OCHA Situation Report No. 9
Caribbean: Hurricane Season
7 September 2008


Source:
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

This situation report is based on information received from, the UN 
Emergency Technical Team (UNETT) in the affected countries, the Regional 
Office in Panama and the National Hurricane Centre. This situation report 
covers the effects of Hurricanes "Gustav", "Hanna" and "Ike" in the 
Caribbean.

HIGHLIGHTS

- "Hanna" has already claimed the lives of almost 500 people in Gonaives. 
Some 250,000 people are affected. The needs are for fuel, food and water.

- A Flash Appeal is being prepared. Global cluster support is requested 
for Logistics, Early Recovery, Shelter/Non-food Items and Water and 
Sanitation.

- Hurricane "Ike" has been upgraded to a Category 3 hurricane and is 
threatening the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos and Eastern Cuba. "Ike" will 
also affect Hispaniola and concern is mounting in Haiti.

SITUATION

1. Hurricane "Ike" is now a Category 3 hurricane and a Hurricane watch is 
in effect for the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos and Parts of Eastern Cuba, 
including Guantanama, Holguin, Las Tunas, Santiago de Cuba, Granma and 
Camaguey. On this track, "Ike" could be near or over the Turks and Caicos 
Islands and the southeastern Bahamas early Sunday and then move near the 
Central Bahamas and the Eastern Cuba on Sunday or early Monday. It will 
also affect Hispaniola. Some fluctuations of strength are expected in the 
next day but "Ike" will remain a strong hurricane.

2. Upgraded earlier to a category I hurricane, the centre of tropical 
storm "Hanna" is just below hurricane strength and continues westwards. On 
the forecast track, the center of "Hanna" should cross the southeastern 
coast of the United States tonight or early Saturday then move along the 
mid-Atlantic coast later Saturday and Saturday night.

3. On 25 August, a tropical depression in the Caribbean strengthened into 
Tropical Storm "Gustav" and made landfall in Haiti as a Category I 
hurricane on 26 August. On 30 August, "Gustav" became a Category IV and 
made landfall on Cuba's Island of Youth and Pinar del Rio Province. It 
then continued through the Gulf of Mexico threatening the coasts of 
Florida, Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi in the United States. "Gustav" 
has affected Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, the Cayman Islands, 
Cuba and the United States. "Josephine" continues to weaken over the 
eastern Atlantic.

HAITI

4. With further improvement of weather conditions, the extent of the 
impact of recent storms has become clearer. While most of the country has 
been hit, the three most affected regions - from more to less intensity - 
are Gonaives, the department of South-east and the department of Nippes.

5. In Gonaives, humanitarian assistance - particularly food and water - 
has finally started reaching parts of affected population highlighting the 
need for all humanitarian partners to coordinate arrival and distribution 
of relief items. During the day, relief continued to be distributed also 
in the southern part of the country. In all affected regions, more 
assistance is still needed - in particular water, food and (for Gonaives 
only) fuel.

6. In terms of coordination, efforts are underway to strengthen clusters 
and provide better support to the Department of Civilian Protection (DPC) 
at central and local level. The official instalment of the new government 
on 5 Septemeber, following the session in the Senate, should contribute to 
strengthen state response.

7. On 6 September, estimates are that almost 500 people have died as a 
result of tropical storm "Hanna", with the highest toll in Gonaives/ 
Artibonite. This number might however be revised upwards in the coming 
days. The DPC also estimates that in total, currently some 69,391 people 
are located in temporary shelters across the country, and that some 3,249 
houses have been destroyed. The Flash Appeal will be geared towards 
assisting some 800,000 people.

8. Security remains a concern given the extreme frustration of the 
affected population. Assistance delivered has only covered 10% of the 
needs due to access difficulties. All distribution and humanitarian 
assessments are conducted with military escorts. The Argentinean armed 
forces of MINUSTAH in Gonaives have been reinforced by a Bolivian 
contingent, to provide security for humanitarian operations.

9. The provision of assistance is further complicated by the movement of 
population from Gonaives to surrounding areas (mostly in the direction of 
St. Marc) due to existing fears for the announced arrival of hurricane 
"Ike". Some public buildings have been identified to be used as temporary 
shelters, however, no basic food and non-food emergency relief items are 
available. The DPC requested the international community to urgently 
pre-position food, water and hygiene kits in St. Marc to be able to deal 
with the influx of IDPs. People are also seeking shelter in the hills 
surrounding Gonaives. The evacuation of the population in view of the 
possible effects of "Ike" is extremely challenging as 30,000-50,000 could 
be evacuated.

