FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON THE DISASTER RESPONSE EFFORT IN HAITI

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1 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON THE DISASTER RESPONSE EFFORT IN HAITI Jurgita Balaisyte, Alfonso J. Pedraza Martinez, Orla Stapleton and Luk N. Van Wassenhove INSEAD Humanitarian Research Group (HRG) has been monitoring the response to the Haiti earthquake disaster since it occurred on 12 th January Below are some answers to questions you may have regarding the ongoing international humanitarian response. (1) One year after the disaster in Haiti: situation overview Wednesday 12 th January 2011 marked the first anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti. The international humanitarian effort is moving from the response into the rehabilitation phase. Rehabilitation includes recovery and development activities. Regardless of the unprecedented international response in terms of public donations as well as funding from donor governments and multilateral institutions, the long-term recovery from the disaster has barely begun 1. According to the report published by Oxfam - the UN Office of the Special Envoy for Haiti (OSE) - by the end of last year, of the $2.1 billion pledged by governments for reconstruction in 2010, only 42 percent had been converted into donations 2. A more recent analysis, carried out in January 2011 by the United Nations OSE revealed a disbursement rate among public sector donors of 63.6 % 3. On the positive side, IOM (International Organization for Migration) have recorded a significant decrease in the number of people living in camps since the 12 January 2010 earthquake. Some 500,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) have now left the camps from a peak of 1.5 million over the summer months. However, the government and people of Haiti and humanitarian community continue to experience a number of challenges: Massive displacement o 1 million people still live in a temporary accommodation 4, Shelter o There are still 1,199 spontaneous and organized settlements 5 o Only 15% of the required basic and temporary houses have been built 6. o Only 5% of the rubble has been cleared 7. Human rights o As the Amnesty International reports, crime and gender based violence is present 8. o Human rights violations. Institutional capacity and political instability 9 o Institutional deficit and incapability to provide public services and protect o population. November s presidential elections were widely criticized as flawed and fraudulent, mired in backroom disputes between candidates 10. Reconstruction o Infrastructure has not been rebuilt and the reconstruction process has been slow. 1

2 (2) What makes the disaster in Haiti different from others? Primarily, despite the fact that Haiti is small and accessible and, following last January's earthquake, it hosts one of the largest international aid deployments in the world, there were some complexities: It was a very concentrated disaster, and there are few points of entry. The damage is in a very densely populated and poorly laid out city. This created bottlenecks in getting relief supplies into the country and then in transporting them from the airport to the city (due to destruction, lack of resources, etc.). Security in Port-au-Prince even before the earthquake was an issue. However, following the earthquake, Hurricane Tomas and the cholera outbreak it has become an even more pressing problem. (3) Rebuilding Haiti: why is the operation taking so long? Debris: there is still approximately 25 million m3 of debris covering the affected areas in Haiti. This severely hampers attempts at reconstruction 11. However, there is a lack of resources to clear debris as most of the donations were concentrated over the other issues. Internally displaced people: the relief and rehabilitation challenges in Haiti are enormous, particularly given that a large part of the response is taking place in an impoverished, densely populated, urban context. At the same time however, great needs exist in areas far from the capital as a result of the influx of earthquake-affected IDPs 12. Land property rights: as large areas of Port-au-Prince need to be cleared of rubble, the planning and reconstruction process has gotten under way. However, Haiti's land tenure system is slowing down this process. People are attempting to return and reclaim their land. Prior to the earthquake it was extremely difficult to know who owned what property in Haiti. The earthquake destroyed so many titles and deeds that identifying governmentowned tracts or other available land on which to relocate the homeless has become much more difficult 13. In particular it hampers the Haitian government and humanitarian organizations attempts to relocate people onto undeveloped land 14. Governance: state institutions were already weak and relatively dysfunctional in Haiti before the earthquake knocked out the country 15. Haiti lacks sufficient resources to provide the required level of public goods, capacity at the community level, institutional capacity and strong national government to lead the rehabilitation 16. Recent presidential elections and the ensuing protests were another setback for post-earthquake Haiti 17. Despite some attempts to set a coordination mechanism in place for the rehabilitation phase no concrete actions have been achieved. International response: the initial response was challenged by coordination problems that were widely criticized. At the moment, the number of charities, UN agencies and other humanitarian actors are estimated to be more than 10, Adding to this problem, Oxfam s country director, Van Hauwermeiren suggested that too many donors from rich countries have pursued their own aid priorities and have not effectively coordinated amongst themselves or worked with the Haitian government 19. Limited resources and weak infrastructure: for example, during the relief phase lack of fuel, broken telecommunication lines, and other essential services that support the functions of different relief organizations were limited 20. This is still the case. 2

