Distribution is gathering pace both in Port-au-Prince and
beyond, with a system now in place for the town of Leogane (west of
the capital), and in the planning stage for other major centers of
displacement.
To date, agencies have worked with the Haitian government to
distribute at least 15,000 tarpaulins and 12,000 family sized
tents, with a further 52,000 tarpaulins and shelter kits ready to
go. Humanitarian agencies are providing materials for Haitians to
construct their own transitional shelters, given the need to
establish sturdier structures before the hurricane season begins in
June.
IOM and its partner agencies have so far identified 315 settlement
sites in the capital Port-au-Prince and outskirts, hosting more
than 500,000 individuals (98,000 families).
The Haitian government is establishing a new site in the
neighbourhood of Tabarre, where a total of 270 tents have been set
up, each with a six-person capacity, alongside fifty latrines and
20 showers. The first displaced families are expected to
arrive shortly.
According to the government, more than 482,000 people have left
Port-au-Prince for outlying areas, with the departments of South,
Grand Anse, Nippes and Central Plateau witnessing a 15 to 20 per
cent increase in the number of recent arrivals.
Assessments carried out by the UN Mission in Haiti indicate that up
to 90 per cent of those who have left are currently living with
relatives, with the remainder staying with host families.
This influx towards rural areas has led to an increase in the local
prices of basic commodities, such as rice, oil and sugar and has
added pressure to already overstretched infrastructure and
services, including primary health care and hospitals.
IOM’s health unit in Haiti is working with public health experts
from the Harvard Medical School and the NGO Partners in Health to
carry out in-depth assessments in selected sites in Port-au-Prince,
St Marc and Mirebalais to identity environmental healthcare needs
and service gaps.
“As more people stay longer in spontaneous settlements, it is
crucial to keep pace with the increased demand for sufficient
public and environmental healthcare, water supply and sanitation,”
say IOM heath team leader in Haiti Dr Nenette Motus.
IOM intends to open four health logistics hubs in the departments
of Artibonite, Central Plateau and in Port-au-Prince to facilitate
health referrals, access to treatment, return and follow-up care
for patients who leave hospitals.
Haitians have continued to cross overland into the Dominican
Republic at the Jimani border crossing point, at the rate of more
than 1000 a day.
As the complexity of the Haiti earthquake response grows with the
challenge of providing shelter for survivors before the onset of
the rains and the hurricane season, together with the arrival of
more aid agencies on the ground, the UN yesterday announced changes
to the coordination of the international emergency
response.
IOM, which at the request of the UN Relief Coordinator took the lead role in coordinating aid agencies providing shelter, non-food relief items and camp coordination and camp management (CCCM), immediately after the disaster, will now hand over part of the coordination function to the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC.)
IOM will continue to coordinate the work of agencies involved in CCCM, while IFRC will take over the coordination of agencies providing shelter and non-food relief items – a role that it normally assumes in the so-called “cluster” approach following natural disasters.
“This will strengthen each cluster's ability to focus on its priorities and deliver efficiently on the many pressing humanitarian challenges that lie ahead of us,” said UN Relief Coordinator Sir John Holmes.
The change, which will be completed by February 10th, will not in any way impact IOM’s active operational role in delivering shelter and non-food relief to earthquake survivors as a member of the shelter cluster.
IOM Director General William Lacey Swing yesterday left Geneva for a 3-day visit to Haiti and the Dominican Republic. He will inspect IOM operations in both countries and will meet high level officials. He formerly served as US Ambassador to Haiti for five years and has retained close links with the country and its people.
IOM’s earthquake emergency response in Haiti is currently supported by USD 28.5 million in funding from the USA, UK, Sweden, Korea, Japan, France, Finland and Canada. It has also received funding from the UN Central Emergency Fund (CERF), the Clinton Foundation and private donors, including the Argos Cement Company of Colombia.
For further information, please contact IOM Haiti. Jean-Philippe Chauzy, Tel. +41 79 285 4366, Email: pchauzy@iom.int or Mark Turner, Tel: +509 38140189, Email: markyturner@yahoo.com
