Humanitarian bulletin Haiti Issue 24 November 2012 HIGHTLIGHTS The recent disasters affecting agricultural production have resulted in more than half of the rural population facing acute food insecurity. The revised CAP 2012 now amounts to US$151,080,810 Floods in the northern departments and Nippes leave 3,000 people in an extremely precarious situation More than 100,000 new cholera cases expected in 2013 Food security In this issue Food security P.1 Humanitarian funding P.2 Emergency preparedness P.3 Cholera epidemic P.5 Camp management P.6 Successive disasters raise concerns about deterioration of food security The impact of drought Tropical Storm Isaac and Hurricane Sandy on agricultural production has raised serious concerns about the deterioration of food security in Haiti over the next six months, according to the latest report from FEWS NET and CNSA. Assessments of the impact of these disasters show that more than half of the rural population is facing acute food insecurity. Poor rural households which depend on agriculture both as a source of income and food, have already exhausted all their food reserves. Projections of the food situation until March 2013, indicate that the poor and very poor in some municipalities in the Sud-est, Ouest and Nord-est departments will enter Phase 3 (Crisis) between January and March. FIGURES Number of IDPs in camps Source: DTM, November, 2012. Cumulative cholera cases Source : MSPP, 27 November, 2012. Fatality cases Source : MSPP, 27 November, 2012 358, 000 619 944 7 739 FUNDING 151 million Including : 39,9 million additional funds emergency appeal following Hurricane Sandy (en US$) In an article published by Reuters on 22 November, 2012, Laurent Thomas, the deputy director of the FAO, said that Haiti s vulnerability to food insecurity could be a source of destabilization and cause tension if the issue is not addressed. The FAO recommends more investment in agriculture to help the country out of the crisis and avoid such an eventuality. Ongoing solutions Discussions are ongoing with the Humanitarian Country Team, donors and the Haitian government on the next steps in responding to the crisis, both in the immediate, medium and long term.
Haiti Humanitarian bulletin 2 An appeal for US$ 74 million was launched by FAO in collaboration with the government, of which $ 4 million are required immediately, to assist 20,000 families. USAID, through the Winner Project, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, will assist the agricultural sector in two important farming regions - Cul-de-Sac and Matheux by repairing road infrastructure and the irrigation system damaged by Hurricane Sandy. The total cost of the program is estimated at US $8.5 million. It should be noted that the cumulative impact of these recent disasters, which have ravaged the country and destroyed 40 percent of Haitian crops, is estimated at $ 104 million. Humanitarian funding Revision of the cap 2012 following the passage of Hurricane Sandy 151 million (US$) requested 39% funded Hurricane Sandy struck Haiti on October 23 and left huge damage in its wake. Seven major categories of impacts were noted: flooded homes and public structures (hospitals, schools, offices); significant deterioration in the quality of beaches and port areas, damaged roads, bridges and culverts; crop, livestock, fish and fishing boat losses; landslides; excessive sedimentation; and risk of health emergencies - cholera. The few agricultural areas spared by this year s drought and Tropical Storm Isaac in August were severely damaged. 58.2 million (US$) 2012 Requirements by sector (in million $) CAMP COORDINATION AND CAMP MANAGEMENT (CCCM) AND SHELTER WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE HEALTH PROTECTION FOOD AID AGRICULTURE NUTRITION LOGISTICS reported funding 13 15 9 10 4 20 26 requirement 41 Percent funded 35% 33% 44% 54% 43% 35% 50% 0% EARLY RECOVERY EDUCATION COORDINATION AND SUPPORT SERVICES EMERGENCY TELECOMMUNICATIONS CLUSTER NOT YET SPECIFIED 2 0.4 0 6 5 14% 28% 31% 0% 0% As of 6 december, humanitarian funding received against the 2012 CAP stood at $ 61 million USD representing only 40% of the critical humanitarian requirements identified. Shortfalls in humanitarian funding throughout 2011 and 2012 have reduced response
Haiti Humanitarian bulletin 3 capacities to the extent that there are insufficient means under current conditions to meet existing humanitarian needs. Of utmost concern are the critical needs of 1.5 million people now at risk of severe food insecurity due to the loss of agricultural land, crops and livelihoods. The Government of Haiti declared a state of emergency on 30 October and, together with the humanitarian community, appealed for emergency funding to respond to the immediate needs of the 1.26 million people most affected by the crisis. The US $39.9 million appeal outlines the first phase of key needs identified so far and the most critical humanitarian interventions needed, such as food security, agriculture, shelter, educational infrastructure, health and potable water until December 2012 and part of 2013. Part of this amount, (US $ 23.2 million) will be needed for the first phase of response through the end of the year. This has been highlighted in the revised CAP 2012, which now stands at US$ 151,080,810. Emergency preparedness An upgrade of emergency stocks is imperative Humanitarian Response to Flooding in the Northern and Nippes Departments The torrential rains in the Nippes and Nord departments, between 8 and 10 November, resulted in 14 dead, 4 missing persons. 