3 Logistics coordination: is a great challenge in Haiti at this time as much of the coordination is being carried out by international teams with limited knowledge of the region and its people. Additionally, the support was sometimes carried out by countries and organizations acting on their own with little coordination between them. This was partly resolved by the cluster system (see question nine for more details) 21. Urban disasters: have some characteristics which contribute to the complexity of the disaster response. These include the concentration of population, homes and other buildings, transport infrastructure and industry. There is also more government in urban than in rural areas, as urban populations and enterprises are subject to more rules and regulations, and state institutions are more likely to be present. There are also more market pressures in urban areas, where low-income groups struggle to find accommodation and services they can afford. In the wake of a disaster such as the Haiti earthquake, these effects are felt even more acutely 22. (4) What are the biggest risks facing people right now (and in 6 months)? Some of the threats had been identified beforehand, such as the potential spread of diseases. Unfortunately, as we have seen over the year it was not easy to prevent them. Looking one year ahead we identify the following risks: Lack of clean water could easily continue spreading epidemics. However, it is expected that eventually the epidemic will be brought under control. While fighting cholera other problems might and will be overlooked and underfunded In the coming months, the greatest risk will be to overcome international donor fatigue. This would be detrimental to the rehabilitation phase. Security: crime and gender based violence will remain a challenge as there are still a considerable number of people living in temporary settlements. Upcoming elections and the unstable political situation are likely to bring more protests and riots which will hamper the rehabilitation of the country. Environmental problems are closely related to the safety and life quality problems are likely to persist in the near future. The earthquake was not an isolated event and the risk of future natural disasters, such as, storms, earthquakes, floods is still high. (5) What is the role of media in such a disaster? The media are needed in such disasters to inform the international public of the situation and to raise awareness of the need for assistance. We saw the benefits of this in the days following the earthquake. However, in the search for a sexy story, accurate reporting can often degenerate into highly critical sound bytes that increase the pressure on an already volatile situation. Channelling the media s attention into informing and educating the public would add much greater value in the response and rehabilitation phases. (6) What are the stages of the relief efforts? As you can see in the figure below, disaster management moves from response to rehabilitation. In the case of Haiti, we are moving out of the response phase and into rehabilitation. Although likely to take years, if carried out correctly, the rehabilitation phase can have a significant impact on the prevention or mitigation of future disasters on the scale of the earthquake. 3

4 Mitigation Avoid and reduce risk Rehabilitation Build back better Preparedness Reduce expected impact Response Mitigate urgent needs Disaster Management Lifecycle. Source: Based on Tomasini and Van Wassenhove (2009) 23 (7) Can we help Haiti beyond the emergency phase? We keep hearing comments about developmental aid. What is the difference between emergency and development aid? In the immediate aftermath of a disaster such as the Haiti earthquake, priority is given to relief (emergency) aid. However, it is important to marry response aid and developmental aid as soon as possible to reach some level of stability. To achieve this, continued support is required at the rehabilitation phase. Currently, the humanitarian effort will need to focus on nation re-building that will target the economy, the political system, and the social issues of health and education, among many others. The latter efforts fall under the umbrella of developmental aid. (8) How do we make a decision on whom to fund? Deciding on to whom to donate is as much a personal question as it is an educated and informed decision. People tend to give to organizations they trust and that represent their values, be they social, political, or religious. That is a personal choice. Then there are the further issues of impact and transparency. Here, people should give to those organizations that they feel confident will deliver on the promises made, and that will be able to provide them with a reasonable indication of how the donations were used to improve the situation. It is best to give cash to a trusted organization and let them decide the best way to use the donation. (9) Is there a logistics leader for the coordination of such operations? Yes, the Humanitarian Logistics Cluster is lead by the World Food Program and is the main point of contact for information and decisions for international organizations involved in major humanitarian relief efforts. The UN recently reorganized around clusters (formed around areas such as logistics, health, nutrition, etc.). Lead agencies do the coordination to improve coordinated response to disasters. The cluster system has worked quite well in providing information and updates in Haiti. The Cluster website immediately showed a bulletin with the new procedures for flights coming into Haiti. The same report provided updates about the fuel situation for places and vehicles. (10) We don t have business there but would like to help: what can my company do? Cash is always an important contribution, especially in the response phase. It is important to have the resources ready to help and to define efficient ways of reaching the beneficiaries. However, this should not be in competition with relief aid trying to get to the ground. Trust a humanitarian partner and coordinate with them to provide and send the goods and the expertise (yes, technical and specialized staff could be needed) upon their request. 4

