haiti relief

You are currently browsing articles tagged haiti relief.

The Search for Aid Money in Haiti

February 14, 2012 in Haiti, South America by Jonathan White | No comments

Photo: RMF Haiti Project Coordinator, Dr. Patrick Dupont in Haiti

February 8, 2012

by RMF Haiti Project Coordinator, Dr. Patrick Dupont

I’d like to share an interesting article I cam across at Caribjournal.com proposing an explanation to what happened to the aid money to Haiti after the January 12, 2010 earthquake. I found it to be an interesting theory.

Maybe you’ll draw your own conclusions from it.

http://www.caribjournal.com/2012/01/30/the-search-for-aid-money-in-haiti/

 

Tags: , , , , , ,

Haiti Quake Efforts Were Hampered by Poor Information Sharing

January 20, 2012 in Haiti by Jonathan White | Comments closed

Displaced Earthquake survivors living in temporary camps

By Dr. Martina Fuchs

Having witnessed Haiti post-earthquake firsthand, the enclosed news release provides an accurate analysis of the humanitarian efforts. The Pan American Health Organization pretty much co-managed the relief efforts with the Haitian government.

Photos in this blog posting were all taken by Real Medicine Foundation photographer, George Papuashvili and are the property of Real Medicine.

Family in a Tent Camp

PAN AMERICAN HEALTH ORGANIZATION www.paho.org

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION www.who.int

News and Public Information

News Release

 

Haiti Quake Efforts Were Hampered by Poor Information Sharing

Foreign responders often ignored guidance and authority of Haitian government, says new PAHO/WHO report

Washington, D.C., January 13, 2012 (PAHO/WHO) — The massive humanitarian response that followed Haiti’s January 2010 earthquake was less effective than it could have been due to poor coordination and information sharing and widespread disregard among international groups for the authority of the Haitian government, according to a new report from the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO).

To  improve future relief efforts in low-income countries, the international community should help strengthen government capacity for coordination as part of support for risk reduction and disaster preparedness, the report concludes.

The new study, Health response to the earthquake in Haiti: Lessons to be learned for the next massive sudden-onset disaster, examines the health effects of the quake and the effectiveness of national and international health relief efforts. It was released on the second anniversary of the Jan. 12, 2010, quake.

The report says Haitians themselves responded swiftly and effectively, saving many lives before foreign help could arrive. However, the domestic response was severely limited by the devastation of the country’s capital and the impact on government staff and facilities.

 

City and tent camps

The 7.0-magnitude quake (MMS scale) was among the most damaging in recent times, leaving more than 220,000 dead, over 300,000 injured, and some 1.3 million forced into temporary shelters. This catastrophic outcome was the result of both socioeconomic and seismic factors: the vulnerability of Haitian housing and construction, the shallow hypocenter of the quake (close to the earth’s surface), and its proximity to the country’s most important urban center. Rural areas in the West and South-East departments were also badly affected.

 

“Admittedly, Haiti was not prepared for any type of mass casualties. But no country or system could have had an orderly response to a disaster of this magnitude that affected the political, administrative, and economic center of the country,” the report notes.

 

For its part, the international community reacted quickly and generously, mobilizing a massive amount of resources to provide essential health services that were in urgent demand. This included valuable assistance from health authorities and facilities in the Dominican Republic and from other countries in the Caribbean, who sent assistance in the first hours after the quake.

 

However, the overall effectiveness of international efforts was undermined because many foreign actors, including most NGOs, worked with minimal coordination and with little or no regard for the authority of the Haitian government.

 

“One of the key lessons to be re-learned from the Haiti earthquake is that coordination can only be effective if the national authorities (civil protection, health, and other line ministries) are equipped and truly assume the ultimate leadership and authority for coordination,” writes PAHO Director Dr. Mirta Roses in the report’s foreword.

A critical shortcoming of the response was the lack of information sharing among different care providers. This led to lapses in follow-up care for surgical patients, including amputees, and missed opportunities for quake victims to get specialized care. For example, a dialysis center set up to treat victims with crush injuries operated at only 20 percent of its 200-patient capacity because other care providers were unaware of its existence. Compiling and disseminating a list of health facilities and the services they provide should be one of the first priorities in any future disaster, the report recommends.

