OCHA Situation Report No. 17
Caribbean: Hurricane Season
23 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

- Weather forecasts indicate a high probability of a storm forming within
the next days, causing concern in the already vulnerable Caribbean region.

- In Haiti, the Flash Appeal was lunched in Port-au-Prince. The Appeal is
only 3.4 % funded.

- In Turks and Caicos, most services are being restored and rehabilitation
plans are underway.

SITUATION

1. A broad area of low pressure centered near the eastern tip of
Hispaniola is causing heavy rains in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico,
the U.S. and the British Virgin Islands. Weather forecasts indicate a high
probability of a storm forming in this area within the next two days.
Heavy rainfall is expected, affecting Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands,
Hispaniola, the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Southern Bahamas.

2. The vulnerability throughout the Caribbean countries has increased
dramatically with another 3 months left before the end of the hurricane
season. Only little rain can have serious consequences. The region has
been affected since 15 August successively by tropical storm Fay,
hurricanes "Gustav", "Hanna" and "Ike" that claimed in the Caribbean more
than 350 lives so far, affecting more than 2.8 million persons and
damaging more than 600,000 houses- while assessments are still on going.

HAITI

3. On September 19, the Haiti Flash Appeal was lunched in Port-au-Prince.
The ministers of Planning and Education emphasized that all affected
departments have to be reached ? not just Artibonite, the most affected-,
and insisted that the start of the school year is a priority. Hence,
school facilities used for shelters have to be vacated, as many schools
rebuilt and rehabilitated. Sanitation and environmental projects as well
as agricultural projects are essential to support early recovery efforts.
Meanwhile, as a tropical depression is expected to bring heavy showers
within the next 48 hours, dikes are being reinforced to prevent additional
flooding. Authorities expressed great concern.

4. Individual re-housing solutions, voluntary relocation to safer cities,
and shutting-down of inadequate shelters to free school facilities are
planned by the government. Water levels in Gonaives are decreasing
rapidly, enabling access to most areas in town. However mud remains an
obstacle and the main roads are now being cleaned. The Direction of Civil
Protection (DPC) will put together a cleaning and waste management plan.

5. Since 16 September, the European Commission's Civil Protection Team is
on the ground conducting an assessment of the affected bridges in
Mirebalais, Miragoane, Ennery and Montrouis. Findings were preliminarily
shared with the US, Canada, MINUSTAH and the government, though they will
be made available to all interested parties. The MIC requested 200,000
sandbags and a waste management expert in coordination with UNDAC and
UNEP/OCHA. MapAction continues to support UNDAC and the humanitarian
community at large ? two cartographers extended their mission for an
additional week.

Food

6. Relief response to date has reached 313,679 persons with 1,470 MT
distributed. So far, WFP food distribution was conducted by US helicopters
and vessels with an average of 120 MT a day. WFP is scheduled to take over
next week through its own helicopters and chartered boats; this task is
accounted for in the Flash Appeal to reach Gonaives, the southern and the
northern departments. WFP sent a truckload of NFIs to Gonaives on the
19th, however, difficult road conditions are reported and a bulldozer is
needed to pull trucks across the river.

7. WFP is planning to establish a permanent office space and warehouse in
Gonaives, which should be operational soon: this includes 15 prefabricated
offices and 10 rub-halls or mobile warehouses with a total capacity of
300MT each. Overall distribution will become more efficient thanks to a
guideline document jointly prepared with partner organizations,
identifying distribution points and a plan for targeted food delivery.
This reduces the workload on MINUSTAH and ensures the capacity to reach
19,500 beneficiaries per day (starting Monday 22).

Nutrition

8. Partner organizations are carrying-out assessments and missions to
evaluate the nutrition situation. Additional logistic support was required
by Terre des Hommes to cover the South. Save the Children will conduct an
assessment mission in the South-East; the West will be covered jointly by
MDM-Suisse and ACF. Other areas will be covered by Concern, while Merlin
is currently assessing Nippes. Based on their findings, UNICEF requested
the Nutrition cluster to provide an estimate of needs for therapeutic
products to facilitate interventions.