5 Let them know you are ready to help; they will know when you can add the most value. Regardless of the size of your contribution, stay committed and humble. Let the humanitarian organizations take the lead and communicate jointly, if at all, on your contribution. Some companies can help with resources (e.g., planes, experts, communication equipment, vehicles and other items that can be very scarce in the relief phase after a disaster); especially if companies have local operations making these resources readily available. Another way is to work with academic partners who can inform companies on the issues mentioned above. Lastly, there is an important window of opportunity for companies interested in working on projects at the bottom of the pyramid that will help re-build the country in the rehabilitation phase. (11) Can my company work with a non-profit on the ground to help? It is crucial that private efforts are integrated with humanitarian efforts and systems. That is the challenge. The UN has learned lessons from the past about dealing with the private sector and has put in place a website for companies to contact them and establish a joint collaboration ( Still this is far from perfect, and we need to keep in mind the magnitude of the task. In general, most humanitarian organizations have recognized the need to work closer with the private sector over the past few years. Private sector should keep them informed by visiting websites of major humanitarian actor so that they develop understanding and identify potential areas for collaboration. (12) Were there other major disasters in 2010? The number and severity of disasters (particularly hydro meteorological disasters which includes cyclones, floods, hurricanes, etc) is increasing. In the course of 2009, there were 335 natural disasters worldwide which killed 10,655 persons, affected more than 119 million others and caused over US$ 41.3 billion economic damages 24. This was considered a relatively quiet year in comparison with recent years. For example, in 2008, disasters took the lives of more than 235,000 people, affected 214 million and resulted in economic losses of over $190 billion was one of the deadliest and costliest years in recent history, according to the world's largest reinsurer Munich Re. Their report found that some 295,000 people were killed and $130 billion were lost in 2010 as a result of catastrophic events. In addition to an unprecedented year for in Haiti, which suffered two of its major disasters since 1950, a series of heat waves and forest fires killed approximately 57,000 Russians; an earthquake in China left 2,700 dead; and a series of floods in Pakistan between July and September that claimed the lives of 1,760 people and affected more than 17 million 26. INSEAD Humanitarian Research Group INSEAD Humanitarian Research Group is one of the leading research groups on the subject of humanitarian logistics. We aim to increase the capacity of humanitarian actors to respond effectively to the growing number of major disasters impacting the world the today. By facilitating cross-learning between those currently engaged in humanitarian action (humanitarian organizations, private-sector, governments, donors, military etc.), HRG also works to identify and transfer best practices from the humanitarian sector to companies operating in volatile regions. Our research focuses on three key areas: Logistics of disaster preparedness and disaster response Response coordination Inter-sector collaboration Humanitarian Transportation and Fleet Management The Environmental Impact of Humanitarian Operations 5