 

Other lessons and recommendations include:

  • Strengthening local search-and-rescue (SAR) capacity should be a priority for disaster preparedness. Although international SAR teams reported saving 132 lives in Haiti, local people saved many more lives before foreign teams could arrive.

 

  • The “cluster” system—in which different U.N. agencies assume lead responsibility for different areas (health, water and sanitation, logistics)—should be aligned with the host government’s ministerial structure and based on a formal agreement reached prior to any disaster.

    Tent Camps and Rubble

 

  • Management of bodies—including identification and respectful burial—remains a critical area that few humanitarian organizations are equipped to address.

 

  • Although some donated medicines arrived without labels, expired, or unsorted, overall drug donations appeared to be more in line with WHO guidelines than in past disasters.

 

  • “Poaching” of national health staff by foreign groups offering higher salaries and better conditions was a problem in Haiti, as it has been in other disasters. Ministry of Health guidelines for payment of Haitian public staff by international actors were adopted by some groups but ignored by most.

RMF CEO, Dr. Martina Fuchs, and Dr. Patrick Dupont, RMF Haiti Project Coordinator

 

  • A few unruly incidents during supply distribution were overblown by the media, and the notion that disasters produce social disorder and violence was once again proven to be a myth.

 

  • Health actors’ relations with the media seemed more focused on public relations than on informing and educating the public. Practices such as embedding journalists in needs-assessment missions could benefit the affected population by better publicizing the local response and other success stories.

In addition to shortcomings in the response, the report highlights a number of successes. One example was PAHO/WHO’s deployment of the logistics and supply management system LSS/SUMA, which provided critical information and was one of the few international instruments that was directly managed by national authorities.

RMF sponsored Nurse at Lambert Sante Clinic

The report also points to some longer-term positive outcomes that are contributing to Haitian reconstruction and development. These include:

 

  • The provision of free obstetric and child care through two programs (SOG and SIG) developed by PAHO/WHO and the Ministry of Health and funded by Canada, Japan, the World Bank and the European Union.

 

  • The decentralization and strengthening of health services at the departmental and community levels.

 

  • Permanent improvements in some specialized areas of medical care, such as treatment for spinal cord injuries, thanks to the influence and resources of foreign medical groups.

 

  • The establishment of a surveillance system and strengthening of the Epidemiology Department of the Ministry of Health.

RMF's CEO Dr. Martina Fuchs, RMF Haiti's Dr. Patrick Dupont, Medical Mission International’s Program Director, Doug Kendrick, and Hospital Staff

 

  • A new focus on community-based mental health services as a complement to hospital-based care.

 

  • Greater awareness of and commitment to disaster risk reduction.

 

  • A project to incorporate the concept of “safe hospitals” into Haiti’s reconstruction efforts, funded by Denmark and the World Bank.

 

  • A new national program for attention to victims of sexual violence, led by the Ministry of Health.

 

  • Wider social acceptance of people with disabilities, following the large number of disabling injuries that affected Haitians from all walks of life.

 

“The disaster brought significant changes in mentality, behavior, and attitude,” wrote the report’s authors, Claude de Ville de Goyet, Juan Pablo Sarmiento, and François Grünewald. “It is up to the Haitians and the international community to ensure that those changes endure.”

 

LINKS:

Download the report: http://new.paho.org/disasters/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1626&Itemid=1

 

PAHO/WHO program on Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief:

www.paho.org/disasters

Contact: Donna Eberwine-Villagran, email: eberwind@paho.org This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , Tel. +1 202 974 3122, Knowledge Management and Communication Area, PAHO/WHO – http://www.paho.org/

 

Follow Real Medicine Foundation on Twitter, Facebook or become a fundraiser for us at Causes.com

To contribute more information about our Haiti Earthquake Relief Efforts,

To contribute to this initiative, please click Donate button or visit our website at realmedicinefoundation.org.