Shelter and Non-food Items

9. In Gonaives, the DPC requested 400 kitchen sets to facilitate the
food/cash for work dikes repair project. Funding sources for this project
are being identified jointly with IOM and WFP agreed to provide food
rations for the duration of the project. Over the past days, IOM
distributed plastic sheeting to 620 families. Oxfam distributed material
for the construction of latrines. Distribution of NFIs is carried-out
mostly by Caritas. CARE and religious associations inform that their work
was hampered by the current fuel shortages. MAST distributed mattresses in
the West and DPC gave 20,000 kits to regional and local committees. A
total of 1,320 baby kits will be distributed this week in Cabaret, the
South-East and the border cities. UNFPA, jointly with the Ministry of
Women's Affairs, is also beginning to hand out condoms. Oxfam focuses also
on water and hygiene kits, as well as on single mothers in temporary
shelters. IFRC will bring 2 shelter specialists to support the shelter
cluster with training on shelter rehabilitation.

Health

10. The health cluster reported that several areas remain to be assessed
in the North-West, in the southern coast from Chardonniere, in the Centre
and in Nippes. Main findings so far account for the increased need of
medical supplies/distribution, the reported damages of healthcare
facilities ?believed to be minor-, sporadic cases of diarrhoea and malaria
?in areas already endemic-, and no documented epidemics. Thus, the
response strategy already underway focuses on: standardizing epidemiologic
surveillance, operational since 11 September; increasing outreach to
uncover areas initiated by MSF and MDM through mobile clinics;
establishing the MSF hospital in Gonaives; delivery of medical kits
(PAHO/WHO); deployment of UNFPA support in anaesthetists and
obstetricians; planning on anti-vector diseases; continued support to
epidemiologic and logistic expertise (by PAHO/WHO jointly with health
authorities); shipping vaccines and serum for Tetanus; and keeping medical
facilities functionning under good operational conditions.

Logistics

11. The WFP logistics cluster in Gonaives focuses on meeting
transportation and storage needs. Six commercial trucks were contracted to
operate in Gonaives to release the M6s helicopters to other areas in need
of assistance that are still inaccessible by other motored vehicles.
Partners conveyed procedures and a shared methodology, including
compliance to deadlines for timely transportation of their cargo and
ensuring fuel provision on the ground.

Water and Sanitation

12. Gonaives is producing safe drinking water amounting to a total of 250
m3. A total of 700 wells were identified and a disinfection program is
underway to secure clean drinking water, jointly implemented by ACF, MSF
and the Spanish Red Cross. Oxfam took the lead in setting-up latrines. In
addition, ACF completed a WASH assessment in Gonaives, which presupposes
the establishment of 20 distribution points serviced by two water tankers
and the setting-up of four water treatment stations.

Protection

13. The protection cluster identified as a main priority women's security
when returning home from food distributions. Cases have been recorded of
women being aggressed and robbed. UNDSS, UNPOL and PNH are to prepare a
plan of action. Although food will only be given to women, male family
members are encouraged to ensure their security while walking home. A team
of midwives was deployed to Jacmel to assess the situation and support
women in need. Similarly, many non-registered orphanages are requesting
assistance but the lack of information is, however, a good opportunity to
regulate unregistered orphanages and IBESR/UNICEF will provide assistance
in this area

Agriculture

14. An agriculture contingency plan put together by local authorities is
underway to address flooded and destroyed crops, lost cattle and
livestock.

Road conditions

15. According to MINUSTAH access to the coastal regions of Chardonniere
and Les Anglais (South) is still blocked due to a collapsed bridge and
flooded river banks. Tiburon, Arniquet, Chantal and Maniche are still
inaccessible by road. In Nippes, access to Anse-a-Veau, Arnaud and
Petit-Trou is still blocked by a flooded river, and access to L'Azile and
Plaisance is blocked by landslides and a broken bridge.

Security

16. The situation remains stable in the city of Gonaives. For security
reasons, all organizations were requested to provide a list of all
temporary workers on a daily basis in order to implement a system of
identification cards and prevent unauthorized access the MINUSTAH
compound.

Attachments:
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