17,302 families were left homeless and 8 schools were damaged due to flooding, according to the Directorate of Civil Protection. Heavy rains between 8 and 9 November 2012 resulted in flooding in 4 departments Nippes, Nord, Nord-Ouest and Nord-Est. The most affected departments are the Nippes and the Nord. Port-de-Paix NORD-OUEST Cap Haitien Limonade Quartier-morin Fort-Liberté Plaissance NORD Gonaives NORD-EST ARTIBONITE Hinche CENTRE Jérémie Petit Trou Port-au-Prince OUEST GRANDE-ANSE Baraderes NIPPES SUD l Asile Cayes Fonds des Negres Miragoane SUD-EST Jacmel Three municipalities in the Nord - Cap-Haitien, Quartier-Morin and Limonade - were particularly affected, accounting for the 14 dead. Nippes (Baradères Fonds des Nègres, Miragoâne, Petit Trou, Plaisance and Azile), the Nord-est (Caracol, Ferrier, Fort Liberté) and the Nord-ouest (Anse-à-Foleur) departments were also affected. A humanitarian mission was deployed to Cap-Haitien to assess the damage and needs. The Government of Haiti and humanitarian partners distributed food rations, 3,710
Haiti Humanitarian bulletin 4 hygiene kits and 170,000 aquatabs to families in need. WFP provided 2.6 tons of high energy biscuits to 2,600 people and the NGO CECI, served 500 hot meals in temporary shelters. Many cholera cases were reported and a cholera treatment unit (UTC), staffed with three nurses was set up in Labadee in the Nord department. 12,500 bars of soap, 1,190 buckets, 38 bundles of 50 blankets were also distributed by UNICEF, Caritas, MERLIN and CECI. Chlorination of water points was carried out in the communes with support from the Haitian Red Cross and the Dominican Republic. Floods in Cap Haitien on 8 9 November 2012 Credit Minustah Unmet needs According to the preliminary assessment report on the situation, 17,302 families were affected by the heavy rains, with 3,000 of them in an extremely precarious situation. Although emergency solutions have been offered to alleviate the plight of those affected, it is imperative to urgently introduce the proposed Cash and Food for Work program to assist the 10,000 families in any way possible. In addition, a recapitalization fund for 3,000 small businesses in the agricultural sector should be provided to fund inputs and boost production. There is also an immediate need to disinfect 10,000 houses, clear the drainage system of debris, clean and protect gullies in Cap-Haitien. The Directorate for Civil Protection (DPC) organized a national simulation exercise (SIMEX) on July 9 and 10 to prepare its staff and partners for large-scale natural disasters in the country. The exercise simulated the approach of Hurricane Roger on the Republic of Haiti and flood-related damages in several departments in the country, including major impact in five departments. Haiti will have soon a seismic contingency plan An earthquake contingency plan for Haiti will be launched in January 2013 by the government with the support of the humanitarian actors. Timed to coincide with the third anniversary of the earthquake that left over 200,000 people dead, the plan aims to strengthen relevant government entities in preparedness activities, sequenced and coordinated response for reducing the impact of a major earthquake on the people. The contingency plan was developed with a view to establishing a management tool that enables all national and international stakeholders to identify and strengthen their various areas of preparedness and response. It also allows for clear identification of roles and responsibilities for different national and international actors, as well as coordination mechanisms. This is to avoid duplication of activities in emergency response and relief efforts to the population and allow a better integration of the international response within Haiti s organizational framework. The drafting process of the plan brought to the fore a number of weaknesses in the current seismic response and preparedness activities required to strengthen the country's capacities. Drawing from lessons learned and current weaknesses in humanitarian response - great disruption in the immediate response due to magnitude of the earthquake, inadequacy of the state s coordination and response mechanisms and the lack of technical capacity in debris management - an action plan, consisting of forty preparedness activities has been