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Haiti Situation Report from United Nations

June 14, 2011 in Haiti by Jonathan White | Comments closed

 

The orange alert has been lifted on 9 June by the Direction de la protection civile (DPC). River water levels have started to recede in affected areas of the Nippes, West, Artibonite and Centre departments.

According to final estimates by the DPC, 28 people died, 6 have been injured and 6 are still reported missing. The West department, including Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, has the highest fatality rate with 22 deaths.

CAMP COORDINATION/MANAGEMENT (CCCM)

Needs: A total 213 vulnerable sites were assessed by telephone between 6 and 7 June. Needs assessment teams, deployed by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in 91 of those camps, reported that tenwere severely flooded. Of those 91 camps, 29 are large sites hosting more than 1,000 households.

Response: The Direction de la protection civile (DPC) and CCCM partners are currently providing

assistance to 10 sites hosting internally displaced people (IDPs) in earthquake affected communes. Mitigation activities are ongoing in six of the large camps hosting more than 1,000 families and around 200 tents will be distributed. Assistance is being provided to help IDPs drain the water and remove the mud and rubbles in and around camps.

Gaps & Constraints: Water canals near camps are blocked and need to be cleared to prevent further flooding and landslide. Additional tents and tarps are urgently needed, stresses the CCCM Cluster.

WATER SANITATION HYGIENE (WASH)

Needs: Latrines and showers are damaged, mostly in camps with no WASH actors, reports the Cluster. Dispersion of fecal matters is reported in some camps. A deterioration of residual chlorine levels has also been observed in water distribution systems.

Response: WASH partners are conducting drainage activities in camps although water levels have started to recede. Distribution of WASH items is ongoing. The Direction de l’eau et de l’assainissement (DINEPA) is scaling up its monitoring of residual chlorine water levels of community water distribution stations.

Gaps & Constraints: Desludging and repair of latrines are urgent. Additional Aquatabs and jerricans are needed to prevent further cholera outbreaks. More rakes, wheel barrows and shovels are needed to clearmud and stagnating water. Due to a lack of latrines and showers in Grande Saline in the Artibonite department, affected population use water canals.

HEALTH/NUTRITION

Needs: The increase in the number of new cholera cases seems to stabilize in Port-au-Prince with 1,938 occupied beds on 9 June compared to 1,885 beds on 8 June and 1, 773 on 7 June. Outbreaks of cholera continue to be reported, particularly in the communes of Peredo and Saint Michel in the South department and in Mapu, Bayonnais, and Dessaline, in the Artibonite department, which was totally flooded when the Artibonite River over flown its banks. Cholera numbers have been on a stable high, and went up over the past two days in Léogâne/Gressier of the Palmes region.

Response: In cooperation with the CCCM Cluster, PAHO has set up a surveillance alert system in camps. An important awareness campaign, organized by the Direction sanitaire de l’Ouest (DSO), in partnership with health partners, will be launched in Carrefour and Martissant which were among hard hit areas of Port-au- Prince metropolitan area. Additional medical supplies (catheters, doxicicline, érythromycine and sirop) have been made available.

Gaps & Constraints: The CTC of Baradères in the Nippes department has run out of fund. As a result, the 27 staff members have not been paid since February and are threatening to go on strike. Under reporting of cholera cases in the South department remains an issue. Drouin UTC in Grande Saline commune has been cut off by flooding and can only provide medical assistance to cholera patients in the immediate vicinity.

EMERGENCY SHELTER

Needs: According to a joint assessment mission between departmental, local authorities and humanitarian partners in the commune of Grande Saline in the Artibonite department, 4, 629 people have been affected (16, 5 per cent of the population).

Response: La Tapie Shelter in Grande Saline is hosting 135 people while 3, 675 others have moved with host families.

Gaps & Constraints: The provision of assistance to affected population and host families is needed.

EDUCATION

Needs: Some schools in Baradères have been flooded, according to the Education Director of the Nippes Department. In Artibonite, one school is hosting 200 people affected by the flooded River Artibonite. In the West department, three schools have been confirmed to be flooded in Port-au-Prince. The five unused classrooms in Thomazeau affected by water rising levels of Lake Azuei continue to be occupied as one of three collective centers.

