Haiti SitRep (11)
SITUATION REPORT | UPDATED: March 29, 2010
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND — General situation (OCHA Sitrep 31, as at 24 March 2010)
• Some 200 families have moved into the first transitional site, Santo 17, set up for the relocation of populations in sites prioritized for decongestion.
• The Emergency Shelter Cluster has provided emergency shelter materials to over 74% of the targeted 1.3 million people.
• FAO has scaled up its operations to reach 108,000 farmers, including 68,000 during the spring planting season in the south and 40,000 during the summer planting season in Artibonite through newly reallocated European Union funds.
• WFP is providing food assistance to 67 hospitals and is aiming to reach up to 100,000 beneficiaries.
• The Clinton Foundation has pledged to donate 6000 cartons of plumpy nut. The donation will be divided into three deliveries of 2000 cartons and each delivery will be made over an interval of four weeks. The first delivery is scheduled for the third week in April.
• In response to a rise in reports of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) cases, the Child Protection (CP) and GBV sub-clusters, together with MINUSTAH, and the Haitian National Police have joined forces to patrol, monitor and evaluate security issues related to CP and GBV in six settlement sites.
• PDNA findings reveal that the total value of damage and losses caused by the January 12 earthquake is estimated at US$7.8 billion (US$4.3 billion represents physical damage and US$3.5 billion are economic losses). The damage and losses are equivalent of about more than 120% of the 2009 gross domestic product (GDP).
Extract from the Joint Operations and Tasking Centre Sitrep of 23 March 2010)
Announcements of financial support to Haiti’s reconstruction multiply as the 31 March New York conference approaches. The Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) cancelled 479 million dollars of the country’s 1.2 billion dollars debt. It will provide two billion dollars to help rebuild the country in the next decade.
Catherine Ashton, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security, announced in a 22 March press conference a one billion euros (1.36 billion dollars) European Union contribution for Haiti’s reconstruction. The announcement should be confirmed on 31 March in New York. Other pledges include Norway, whose minister for Foreign Trade and Development mentioned that his country would donate 10 million euros (13.6 million dollars), and Finland, which will reveal the amount of its contribution on 31 March.
A study published in March by the University of Michigan and Small Arms Survey reports that property crime and victimization appear to be frequent among residents of IDP camps with 47% of camp residents surveyed stating that they had been victimized at least once since the earthquake. Up to 25 percent of camp residents reported having been threatened to be killed or physically hurt since the earthquake. This compares to just 2 per cent of the general population.
Contingency planning reports estimate that across the country 1,800,000 people are at risk for the upcoming rainy and hurricane seasons. Up to 500,000 could be displaced (both newly displaced and re-displaced for earthquake affected populations). Hundreds of people could be killed and thousands wounded.
Four of the eight priority canals for drainage in Port-au-Prince still have no funding and executing agency. The estimated cost is $2.75 million. The Coordination Support Committee (CSC) has made this a priority item for its agenda for 26 March.
Work continues on the Tabarre Issa camp with 12 April as the estimated date when 2500-3000 IDPs most at risk for flooding can begin moving in. The total number of IDPs estimated to be most vulnerable is approximately 250,000. Other site locations are still in the works. CCCM has completed its draft establishing selection criteria for which IDPs will be relocated to both proximity and transitional sites around Port-au-Prince. This draft is to be presented at the CSC.
More information on the International Donors’ Conference to take place at the United Nations in New York on March 31, 2010.
In preparation for the conference, a meeting took place in Santo Domingo on March 16 and 17 with the purpose to discuss the key findings of the Post Disaster Needs Assessment and for the Government of Haiti to present its strategy for recovery to key development partners. In addition, a series of consultation have been held in Port-au-Prince, Washington DC, St-Martin and New York, with representatives of the Haitian civil, the International and Haitian private sector, the Haitian diaspora, the local government authorities and NGOs.
At the conference, Haiti will present its vision for the country's future and how international support can assist. Countries, international organizations, and other partners will have an opportunity to pledge resources, and commit to and coordinate long term recovery support for Haiti.
Information on the ACT Alliance response coordination
Geneviève Cyvoct will be the ACT Alliance Coordinator from 22 March 2010 until the end of June 2010. A successor will be identified during the course of her mission.
The proposed Communication/Advocacy advisor is Maria Halava from FinnChurchAid, starting on 12 April 2010 for an initial period of three months, with a possible extension. In addition, other communicators might come for shorter term assignments and specifically for writing stories.