Haiti Humanitarian bulletin 5 designed to facilitate the effective implementation of the contingency plan. It is built on four thematic areas: planning process for seismic risk; strengthening of the coordination mechanism for preparedness and response in major emergencies; support for better integration of the international community s response in the national framework; and strengthening of the response capacity of national actors. The drafting of this contingency plan was made possible with the participation of six working groups led by key sectors, guided by an international consultant provided by the Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti, under the leadership of the Ministère de l Intérieur through the DPC, with funding provided by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency MSB. Cap-Haïtien prepares for a Tsunami A simulated tsunami emergency was organized in the Cap-Haitien municipality with the support of the DPC, the Service maritime et de navigation d Haiti (SEMANAH), the Bureau of Mines, the Haitian Red Cross, UNESCO and other partners on 29 November. The exercise was aimed at assessing the emergency response capacity of the municipality and to test the effectiveness of new standard operating procedures for the transmission of tsunami alerts. This simulated exercise brought together 1,900 participants, including students from four schools in Cap Haitien, representatives of public institutions the Ministry of Public Health and Population, the Coastguard, Fire Department and National Port Authority. The tsunami preparedness project is being implemented by UNESCO as part of the "Capacity Building for tsunami warning and response in Haiti," funded by ECHO. Cholera epidemic Should the situation persist, there may be up to 118, 000 to 120, 000 new cholera cases in 2013 Cholera care threatened by humanitarian underfunding Although the overall nationwide trend in cholera has been declining, the number of reported new cases in the Ouest department, especially in the Delmas, Petit Goave, Carrefour and Cité Soleil communes, doubled during the weeks following Hurricane Sandy, according to PAHO/WHO. The recent heavy rains led to new outbreaks and a 50 per cent rise in reported cases in the Nord department. As the recent emergencies have shown a number of difficulties associated with cholera response remain. PAHO/WHO points out that many cholera treatment centers damaged by TS Isaac and Hurricane are yet to be repaired, while management of these by the Ministry of Public Health is structurally weak.
Haiti Humanitarian bulletin 6 Furthermore, the MSPP lacks funds for cholera care since the end of World Bank funding (in collaboration with UNICEF and FAES) of projects aimed at integrating cholera care in national health care structures. This is evidenced by the problem of late/non-payment of the salaries of outreach staff. As a result, there is a noticeable growing decline in cholera outreach work and a gradual demobilization of brigadiers (outreach staff) in the field. The alarming situation of the departmental health systems seems not to be reflected in official information at central level. The MSPP appears not to take into account issues related to immediate responses in the overall response plan. Should the situation persist, the number of new cholera cases in 2013 may range between 118,000 and 120,000 PAHO/WHO warns. Response from the Red Cross, MDM and DPC Following heavy rains on 8 November, a Haitian Red Cross health team lent support to the Direction de la protection civile (DPC) during the evacuation of affected families. The team also carried out preliminary assessments and distributed relief items. Another team comprising the Ministry of Public Health (MSPP), Medecins du Monde (MdM) and the Haitian Red Cross, conducted assessments of damage to cholera treatment centers in Grande-Anse. On November 24, the Haitian Red Cross dispatched four trucks with equipment for the treatment of cholera in Jeremie. The equipment will be used by MSPP and the Haitian Red Cross in 17 cholera treatment units in Grande-Anse. The Haitian Red Cross and the IFRC sent cholera prevention supplies, including aquatabs, to Jacmel in the Sud-est department, In Petit Goave, IFRC in collaboration with MdM, distributed tents to replace those destroyed in four cholera treatment units during the storm. In l'ile à Vache, where 11 cases of cholera were recorded daily during the third week of November, IFRC, in collaboration with Soul of Haiti, offered two tents and prevention supplies to cholera treatment centers. Camp management IDP camp population continues to decrease According to the latest DTM the number of camps decreased from 541 in August to 496 in October 2012 The camp population fell by 11,000 people during the last two months, according to IOM s latest Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM). This represents a 3 per cent decrease compared to August when the number of displaced people was 369,353 or 93,748 households. This shows a slight slowdown in the overall rate of decline when compared with the previous report (August) when the rate was 5 percent. Camp population is under 360,000 people 1,5 million IDPs Number of people in camps The camp population is currently estimated at 358,000 (90,415 households) in 496 camps, down by 77 per cent from 1.5 million people living in 1,555 camps in July 2010. 1,555 Camps 357,785 The number of IDP camps declined Number of sites during the same period from 541 in August to 496 in October 2012. IOM 496 indicates that of the 45 closed sites, 36 of them are closed through the Jul. 2010 October 2012 implementation of return programs by the Haitian government with the assistance of the Red Cross, IFRC and IOM. In just one year, the 16/6 project helped over 44,000 people return to their previous communities.