Response: Cleaning of Port-au-Prince affected schools was done immediately after the rain and no disruption of classes have been observed.

FOOD SECURITY/AGRICULTURE

Needs: the flooding of agricultural fields has resulted in the loss of manioc, sweet potatoes, rice, and tomato crops in Grande Saline, according to a joint assessment between departmental, local authorities and humanitarian partners.

Response: provision of agricultural tools and seeds, distribution of food and kitchen kits are scheduled to take place in the coming days.

LOGISTICS

Response: An integrated mission with departmental and local authorities, the Direction de l’eau et del’assainissement (DINEPA), the National Haitian police (PNH), MINUSTAH and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) was conducted on 9 June in Baradères in the Nippes department in response to heavy flooding. Two areas suitable for helicopter landing were identified for an emergency response should the city be cut off by flooding in the future. Two trucks were deployed on 9 June by the Ministère des travaux publics, transport et communication (MTPCT) and the Direction sanitaire des Nippes (DSNI) to deliver food rations on 9 June in the commune of Baradères. Global Mapping of Emergency Stockpiles, a collaborative initiative between the Global Logistics Cluster Support Cell and OCHA, provides a pre-selection of what is accessible in the country. It is accessible at:

http://www.humanitarianinfo.org/stockmap.

Tags: , ,

Haiti Health Cluster Bulletin Update

April 18, 2011 in Disaster Relief, Haiti, Helping Children, Providing Medical Support by Jonathan White | Comments closed

Haiti Health Cluster Bulletin:

Cholera and Post-Earthquake Response in Haiti: April 15th, 2011

The following report was compiled by the The Ministère de la Santé Publique et de la Population (MSPP) and PAHO, the Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the Americas,coordinate the Health Cluster. MSPP Cluster Contacts: Dr. Claude Surena; Dr. Jean Hugues Henrys; PAHO/WHO Contacts: Dr. Juan Carlos Gustavo Alonso and Dr. Josep Vargas.

Highlights

  • The number of cholera cases nationwide continues to decrease. The number of cases in Northeast, Centre, Port-au-Prince, North, Northwest, Artibonite, West (except Leogane-Gressier), South, Grande Anse and Southeast departments are stable or decreasing. However, cases in Nippes and West (Leogane-Gressier) are increasing (although only slightly in the West).
  • The continued decrease of cholera cases together with the phasing out of health actors from cholera treatment facilities has raised concerns about the capacity to cope with a potential increase in cases during the upcoming rainy season. The impact on the health sector is important given that the management of the cholera outbreak has been highly dependent on the support of foreign health organizations. A gap analysis is underway to identify potential risk areas and to sensitize donors to maintain their support to the cholera response.
  • An independent evaluation mission has arrived in Haiti to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of the coordinated national and international response to cholera, both in terms of immediate and medium term impact. The results will assist the MSPP and its international and national partners to draw lessons from successes and shortcomings, and improve the joint response in case of a possible recurrence of the epidemic especially due to the upcoming rainy season.

