Latest Haiti Update from HOPE director Antonio Boyd

Brothers, I think this is one of the most up to date and comprehensive reports on what is going on in Haiti. FYI *************************************************** Antonio B. Boyd Vice President - North America Programs HOPE worldwide Ltd. 1201 Main Street, Suite 1980 Columbia, SC 29201 Phone: (803)513-4068 Cell Phone: (803)673-7058 Fax: (803)732-5539 E-mail: Antonio_Boyd@hopeww.org Website: www.hopeww.org Website: www.hopeww.org/USChapters Subject 01.19.10 - UNICEF Sit Rep FOR EXTERNAL USE UNICEF HAITI 19 January 2010 AT A GLANCE Main highlights SITUATION OUTSIDE PORT AU PRINCE Leogane and Gressier are the most severely damaged areas west of Port-au-Prince. An assessment conducted on January 16 indicated that there was increasing desperation amidst the population due to the situation. Some international aid is now reaching areas west of Carrefour. Significant aid is reaching Jacmel. Road access is generally good. The Canadian army is helping to open the roads. Power remains off in all areas assessed, although the distribution system appears mostly intact. Numerous spontaneous encampments have been established near the main road west from Port-au-Prince. GENERAL SITUATION IN PORT AU PRINCE - MINUSTAH estimates that 300,000 people are homeless. Tens of thousands are still living in the streets, gathered i more than 40 points across the city. - Banks are supposed to re-open on January 21. The Government is prioritizing the rapid return to economic activities, relying also on the implementation of food and cash for work programs. - The Government assigned each one of its Cabinet members (ministers) to supervise a geographical municipal area: Port au Prince, Delmas, Carrefour, Pétionville, Léogane, Petit Goave, Grand Goave, Cabaret, Croix de Bouquet. - The strategy of relocating the homeless population to 14 sites is still in place, though the Government (Department of Civil Protection) is not disclosing their location (11 in Port au Prince, plus 3 outside the city). However, there is disagreement as the Municipalities - which are getting re-organized and operational – have defined 135 sites to be assessed as possible sites. This could lead to complex negotiations delaying the post-quake management. - The Prime Minister expressed two mayor concerns. Firstly, the logistic difficulties in the distribution of the humanitarian assistance, specifically the lack of fuel. The Government initiated negotiations with the private sector seeking their cooperation. The prime minister said security in the delivery of the aid is a concern. - The Prime Minister agreed with the UN proposal to install provisional government and administrative offices in prefabs. - Canadian army is ensuring the operations at the Port au Prince and Jacmel airports. - WHO reports that 8 hospitals are functioning. Additional field hospital will arrive in the days to come. At this time, follow-up of surgical patients and maternity care are the two major challenges. THE HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE - WFP distributed 45,000 dry rations on January 18. A few, minor incidents were reported on the distribution sites. - Fuel shortage is still the main issue of concern. Diesel is expected to arrive from the Dominican Republic. - MINUSTAH, WFP and the US Air Force are working to coordinate the arrival of humanitarian flights. - OCHA is recommending strengthening the work of the Cluster as the main coordination space for the entire humanitarian assistance. - The Shelter Cluster is faced with the problem of the “reception camps”, as the sites are not yet clear. - Congestion at Port au Prince airport due to the arrival/departure of humanitarian flights is ongoing. - UNICEF HUMANTARIAN RESPONSE - We are expecting fuel provision coming from the Dominican Republic. A special contribution from MINUSTAH was negotiated and agreed upon. - UNICEF is concerned about the increasing reports of rape and gender based violence among the population of the gathering sites. UNICEF is working, in coordination with UNFPA, for a rapid activation of the GBV working group. Water, Environment and Sanitation - The water supply schedule of January 18 could not be respected due to the lack of fuel. Through Action Contre La Faim, only 15,000 people received drinking water in 3 sites. - On January 19, 140 water trucks were able to deliver water serving the needs of approximately 140,000 people. Fuel is available for the January 20 distribution plan. - German cooperation reinforced the water production capacity of CAMEP (Municipal Water Company). - DINEPA and CAMEP are evaluation the water distribution system of Port au Prince. - UNICEF provided bottled water to 2 hospitals, 2 orphanages and a police station. - The European Commission and the DPC (Department of Civil Protection) are working to improve the water pumping equipment in order to accelerate the fill up of the trucks. This represents a major challenge to accelerate distribution. - DINEPA is appealing for more water trucks, as their present number is insufficient to cover the needs. - Construction of latrines poses problems: municipalities are very reluctant to grant permission to dig and set up latrines at some of the gathering sites (camps), the WASH Cluster will be dealing with the issue in the next days, and improved coordination with the Municipalities is a priority. Child Protection - The Prime Minister assured UNICEF and partners that the children who left the country in the previous days were legal adoptions, whose files had received due authorization prior to the earthquake. He informed that a total of 140 children legally departed, 100 to The Netherlands and 40 to France, all of them verified by his office. The list of the approved adoption is available. UNICEF is coordinating with the Canadian and French embassies to support and reinforce the normal legal adoption procedures. The European countries and UNICEF were working together on a new adoption law just prior to the quake. - The Child Protection Working Group (CPWG) was officially activated on January 17 under the umbrella of the Protection Cluster. A first geographic mapping of the actors and interventions has been drawn up. - MINUSTAH, UNICEF and Save the Children developed a common Rapid Assessment Form for separated and unaccompanied children (SUAC) to be used by all partners. - The three shelters (centres d’accueil) of SUAC are being reinforced and equipped; one of them is already operational. These centers are intended to provide care for the children while UNICEF and partners trace the families. - An agreement was reached with WFP whereby all child care institutions (which will be first registered and checked by UNICEF) will be provided with food assistance. - Seven child protection police brigades (Brigade de Protection des Mineurs) have been re-organized into mobile teams and will support trafficking prevention at the airport and the border with the Dominican Republic. Nutrition The Nutrition Cluster will officially hold their first meeting on January 20 at UNICEF site in logbase. Health . The Regional Health Department will carry out a DPT and measles immunization campaign in Port au Prince for children under five, as cold chain was not affected by the quake. A C4D campaign with basic health and hygiene messages is being formulated with government counterparts. Education The education cluster was activated yesterday and is divided into a donor coordination arm and a technical arm. The cluster is lead by Save the Children and UNICEF and assessments will begin later this week. Situation in Petit Goave and Leogane PETIT GOAVE - A joint mission by UNICEF/WHO/WFP went to Petit Goave on January 17. The mission reported that the earthquake heavily affected their 120,000 population (150,000 according to the Municipality). A UNICEF staff member is assuring the assessment and operations in Petit Goave. - More than 1,000 deaths were registered to date. Among them, 31 child deaths were reported. The hospital admitted 1,300 injured persons. - MINUSTAH is distributing water, though not in sufficient quantity. - Local NGOs distributed dry rations to 4,000 people but their warehouses were robbed. - Priority needs include water supply, food distribution, medical supplies and drugs and tents for the hospital. The set up of a field emergency hospital could be useful to cover the health care needs. LEOGANE UNDAC and MSF sources inform that the situation in Leogane is extremely critical with 90% of the town destroyed. MSF carried out an assessment 3 days ago. Circulating through the town has been difficult. Of the 134,000 inhabitants 80,000 are reported injured. No estimates of deaths are available. There is no electricity, water or health care available. MSF and INTERSOS (Italy) are setting up medical assistance.