6 Since 2001, HRG has worked in close collaboration with companies, humanitarian organizations, and private-public partnerships. These include: TNT, The Red Cross Movement, United Nations Agencies, International NGOs and Medicines for Malaria Venture. We seek to increase humanitarian capacity through research and teaching. We have carried out in-depth studies at headquarters and field level, from Geneva, Switzerland to Gurue, Mozambique, to produce rigorous and relevant research material. INSEAD HRG s research and pedagogic contribution to date includes the book Humanitarian Logistics, more than 25 pedagogical case studies and 10 articles in leading academic journals including Production and Operations Management, Journal of Operations Management, Academy of Management Review, and Journal of the Operational Research Society. We also run an executive education program entitled, Management in the Humanitarian Sector. Endnotes 1 A year of indecision leaves Haiti s recovery at a standstill, OXFAM, web link: 2 Sources: Ibid; Funding status of latest appeals, OCHA, web link: web access: 10 January,2011, 3 Sources: Analysis shows 63.6 percent disbursement rate for Haiti recovery among public sector donors in 2010, the UN Office of the Special Envoy for Haiti, web link: web access: 10 January, 2011; International assistance to Haiti: key facts as of December 2010, The Office Of The Special Envoy For Haiti, web link: l.pdf, 4 Significant Drop in Numbers of Internally Displaced in Camps in Haiti, IOM, web link: 5 Ibid 6 A year of indecision leaves Haiti s recovery at a standstill, OXFAM, web link: 7 Haiti Progress Report, 2010, OXFAM, web link: en.pdf, web access: 09 January, 2011, 8 Sources: Haiti: sexual violence against women increasing, Amnesty International, web link: web access: 10 January, 2011; When disaster strikes: women s particular vulnerabilities and amazing strengths, E. Ferris (2010), The Brookings Institution, web link: when_disaster_strikes_ferris.pdf, 9 Tackling Haiti s Institutional Deficit, The Brookings Institution, web link: web access: 07 January, 2011, 10 Haiti one year on: suffering, lost opportunities and political paralysis, The Guardian, web link: web access: 09 January 2011, 11 Sources: Haiti Progress Report, 2010, OXFAM, web link: en.pdf, web access: 09 January, 2011; Haiti: IFRC reports on progress made in first year of multi-year response, IFRC, web link: 12 Sources: Haiti Recovery Assessment, IFRC, web link: , web access: 07 January, 2011; Haiti: IFRC reports on progress made in first year of multi-year response, IFRC, web link: 13 Evicting Haiti's Homeless: How Land Tenure Hampers Recovery, Time, web link: 6

7 14 Sources: Ibid; Land tenure and property rights in Haiti, USAID, Property rights and resource governance briefing paper 6, web link: web access: 11 January, 2011, 15 The year of surviving in squalor, The Economist, web link: web access: 07 January, 2011, 16 Burning Issues for Haiti's Recovery, The Brookings Institution, web link: web access: 05 January, The year of surviving in squalor, The Economist, web link: web access: 07 January, 2011, 18 Factbox: Major problems in Haiti reconstruction efforts, Reuters, web link: web access: 10 January, A year of indecision leaves Haiti s recovery at a standstill, OXFAM, web link: 20 Humanitarian Logistics: 15 frequently asked questions on the relief efforts in Haiti (2010), INFORS, web link: web access: 10 January, INFORS, 2011, Vol. 4, number 1, p.7, 21 Ibid 22 World Disaster Report, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, IFRC (2010), web link: 23 Humanitarian Logistics, Tomasini, R., and Van Wassenhove, L. N., (2009), Palgrave, London, 24 Annual Disaster Statistical Review 2009: The numbers and Trends, Centre for research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, World Health Organization, Université Catholique de Louvain, web link: 25 Annual Disaster Statistical Review 2008: The numbers and Trends, Centre for research on the Epidemiology of Disasters, World Health Organization, Université Catholique de Louvain, web link: 26 Sources: Natural disasters made 2010 one of the deadliest, costliest years in history: report, NY Daily News, web link: 03_natural_disasters_made_2010_one_of_the_deadliest_and_costliest_years_in_history_.html, web access: 08 January, 2011; Overall picture of natural catastrophes in 2010 Very severe earthquakes and many severe weather events, Press Release, Munich Re, web link: f, web access: 09 January,