Situation Overview

  • 4 April 2011, the cumulative number of reported cholera cases was 274,418, including 4,787 deaths. The observed cumulative incidence of cholera cases since the beginning of the outbreak was of 26.2 per 1,000 inhabitants, ranging from 4.9 per 1,000 in the Department of South-East to 40.3 per 1,000 in the Department of Artibonite.
  • Overall, the number of medical staff from health partners has been reduced in most CTCs and CTUs. Medical staff has been trained and is currently employed in the CTUs established in health centers. NGOs are mostly phasing out due to the decrease in cholera cases or due to the lack of funding. However, health partners continue to provide support to maintain regular training and refreshment courses for local medical staff, and maintain a surveillance system to monitor the evolution and assessment of the potential need to reactivate their response.
  • Apart from the essential work of the NGOs, it is important to mention the role of the Cuban Medical Brigade (CMB) as well. The CMB treated a high percentage of cholera and diarrhea cases during the epidemics through a network of CTCs and CTUs. They built up belts of community workers around each CTC and CTU, thus ensuring prevention and health promotion activities that accompanied the efforts to save lives at the treatment centers. The CMB also deployed active research brigades, who go to the difficult to reach sub-communes to investigate and treat cholera cases, thereby diminishing the “silent zones”.
  • The criteria for closing down cholera facilities and for phasing out NGOs from cholera facilities are well established, and there is an effort to maintain sufficient supplies and medical materials at the cholera centers. Nevertheless, lack of sufficient supervision and irregular payment of salaries to local health staff represent major risks that can jeopardize the response capacity at local and departmental level in case of sudden increase in the number of cholera cases, or any other major outbreak.
  • The WASH sector remains of paramount importance. The chlorination of water systems and water trucks delivering water to the metropolitan areas has been a huge progress, despite the challenges that this method still faces. Attention needs to be paid to the private companies and the alternative treatment systems being used so as not to have resurgence within the urban areas. In rural areas, the treatment of water remains a difficult challenge

Wash (Environmental Health)

PAHO/WHO continues to support the MSPP in identifying needs and priorities for the improvement of sanitary conditions of the health centers in several departments through water sanitation networks and

waste management. Environmental health is an essential part of the long term fight against the spread of cholera and other diseases related to water and sanitation management. The financial resources of numerous NGOs that ensured drinking water distribution and removal of excrement from latrines and septic tanks in Port-au-Prince are running out or have been exhausted.  Transition strategies offer only a limited solution, and serious concerns exist with regard to access to drinking water and adequate public health conditions.

Mental Health

The working group that formulates the Mental Health Policy and the National Plan continues to be dynamic. This group consists of the MSPP, PAHO/WHO, national and international mental health actors and several experts from universities (Toronto, and Montreal). The drafting of the national policy document is currently being finalized.

The list of essential psychotropic drugs for the country is in its final stages of development and the proposal will be submitted to the MSPP by mid-April. The WHO-AIMS is in its final phase, consisting of the compilation of data and development of the evaluation report.

Health Promotion

The final version of The Ways of Working (WOW) document on hygiene promotion will be circulated starting 6 April. It systemizes the lessons learned formulated during the Hygiene and Sanitation Promotion Workshop (Haiti 2010) held at Moulin Sur Mer on 11-12 March.

Nutrition

To continue to reinforce MSPP capacity, PAHO/WHO has provided support for the development and reproduction of 500 copies of the Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) management protocols that were provided to the MSPP in September 2010. With the cholera outbreak, PAHO/WHO has provided support to the MSPP to update the Protocol, taking into account the care of malnourished children suffering from

cholera.

New growth standards: In May 2010, PAHO/WHO took the lead in MSPP adopting new growth standards, and later by professional associations and partners. Based on these new standards, PAHO/WHO has supported the MSPP in the review of the “chemen lasante” map, thereby creating the opportunity to dispose of a draft of a child nutrition and health booklet since February 2011.

Revision of the IMCI: In order to make the necessary adjustments based on new WHO

recommendations and on the new national protocol for GAM management, PAHO/WHO is offering support for the review of current IMCI standards. The review of the national nutrition policy is underway.

Fortification: In order to prevent micronutrient deficiencies, the technical nutrition committee that support to the MSPP is currently conducting discussions on fortification of wheat flour with micronutrients.

Post Earthquake Health Surveillance

World TB Day, which took place on March 24th 2011, is designed to build public awareness that tuberculosis remains an epidemic, causing several million deaths each year, mostly in developing countries.

This year, Haiti’s National TB Program of the Ministry of Health commemorated the World TB Day by organizing a Ceremony to launch the Reconstruction of the TB Hospital of Leogane, which was totally destroyed by the 2010 Earthquake. The Leogane center received the most significant number of TB cases in the country, and its loss resulted in an enormous challenge for TB services.