10. Donors support is increasing with pledges for financial resources and 
logistic supports. See table I attached.

Shelter

11. A shelter sector meeting was held on 4 September. The distribution of 
emergency relief supplies received from USAID was also discussed. The 
Southern department, Nippes and Grand Anse are receiving shipments of 
hygiene kits. IOM is intending to act as a conduit for the in-kind 
assistance that is shipped into Port-au-Prince, and distribute to partners 
that are best positioned to reach affected communities. IOM staff members 
in Gonaives are evaluating the state of the infrastructure and immediate 
needs in temporary shelters. In addition to other relief items, power 
generation equipment will be requested.

12. Evaluations are also carried out in St. Marc, Petit and Grand Goave, 
and in Les Cayes region. A request was received from the DPC for the 
provision of plastic sheeting in Les Cayes. As described above, the 
situation in St. Marc might deteriorate quickly, due to an expected influx 
of IDPs from Gonaives. IOM is currently preparing hygiene kits in St. 
Marc. All material is purchased locally. There is an urgent need to 
replenish stocks; the volume of NFIs available will not meet the needs, 
given the size of the affected population. IOM notes that early requests 
received by NGOs for the southern departments already went beyond the 
5,000 caseload IOM was able to cater for with the USAID/OFDA shipment 
mentioned above.

13. The shelter sector has also identified the need to provide affected 
communities with basic tool kits and possibly basic construction materials 
for the affected groups not housed in temporary shelters to be able to 
clear up the damage themselves and protect/reinforce/insulate their 
dwellings. This is not the traditional items stockpiled by donors and 
therefore financial contributions will be needed.

14. Reports received from Les Cayes, Petit/Grand Goave, IOM Gonaives show 
a number of major temporary shelter infrastructure damaged or not 
presenting adequate or minimal shelter conditions. The shelter sector is 
requesting funding in order to immediately improve shelter conditions. 
(Isolation from rain, sanitary facilities)

Food

15. Regular coordination meetings continue to take place. By 5 September, 
170 MT of food assistance were distributed to some 21,000 people. 
Assistance was provided by WFP and its partners Care and Caritas to people 
in temporary shelters in Port au Prince, Port de Paix, Jeremie, Les Cayes, 
Miragoane, Grand-Goave, Bainet and Jacmel. World Vision also started 
distributions in Hinche and Island of La Gonave. CRS started providing dry 
food rations in Les Cayes. A boat with 50 MT water, 19 MT HEB, water 
purification tablets, 1 zodiac boat, 2 M6 trucks, 1 land Cruiser reached 
Gonaives on 5 September. WFP is exploring road access with M6 trucks to 
transport 170 MT of food for 50,000 people for one week. WFP is ready to 
send more food assistance to Gonaives by road once access is possible.

Health

16. Regular coordination meetings continue to take place. MSF Belgium 
reports that several communities in the Gonaives areas have not received 
food or drinking water for four days. Several hundred injured are treated 
by MSF Belgium; some have been evacuated by air to Port au Prince ( MSF 
France). The international Red Cross is delivering body bags to Gonaives. 
The hospital in St. Marc is being reinforced by a Cuban brigade and 
national personnel. OPS/OMS, UNFPA and PSF are delivering medical 
equipment to the St. Marc hospital.

Water and Sanitation

17. The Government of Haiti has made an official request to UNICEF for 
assistance in WASH. Support is required to assess the state of the water 
supply network, identify the interventions to be made, and estimate the 
costs and timeframe to repair the damage. The GoH also forwarded 
preliminary WASH assessments conducted in 15 localities throughout the 
country. UNICEF has dispatched 80,000 L of water to Gonaives. Some 60,000 
L of water will be used for the most immediate needs, and 20,000 L will be 
strategically pre-positioned in case of additional urgent needs. The 
shipment is being transported by WFP along with 7.5 MT of food, as part of 
a partnership between the two agencies. UNICEF has also provided, for 
airlift via MINUSTAH helicopter to Gonaives, some 300 10-L water 
containers; 167 shovels; 600 boxes of Aquatabs, each including 50 units; 
and 1 water testing kit.

Protection

18. The protection sector held a meeting on 4 September. Save the 
Children, Caritas, AVSI, World Concern and the Haitian Red Cross will 
conduct assessment missions and are planning to provide psychosocial 
support in shelters in all affected areas.

Attachments:
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/retrieveattachments?openagent&docid=AEBA438772FD8FB7492574BD00039113&file=Full_Report.pdf


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