Haiti Humanitarian bulletin 7 IOM reports that Hurricane Sandy did not affect the number of people living in camps. However, its passage has increased the number of cholera cases in camps. Nearly 135 new cases were reported in the week after the hurricane. Water, hygiene and sanitation: improvements are urgently needed before the situation worsens Basic WASH service provision in camps remains very low with high levels of open air defecation (42 per cent in October 2012), and only 35 per cent of provision of chlorinated water in community water supply points. Access to functional latrines is as high as 72 people per latrine. Although CERF funded desludging operations have guaranteed access to basic sanitation, the situation in IDP camps remains of extreme concern. The number of functional latrines continues to decrease (3731 in October 2012) as it becomes increasingly difficult to rebuild infrastructure located in public places and private lands. In addition, the presence of NGOs still working in camps has decreased sharply. CERF desludging activities (UNICEF/JEDCO) are one of the main achievements of WASH service provision in camps together with latrine repair operations funded by the ERRF and executed by OIM. Thanks to this funding, there are currently no critical emergencies for desludging in camps as the public-private partnership is working to its full potential. It is critical to ensure that, during 2013, desludging operations continue in camps as the situation may worsen quickly as soon as the activities end. Provision of drinking water in community water points has declined sharply with only 23 camps out of 496 still accessing the service. Chlorination levels scarcely attain 40 per cent. Water provision in camps has decreased very significantly since water trucking was discontinued in November 2011. The mid-year revision of the CAP 2012 identified support to these water committees as a priority but little has been achieved since then. Hygiene and sanitation promotion indicators show a worsening situation during 2012. Knowledge about cholera prevention is at its lowest level (only 51 per cent of people can identify 3 cholera prevention activities). Only 2 per cent of camps have enough hand washing facilities; and only 10 per cent of them have enough active hygiene promoters. During 2012, DINEPA and partners faced cholera outbreaks in a timely manner, ensuring containment of infectious risks and an adequate response from the government and its partners. However, emergency contingency stocks were considerably depleted during response to Hurricane Sandy and Tropical Storm Isaac and need urgent replenishment to ensure adequate response in case of another upcoming emergency situation. Capacity Building The creation of the Emergency Response Department (DRU) in 2011, facilitated the integration of DINEPA in the National System for Management of Risks and Disasters (SNGRD), and reinforced coordination with national and international actors in the WASH cluster, thus boosting emergency response at national and departmental levels. Although a lot of progress has been made, DINEPA s DRU still needs support, mainly to ensure sound information management, logistical capacity building for emergency stock management and interaction with national and international emergency response partners throughout 2013, as well as to ensure that disaster risk reduction and emergency preparedness activities are part of their responsibilities.
Haiti Humanitarian bulletin 8 In brief Preserving LGBT s rights: a priority for the UNHCR UNHCR has opened a safe house for LGBTI (lesbian gay bisexual transsexual and intersex) survivors of SGBV in IDPs camps in Port-au-Prince on 1st October 2012, in partnership with the Implementing partner SEROVIE. SEROVIE is the only NGO in the territory specialized in assisting LGBTI survivors of SGBV and working in advocacy for LGBTI rights. With a total capacity of 5 rooms and 18 peoples, survivors are expected to remain into the safe house between one to two weeks while they will receive medical and pycho-social support. They also will be assisted with rental allowances and access to incomes generating activities or training opportunities. This safe house is a third safe house opened by UNHCR in Haiti in collaboration with local NGOs. The first one was established on June 2011 in partnership with Kofaviv a women s grassroots organization created in 2004 and based in Port au Prince To date, UNHCR together with its implementing partners, have hosted a total of 226 survivors of SGBV and family members. For further information, please contact: George Ngwa Anuongong, Chief, Communication Section, ngwaanuongong@un.org, Tél. (509) 3702 5192 Rachelle Elien, Public information officer, elien@un.org, Tel. (509) 3702 5177 Widlyn Dornevil, Public information officer, dornevil@un.org, Tel. (509) 3702 5182 Guillaume Schneiter, Reporting officer, schneiterg@un.org, Tél. (509) 3702 5758