OCHA Situation Report No. 9
Haiti: Tropical Storm Hanna, Gustav, Ike
12 September 2008


Source:
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

General Situation

According to the DPC, some 337 people have died as a result of the 
tropical storms. Some 54 people are missing and 301 are injured. 
Approximately 170,780 families are affected and currently some 158,600 
people are in temporary shelters.

The day was characterized by a significant increase in the distribution of 
relief items in Gonaives, the beginning of a joint assessment in the south 
department and further strengthening of coordination mechanisms between 
the Government, the UN/IASC system and donors, both at central level and 
in the field (Gonaives and Les Cayes in particular). During the day, an 
initial needs assessment for the whole country was completed by the DPC 
and the UN system, outlining affected families by departments and 
communities and focusing on food and water needs in priority areas.

Food distribution stepped up in Gonaives, being conducted during the night 
in order to reduce the risk of riots. A total of 38 MT was distributed to 
20,000 people in 6 shelters. This reportedly had a very positive impact in 
the local media. The total number of people assisted with food in Gonaives 
is now 60,000 people and 101,000 in the whole country.

For what the South is concerned, a joint assessment with the DPC, UNDAC, 
PAHO/WHO and MINUSTAH is being conducted particularly in the southern 
coast between Coteaux and Tiburon. One of the initial findings is that 
relief distribution has been reaching only a limited number of 
communities.

Progress was made in strengthening the coordination of the response. 
Following the meeting on 10 September with the Prime Minister, the HC met 
with ?inter alia- the Ministers of Planning, Interior, External Relations, 
Education, Public Works and the President of the Haitian Red Cross and 
some donors. The meeting focused on the needs assessments conducted 
(including food and non-food items) for the next 15 to 90 days as well as 
to prioritize relief activities to reach the most affected localities. The 
meeting was followed by a session of the Groupe d'Appui de la Communaute 
Internationale (GACI), headed by the Minister of Interior and co-chaired 
by the Humanitarian Coordinator. The DPC presented a summary of damages 
and estimated needs, prioritizing infrastructure, housing, agriculture and 
education. The government already allocated 50 Million Haitian Gourdes for 
the emergency response.

To further strengthen inter-cluster coordination, the Humanitarian 
Coordinator convened a cluster leads meeting for 12 September. The Flash 
Appeal will be launched in New York on Friday, 12 September with the 
Humanitarian Coordinator participating via telecom. The Flash Appeal will 
most likely be launched in Haiti on Monday, 14 September.

A river north of Gonaives has burst its banks due to a damaged bridge 
causing widespread floods in surrounding areas and creating secondary 
streams that continued to flood Gonaives. An UNDAC member, a civil 
engineer from the Argentinean battalion went for an assessment mission to 
identify solution in order to re-profile the river.

Road Conditions

Roads to Gonaives are still blocked and the axis between Saint Marc and 
Gonaives is being repaired. Southern parts of Gonaives city are still 
inaccessible.

Information management

In order to improve the collection, analysis and dissemination of 
information during the emergency phase of the emergency, the information 
management component of the UNDAC Team, with the support of UNDP and the 
OCHA office, are currently supporting the DPC in the production of an 
updated list of affected areas, tables of priorities districts (commune) 
as well as provisional needs and incoming relief items.

Maps are also produced with the support of the British NGO Map Action on 
the humanitarian situation. Those include access, humanitarian needs 
(based on the current limited information) and figures of affected 
families. Maps are available on www.mapaction.org

The OCHA Haiti website (http://ochaonline.un.org/haiti) will soon be 
operational and will include inter alia all information on the recent 
disaster such as maps, contact lists, 3W (Who Does What Where), Meeting 
Schedule, Situation Reports and Survey of Surveys (list of assessment per 
sector/cluster).

Information by sector/cluster

Food

Relief response to date

- Beneficiaries reached: 122,568 persons

- Tonnage distributed: 623 MT

Gonaives:

On 10 and September, MINUSTAH distributed 38 MT of WFP food assistance to 
some 20,000 people in 6 shelters at night. The family rations, composed of 
rice, beans, corn-soya blend and vegetable oil, will last for seven days. 
Distributions might continue for several nights until the situation in 
town stabilizes and distributions can take place at day time. WFP 
continues to monitor the consumption of the food as Protection Civile's 
figures on population numbers in shelters are not accurate and as people 
located in shelters share their food with neighbours.

Today, 38 MT of food commodities had been distributed in Gonaives by noon, 
as the security situation improved thanks to thorough planning of 
distributions. In addition, WFP sent a special ration on helicopter 
directed to an orphanage in Gonaives today, where 43 children were waiting 
for assistance.

(Gonaives as of 11 Sep 12:00 - beneficiaries reached: 64,985/tonnage 
distributed: 103MT)

General:

WFP is also providing food to local authorities in order for them to 
distribute it to the population. Since 10 September, WFP is distributing 
rations that consist of various commodities instead of biscuits as coal 
and cooking facilities are becoming available in town. The switch from 
ready-to-eat HEB to food commodities required detailed planning from WFP 
and MINUSTAH which accounts for the low distribution figure for Tuesday - 
3000 people.

This week sees the start of the US military's support of humanitarian 
logistics in Haiti - since 8 September WFP has dispatched landing crafts 
(US) with food commodities to Gonaives and arranged for interagency 
UN-chartered vessels. WFP has facilitated the transport of humanitarian 
supplies to Gonaives for several NGOs, including MSF-France and ?Belgium, 
Oxfam GB, ACF, Spanish Red Cross, IOM and Pharmaciens Sans Frontieres.

On 10 September, WFP airlifted food commodities to Les Cayes and Gonaives 
in US helicopters, and today 13 MT of food commodities were airlifted in 
two US helicopter to the northern city of Port-de-Paix. There are two more 
helicopters due to Port-de-Paix this afternoon, but they are delayed 
because of the flooded landing zone. In addition, 107 MT of food has been 
transported by US vessels to Gonaives between 10 September and today.

Distributed food commodities include: high energy biscuits (to date a 
total of 32 MT), rice, beans, corn soya blend, and vegetable oil. HEB are 
the most appropriate type of food in a situation where people have no 
access to cooking facilities. WFP is distributing rations of HEB that last 
for 5 days per family whereas the distributed family rations are intended, 
depending on the zone, for one, two or four weeks, depending on the site.

There are currently 8 assessment missions ongoing in Artibonite 
(Gonaives), Nippes, North, North East, North West, West (with a special 
focus on Cabaret) and the South East.

Key issues:

- Food is being delivered by air, sea and road, when possible

- Today, the situation remains tense in Gonaives regarding distributions 
but is improving compared to the previous days as distribution methods are 
well planned in coordination with MINUSTAH

- WFP is carrying out monitored distributions to female beneficiaries 
during the day in Gonaives, security permitting

- WFP has 100MT of food commodities in stock in Gonaives and is preparing 
another shipment of additional supplies

- Due to rising beneficiary figures in Gonaives, WFP is distributing 
rations to cover shorter periods than the initially planned 14 days in 
order to reach all beneficiaries

- In Nord-ouest department (and Port-de-Paix), certain affected areas 
remain inaccessible for WFP monitoring visits

- The destruction of crops will further deteriorate the food security 
situation

- Food prices increasing -food insecurity is an issue to hurricane 
affected people but also to those were not directly affected by the 
natural disasters

- Shortage of food commodities on local markets reported in some areas 
Attachments:
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/retrieveattachments?openagent&docid=805D76D6D80F2C3F492574C2001AA55F&file=Full_Report.pdf


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