Emergency needs related to the political crisis
AUGUST 6, 2009
(13/2009) Honduras presidential dispute
DETAILS OF THE EMERGENCY
On the early hours of Sunday 28 June, the Honduran President Manuel Zelaya was about to organize a referendum judged as illegal by the Supreme Court was arrested by the army and transferred to Costa Rica. In the political crisis that resulted, and as supporters of Zelaya have mobilized themselves to ask for his return, citizens have seen their rights diminishing through restriction of movement, curfews, threats and arbitrary arrests.
The functioning of governmental entities has been irregular, affecting the delivery of public services. The instability impacted on the economic situation through the decreasing rate of importation and exportation, donors who have frozen sending of funds to the country, loss of income from tourism and impact on the agricultural sector as crops have been left unattended. Military troops have been mobilized throughout the country.
Following a massive mobilization of the population, several thousand people found themselves trapped in the department of El Paraíso, located at the border with Nicaragua, because of curfew and military road blocks. The number of people living in particularly bad conditions was initially estimated at 2,000. It has now diminished, but needs remain important. In other departments a similar situation is occurring. Because of movement restrictions, people cannot meet their needs in term of water, food, medicines and shelter. Some are living outdoors and drink contaminated water. Respiratory infections have been reported. The problem is becoming more acute with time. Some suffer a psychosocial impact because of threats and the uncertainty of the situation.
Reconciliation efforts, such as the mediation offered by the President of Costa Rica Oscar Arias or resolutions of the Organisation of the American States (OAS) have so far failed to restore the institutional order.
The political crisis is expected to last along with its consequences on the population. Previsions in term of the impact of possible natural disasters are not good given that the institutions in the country would not be able to adequately respond. Moreover, the population on the move keeps increasing which is likely to generate similar situations as the one in El Paraiso, if curfew and military road block continue.
According to a mission led by the UN system in Nicaragua and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) at the end of July, between 600 to 800 persons have already crossed the border with Nicaragua. Needs for the department of Nueva Segovia alone are estimated at 208,280 USD. People are expected to flee into Guatemala and El Salvador as well.
Particular cases of threat, persecution and illegal arrest against Nicaraguans living in Honduras have been reported.
ACTIONS TO DATE AND EMERGENCY NEEDS
Over the past month ACT Honduras Forum members have been active in bringing water and food to the affected population, transporting persons in need of medical assistance, bringing information to the communities and supporting local organizations. They have directly supported 8 partners in their work with the affected population. All in all, the total support brought by ACT members so far is estimated at 25,000 USD. Other organisations have been active in supporting the vulnerable population, such as the world Food Program (WFP), the Pan-American Health Organisation, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Honduran Red Cross. A number of local associations have collected food, water or clothes for distribution to the people in need.
Visits were conducted by church delegations from the Latin-American Council of Churches (CLAI), the Lutheran World Federation, and the World Council of Churches (WCC). A committee has been formed with member churches of CLAI in order to facilitate the logistics of relief item distribution, to assess and report human rights violations, and to define actions of mediation and conciliation with the population. This committee is coordinating with the ACT Forum.
Because of the poor functioning of the national contingency agency COPECO, there has not been any needs assessment done at country level. Additionally, given the difficulty to move within the country and the dispersion of the population in need (they are often on secondary roads or looking for shelter and protection in smaller, isolated communities), it is very difficult to realize a systematic needs assessment at the moment. ACT members in Honduras completed their estimate of the needs on the basis of reports and requests from their partners working in the different parts of the country, and meetings with members of the Humanitarian Network such as WFP, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and Action Aid.
Part of the affected population has initially moved in order to demonstrate and others because threats received do no longer make them feel safe in their homes and they preferred to seek security in other places. All suffer from lack of access to basic necessities. Most important needs are food, drinking water, medicines and health care, temporary shelter, and non food items such as clothes and blankets. Additionally, there is a need for transport for those injured as well as those who have been threatened. The existing rescue teams are saturated and suffer from road blocks that slow them down.
The situation is impacting on children as well. Some of the schools are closed. In some cases families prefer to keep their children at home for safety reasons.
PROPOSED EMERGENCY RESPONSE
- OBJECTIVE OF THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE:
To support the internally displaced population that cannot access basic necessities with food items, drinking water and medicines and hygiene kits as well as transportation in four regions of the country.
- PROPOSED ASSISTANCE:
Food and water (all regions): Each of the 3,250 persons will receive food items for one to two week(s). A one week kit will be composed of: 1 bag of bread or tortillas, 1 pound of beans, 1 pound of rice, a quarter pound of dried cheese, 3 cans of sardines, a half pound of sugar, a quarter pound of coffee, 5 small packs of biscuits, 14 bags of water.
Medicines and hygiene kits (all regions): will include items such as Aka Seltzer, Acetaminophen, balm, repellent, hygienic towels and toilet paper. They will be distributed to the 3,250 persons, with attention to gender specificities.
Transport (West and Center-East) will be organized for families who cannot return by their own means and for people injured or sick and in need of medical attention. It is planned for 1,500 persons.
Additionally, the ACT members and partners will also help the family members get in touch with one another and convey information to the displaced people (Western and Center-Eastern regions).
- IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS:
The ACT member the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), is the requesting member and will be in charge of implementing this RRF and deliver the reports. The monitoring will be realized jointly with other ACT members present in the country, through the ACT Honduras Forum, in particular, Christian Aid (as current forum coordinator) and HEKS (as current forum administrator).
- COORDINATION:
Coordination will be done through regular meetings among ACT members and together with the partners. At the beginning, MoUs will be signed with the partners. During the first meetings, monitoring mechanisms will be explained and agreed upon as well as reporting format and schedule. Regular meetings will seek the best strategies to deliver the humanitarian assistance given the complexity of the situation, taking into account the experience, specialties and location of the actors involved.
The ACT members and partners will also coordinate with member churches of CLAI to facilitate the distribution and logistics arrangements to reach the population, in particular in case of road blocks (the churches have a number of places available to facilitate the distribution). To this aim, a solidarity committee has been formed and will work jointly with the ACT forum.
There will be regular contact with UNOCHA and the Humanitarian Network (REDHUM), in order to not duplicate, but complement, the assistance. This contact will be important also in order to guarantee a minimum security level for the staff and the beneficiary population.
- COMMUNICATIONS:
Communication will be done by the ACT members and partners. Some of them include communication specialists who will inform the Forum as well as ACT International. Contact will be taken as well with local and national media in order to generate more awareness and solidarity within the population.
- PLANNED IMPLEMENTATION PERIOD:
The implementation period will be of max. three months depending on the population movement.