The meeting was aired on Haitian National Television and was attended by all national and international TB partners. The reconstruction will be done by Italian NGO INTERSOS, with technical support by PAHO/WHO and additional support by the Japanese Embassy.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook or become a fundraiser for us at Causes.com

To contribute more information about our Haiti Earthquake Relief Efforts,

To contribute to this initiative, please click Donate button or visit our website at realmedicinefoundation.org.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Lifetime Network honors Martina with Remarkable Woman Award!

January 7, 2011 in Africa, Asia, Disaster Relief, General, Helping Children, In the news, Providing Medical Support, Rebuilding Communities, Strategies for the Future, Whole Health by Jonathan White | Comments closed

We’re kicking off the New Year with a bang!  Today, our founder and CEO Martina Fuchs, was honored with Lifetime Network’s Remarkable Woman award. The award spotlights extraordinary women who inspire and empower others to make a difference in their communities and the world.

Lifetime’s Remarkable Women are weekly vignettes featured on-air and online celebrating extraordinary women who inspire and encourage all of us to make a difference in our world.  Salutes have included unsung heroes like Josette Perard, a community advocate working on the frontlines in Haiti after its devastating earthquake and Patsy Bates, a hairdresser from Gardena, California, who won a landmark lawsuit after her insurance company dropped her – without warning – following her breast cancer diagnosis.  Other Remarkable Women vignettes have recognized household names, including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and First Lady Michelle Obama.

Look for on-air spots and videos highlighting her extraordinary accomplishments on the Lifetime Network starting today. Can’t wait?  For more on Martina’s inspirational story, visit: http://www.mylifetime.com/my-lifetime-commitment/ewc/every-women-counts-salutes/martina-fuchs

Congratulations Martina, you are remarkable indeed!
-the Team at Real Medicine Foundation

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Haiti bracing for the storm

November 5, 2010 in Haiti by Jonathan White | 1 comment

by Jonathan White

Our staff and friends in Haiti are all bracing for the heavy rains and wind later today and hoping that the massive tent camps don’t turn into a worse situation than they already are.  The Port-au-Prince area is already a very fragile situation with the recent Cholera outbreak and the continued lack of real development funding from the international community.  Most living in the tent camps are reluctant to leave the little they have as they are worried they won’t be able to return or will lose what little they have.  Little has changed for the Haitians since we marked the 6 month anniversary of the earthquake back in July.

Our initiative in Port au Prince is preparing for the aftermath of this storm and continues to work to find ways to build longer term sustainable efforts.

More about the storm

Hurricane Tomas is expected to pass near western Haiti later today Tomas will likely now maintain high end category one hurricane status as the storm center transits between Cuba and Haiti later this morning.

Sustained winds will be in the 80-90 mph range with mountain top gusts approaching 100 mph + (winds are always stronger higher up in the atmosphere).  Rain totals may approach locally 6″-12″ – flash flooding remains a big concern and wind gusts will be strong enough even though the center of the hurricane is expected to stay out over water —> to bring down weaker materials in the shelter zones.
Reports are this morning that despite warnings to leave – many chose not to citing the shelters are all they have left and don’t want to risk losing what little possessions that remain.  A truly awful and sad situation.
Here’s the latest path update from the National Hurricane Center:
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/graphics_at1.shtml?5-daynl?large#contents

To contribute to our Haiti Earthquake Relief Efforts, please click the Donate button below or through our website at realmedicinefoundation.org.

Folllow us on Twitter or Facebook

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Haiti update- Hurricane season complicates relief efforts

September 27, 2010 in Disaster Relief, Haiti, South America by Jonathan White | Comments closed

By Dr. Martina Fuchs

Information by OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs)

At approximately 3pm local time on September 24th a storm with high winds and rain struck the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area for about 30 minutes. The storm was not predicted and no warnings were therefore issued. Thus far, five people were confirmed dead and there are several reports of injuries and people being trapped under fallen trees and collapsed shelters. The camp management and camp coordination cluster (CCCM) currently estimates 2,000 tents damaged or destroyed in camps across Port-au-Prince. Assessments of damage are ongoing and these numbers may well rise. The Direction de la Protection Civile (DPC) has requested the distribution of shelter materials (100 tarpaulins) to affected populations in three camps. Planning for this is under way. UNICEF has also mobilized 1,000 blankets for camps at Caradeux where 931 children were affected.

