the ACT Haiti Forum. Communicator Paul Jeffrey reports that he will be based at the LWF office. He plans to visit NCA/Rio Viva project early tomorrow and a trip with Christian Aid to a distribution programme. First communications should be out by Wednesday night at the latest.
ACT Alliance response
ACT members in Haiti with offices are Christian Aid (CA), Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH), the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), and Interchurch Organisation for Development Cooperation (ICCO). The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), which has offices in Haiti, is pending membership of the new ACT Alliance. Nine other ACT Alliance members or pending members are providing direct assistance.
Members are sending relief goods in kind or in specialist skills. From communications from these organisations, the following responses can be reported:
Christian Aid (CA) has been sourcing food, tents, hygiene kits, blankets, jerry cans and water purifiers for 15,000 people in eight communities, targeting areas getting little help from other agencies. The distribution is expected to start within days. Where possible, food supplies will be sourced from farmers in Haiti who escaped the impact of the earth quake. It will also work closely with partner organisations in the DR to source material not available in Haiti. It is considering also implementing a cash voucher system whereby survivors can withdraw money from bank accounts in the name of CA. Banks are due to begin opening tomorrow. It is also to work with NGO Merlin providing medical equipment.
Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH) coordination office was not damaged and will serve as basis for member coordination. DKH has joined forces with the Catholic agency Caritas to organise a flight of 34 tonnes of relief materials to Port-au-Prince including four million water purification tablets, jerrycans, tarpaulins, blankets and enough healthcare kits to last 10,000 people for three months. DKH will focus relief efforts on Jacmel and Bainet, which like Jacmel is on the south coast of Haiti but further to the east. The organisation has a logistics person in Santo Domingo, looking at how best to deliver goods to Jacmel. DKH reports that people must apparently get permission from the US military to deliver goods to Haiti (presumably deliveries by air) but this is not confirmed.
The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) is scaling up its presence at its office. It will send Bobby Waddell, as LWF/DWS emergency senior advisor, for three weeks after which he will be replaced. Sophie Gebreyes, programme person at LWF Geneva, will go to Haiti for a week to assess the situation and identify best coordination models between Geneva and Haiti. Nora Serpas, who is arriving in the DR today will provide the necessary support for them with accommodation in Santo Domingo and travel the day after to Haiti. The LWF, which is constructing a camp for ACT members at its compound, also plans to send a shipment of food products.
DanChurchAid (DCA) is cooperating with LWF and has seconded an experienced Haitian logistician (who arrived Santo Domingo January 15) and facilitated the deployment of RST coordinator Elsa Moreno together with satphones and other supplies for the RST. DCA is monitoring the situation from HQ and will look to provide further support as needed.
Interchurch Organisation for development Cooperation (ICCO) is planning to monitor the relief effort and how well it measures up to Sphere standards, for instance, as concerns the fair selection of beneficiaries to avoid generating resentment between recipients.
Norwegian Church Aid (NCA). A team from NCA of three WASH advisors carrying out assessment and start up of operation has arrived in Port-au-Prince. Also there is a consultant with local context/coordination assignments etc, an emergency coordinator from NCA Guatemala, and two psychosocial and protection advisors. In addition, NCA has a communicator, and the NCA General Secretary in Haiti. The Guatemalan coordinator is in Santo Domingo to coordinate with an ICCO partner in the DR and support logistics/coordination of personnel and goods, working together with a logistician from DCA. NCA has airlifted to Haiti 45 tonnes of wash equipment, one 4WD, and 500 family tents.
FinnChurchAid (FCA) is cooperating with NCA and providing water purifying units, tents etc and also financing part of the delivery costs. FCA is also sending two people (Nanny Nordstrom and David Korpela) to deliver the equipment as well as assess the needs of especially the special needs of mother-child and perhaps other vulnerable groups. They will arrive January 20 from the DR and leave January 30.