Information by sectors:
Psychosocial: Mikael Wiking from Church of Sweden has now left and will be replaced by Esther Isaac to arrive on 27 March.
Quality and Accountability: The HAP mission continues. The recently fielded HAP team of two will provide technical support on accountability in close contact with other NGOs involved in work relating to accountability and will help gather examples of good practices. They will be present at the ACT Forum meeting on Monday 29 April to discuss how to further work with the ACT Alliance members.
Communication: ACT Alliance Communicators Chris Herlinger of Church World Service and Nils Carstensen of DanChurchAid were recently on assignment in Haiti. Their latest story was issued on March 23 highlighting the needs for security, reconstruction, and long term livelihood projects.
Specific Reports from ACT Members and Partners
Report re CRWRC Haiti EQ Relief (at 19 March 2010)
In Masson, Leogane, CRWRC has completed an initial structural damage inspection of all houses, and a Canadian engineer will re-inspect houses that require further technical inspection to determine whether to repair or pull down. On March 25 tool kits will be distributed to clear rubble into community based centers. Three emergency latrines have been built and four water wells to be drilled by March 26.
In ICTA office community, Flon, and in Luitor community, both in Leogane, a house to house survey has been completed. Tarp and food distribution planned on Tuesday, March 23.
Work has been done around the ICTA office in Flon: rubble is cleared, office walls completed, security is in place, generator in place, as are latrine and well. Office furniture purchases are being completed. Signage for project re CRWRC and ACT Alliance have been completed and will be placed on roads leading into Masson and to ICTA office this coming week.
Finn Church Aid
David Korpela arrived in Port-au-Prince this week to be the Country Coordinator for Finn Church Aid, also acting as the Emergency Education Coordinator for LWF. Finn Church Aid is in the process of opening a country office (in the joint ACT Office) that will concentrate on the reconstruction of schools.
ICCO and Kerk in Actie (at 15 March)
Team and office
During the last few weeks, ICCO has been working hard to get the office back on its feet: furniture and a car have been ordered, a driver and secretary have been selected, and CVs of programme and financial officers are currently being studied. The country representative wounded during the earthquake is recovering well, although it will be a while before she will be back at work.
Partner organizations and proposals
Many of ICCO’s partners lost their offices, and in other cases these were severely damaged. Together with other donors (some ACT members, some not) ICCO and Kerk in Actie have been receiving and approving proposals enabling the partners to rent new office space and to assist employees who have lost family members or houses.
In the meantime, several partners have presented proposals geared at rehabilitation activities, which are currently being studied. Most ICCO & Kerk in Actie partners are working outside Port-au-Prince and are now dealing with displaced persons, who are in need of assistance. One partner, KORAL, has launched a small research project among them, and discovered that most would like to remain in their new region, making it necessary to start livelihood projects, and look for ways to create jobs.
ACT and ICCO & Kerk in Actie
ICCO & Kerk in Actie are contributing financially to the ACT appeal, and in the process of processing it administratively. A separate proposal has been received from CAID for financing. Furthermore donations to Salvation Army and ADRA are almost processed.
The Lutheran World Federation (at 19 March)
LWF Haiti has distributed 60 tents for families with babies from 0-12 months at St. Therese, as well as carrying out training and demonstration sessions for the installation of the tents for ten members of the management committee. Also, 40 tents were distributed at Nerette also for families with babies from 0 to 12 months and training and demonstration sites for ten members of the management committee. Training and demonstration sessions related to hand washing and latrine groups were held for men, women, and children (from 7-17 years). Three training manuals were finalized on early warning systems, prevention of disease, and the SPHERE Code of Conduct. Excerpts of the three manuals were translated into Creole (these manuals related to early warning systems, prevention of post-earthquake diseases, and Code of Conduct) for implementing training sessions for the affected communities.
Three days of trainings for community mobilizers took place addressing early warning systems, disease prevention and Code of Conduct. In total, 35 kits were distributed at the end of the training to all participants.
Progress has been made with partner organization RNDDH to plan the implementation of cash for work activities in our operational areas.
Procurement is ongoing for kit distribution, designs have been finalized, and plans are underway for the office base in Léogâne.
Psychosocial activities were also carried out: A psychosocial meeting took place with members of four different associations in Léogâne. Forty teachers were trained, trainers visited a community centre for children, met associations of Petite Riviere for project implementation, trained trainers, met local authorities, identified space for community center placement, and community group formation.
Please refer to previous sitreps for more information on the entire ACT Response, as well as the ACT Appeal HTI101.