While four hospitals have reported flood and other damage, most are functioning and have increased staff to deal with the incoming injuries. The MSF Holland hospital is damaged but functioning; the MSF Belgium facility is fully functional and reports an influx of patients. One hospital (L’Hôpital de la Paix) has reported to be unable to function due to flooding. Clinic tents at Pétion-Ville Golf Club camp were blown down. The IFRC Hospital (L’Hôpital de la Fédération Internationale de la Croix-Rouge) in Carrefour reports no structural damage and has put extra staff on standby. Minor damage is being reported in Léogâne and Petit-Goâve where the bridge at the entrance to the city was affected, but the main area of concern is Port-au-Prince.

The UN and humanitarian partners has convened an emergency response taskforce at OCHA, with the main clusters represented to ensure full coordination of assessments and response. DPC has activated the Centre d’Opération d’Urgence Départemental to coordinate the response, and has activated their representatives at camp level. Priority areas for the response have been identified as shelter and mitigation work in camps where water is not draining away. All camp leaders are being called across the affected area to gather information about the damage and needs and to determine appropriate response. MINUSTAH (United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti) has deployed five battalions across town to assess camps and damage to the area. They have also responded to some reports of people trapped or medical emergencies. Multi-sectoral assessment teams are being assembled by CCCM/IOM and will begin assessments at first light including teams from WFP among other agencies. A minimum additional five IFRC teams will also deploy, in coordination with CCCM. These are rapid assessment teams and will trigger rapid distributions of assistance. An aerial assessment of the affected area will also be conducted on September 26th.

Update as of September 25th, 2010:

Information by OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs)

Six deaths and 67 injuries have been reported by Direction de la Protection Civile (DPC). To date 172 camps have been assessed and 21 priority sites have been identified. The priority need is shelter, with no major food or medical needs reported as a result of this storm.  Shelter cluster partners are distributing 5,240 tarpaulins, 150 tents and 785 shelter kits to those affected by the storm. Shelter cluster reports that these distributions will meet half of shelter needs and rest will be met tomorrow with further mobilization of stockpiled resources. The Government of Haiti has 15,000 tents available for distribution from Monday, September 27th, and 600 mattresses.

The DPC has reported 8,432 shelters damaged or destroyed. Approximately half of shelter needs have been met through the distribution of 5,240 tarpaulins, 150 tents and 785 shelter kits to those affected. In Corail camp, IOM relocated 111 families to transitional shelters constructed ahead of schedule. Assessment teams in Cité de Soleil reported that some houses had sustained damage and required tarpaulins as a form of emergency repair to reduce exposure to rain.

20 MINUSTAH soldiers are currently providing escorts for tarpaulin distributions in some affected camps. Security issues may remain a challenge for further distributions. The security situation remains calm. MINUSTAH UNPOL and Formed Police Unit (FPU) officers have been assigned to secure IDP camps are continuing their patrols to assess and report on the situation while ensuring security. This includes 559 UNPOL and FPU officers that have a permanent presence in six main IDP camps as well as 312 UNPOL and FPU officers patrolling other camps.

An increase of 250 MINUSTAH soldiers has been made to the 550 already permanently stationed in IDP camps: there are now 800 soldiers securing camps. Since the storm MINUSTAH provided immediate first aid, facilitated the transfer of the most critically injured to hospitals – a task shared with UNPOL officers – and assisted NGOs to move IDPs to safer grounds during the first hours.

No further increase in health issues as a result of this emergency has been reported. L’Hôpital de la Paix is operational. At the Pétion-Ville Golf Camp their field hospital was destroyed but the tent has been replaced by UNICEF and the facility is now functioning.

Map: Priority camps for assistance due to September 24th Storm

Tags: , , , ,

© Real Medicine Foundation | About Us | Contact Us | Real Medicine TV | Donate | Subscribe to feed