Church World Service (CWS) project manager for LAC is Don Tatlock and regional coordinator Martin Coria. Both are based for the moment with CWS partner SSID in the DR. CWS has pre-positioned supplies for the region in the DR, which are being used for some programmes on both sides of the Haiti/DR border. CWS is in discussion with CA about possible partnership efforts. CWS anticipates undertaking some bi-lateral efforts with a long-standing CWS local partner serving at-risk children.
Because of continuing challenges of aid getting to Haiti, CWS has determined that it must focus on making neighbouring DR the hub for its response, at least for now. CWS is working with Servicio Social de Iglesias Dominicanas (SSID) which will receive and purchase aid in Santo Domingo and transport it to Haiti. CWS plans to send a 40-foot container with baby care and hygiene kits to the DR. Part of the response is likely to be assisting Haitians to enter the DR and establish storage and distribution centre in Jimani. In Haiti, CWS will assist in the restoration of operational and programmatic capacity of partners Ecumenical Foundation for Peace and Justice, Cuban Council of Churches and Service Chretien d’Haiti and SKDE.
Church of Sweden (CoS). With NCA, Church of Sweden has sent a psychosocial worker and is also on standby for request for additional personnel supporting ACT and or LWF in the implementation and planning of the psychosocial response/ activities. CoS will also send Thomas Brundin, former LWF Haiti country rep to support ACT and LWF in coordination and communication.
Assistance outside Port-au-Prince
Jacmel and Leogane
Leogane is about 19km west of Port-au-Prince. The UN says that up to 80-90% of buildings there have been destroyed. Christian Aid partner Koral hopes to provide relief to some 3000 people. Earlier this week it helped with the evacuation of severely injured people from the town. Koral has helped identify some of the worst injured in Leogane and arranged a helicopter transfer to a US charity health facility. Koral is hoping to reach 4000 with food, blankets, jerry cans, water purifiers. Christian Aid country manager Prospery Raymond says rural areas have not had the assessment required as focus of activity has been concentrated on downtown Port-au-prince. At Jacmel, CA is working from DKH's office. DKH will focus its relief efforts on Jacmel and Bainet, which like Jacmel, is on the south coast of Haiti but further east. The organisation has a logistics person in Santo Domingo, looking at how best to deliver goods to Jacmel.
Jimani, Dominican Republic
CA partner JRMS is arranging Portaloos for a tent hospital at Jimani, and is also sourcing medical supplies: wheelchairs, crutches, bandage. Tent hospitals have been set up on the Dominican Republic at Jimani, on the border. CA is now sending funds for emergency first aid and healthcare for injured refugees. DR partners report hospitals in Jimaní are attending to hundreds wounded and will be soon overwhelmed. Churches have offered to act as hospital wings.
Leogane, Petit Goave and Miragoane
In Petit Goave, to the west of Leogane, Christian Aid partner the National Human Rights Defence Network (RNDDH) aims to reach 5000 people with emergency relief supplies. To these three areas are being sent hygiene kits containing towel, washcloth, comb, nail clippers, soap, toothbrush, plasters.
Carrefour Feuilles
CA partner Aprosifa is healthcare specialist that is providing medical support for 2000 in Carrefour Feuilles. CA is supporting this programme.
National and international response
US Navy helicopters have touched down in the grounds of Haiti's presidential palace, dropping off scores of troops. Reports suggested they were unloading water, food and equipment. The UN Security Council has voted to boost its peacekeeping forces to help control outbursts of looting. The US military has begun airdropping food and water, after congestion at the airport delayed deliveries of aid. The UN has launched an appeal for $562m intended to help three million people for six months. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon describes the situation as one of the worst humanitarian crises in decades and implored for calm in the beleaguered capital.
ACT Appeal
ACT members are preparing a preliminary appeal. LWF, as part of the appeal, plans assist a minimum of 5000 families for nine months. The appeal will enable delivery of immediate lifesaving assistance with non-food items, psychosocial support, shelter/site planning, emergency health and water and sanitation. Other members will submit appeals in coming days.
Next teleconference of ACT members operating in Haiti
ACT Secretariat proposes to hold the next phone conference on Wednesday, 20 January, once the ACT RST coordinator is in Santo Domingo.
