OCHA Situation Report No. 16
Haiti - Socio-Political Crisis
17 November 2004


Overall Situation

1.  Activities and efforts of the humanitarian community have been mainly
focused, in the last six months, on the areas of Mapou and Fonds-Verrettes
and lately Gonaives, thus reducing activities elsewhere.

2.  The deteriorating public security conditions, particularly in
Gonaives, are of great concern. Banditry and unlawful conducts seriously
hinders humanitarian activities and hampers not only the implementation of
humanitarian programmes but also the transition process from the emergency
phase to rehabilitation and development. Former members of the Haitian
Armed Forces are becoming increasingly bold in their reassertion of their
"role" in ensuring public security and have de facto control of a number
of towns.

Access by Road

3.  The access to Gonaives from the capital is fully restored. WFP trucks
are using the main road (Nationale 1) without major difficulties. Other
major roads in the North (Port-au-Prince to Cap Haitien /Cap Haitien to
Port-de-Paix) are accessible for small 4WD vehicles and trailer trucks.
The rest of the country is accessible.

Security

4.  The security situation remains rather stable in Port-au-Prince despite
diffuse tension and daily sporadic shootings. Heavily armed gangs have
been fighting with the Police Nationale de Haiti (PNH), with regular
losses on both sides. Some heavily armed ex-militaries are still operating
in the city, patrolling and setting up check points.

5.  MINUSTAH has been requested to increase the capacity of protection and
general security. MINUSTAH supports the efforts of the 40 policemen from
the PNH operating in Gonaives (population: 230,000). Winter Etienne, a
rebel leader in Gonaives, gave a declaration to the Associated Press,
giving the Government a deadline to restore order in Gonaives. MINUSTAH is
closely monitoring the situation. A contingent of police officers from
Pakistan is due to arrive in mid-November in Gonaives.

6.  The UNSECOORD office is being strengthened with additional staff to
ensure a better assessment of the security situation in the country. It
has been decided that the UNSECCORD would field a security officer to a UN
premise to be set up in Gonaives.

Humanitarian Coordination

7.  Coordination meetings continue twice a week in Gonaives and
Port-au-Prince, which the Minister of Environment, Mr. Wainwright, attends
on a regular basis. Coordination remains a challenge, particularly to
ensure successful clean-up operations and distributions of relief items
without violence with the support of MINUSTAH.

8.  Almost a month and a half after the disaster, following the United
Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team and the OCHA
presence in Gonaives, coordination of operations is being handed over to
UN agencies (UNICEF, PAHO/WHO and UNDP), supporting the Government in its
rehabilitation efforts. In order to avoid the growing politicization by
the de facto district representatives, coordination has been reinforced at
a technical level, as well with the Ministry of Environment.

9.  The military and police components of MINUSTAH have been providing
logistical and operational support to humanitarian activities in Gonaives.

Sectoral Analysis

Port-au-Prince

Logistics

10.  While the operation of the port is still erratic, WFP was able to
retrieve containers from the port. WFP continues to work closely with the
Government and the MINUSTAH, which has put in place patrols and
checkpoints in the troubled areas around the port, in order to find a
durable solution. This situation has given serious impact on the quantity
of food commodities that WFP could dispatch to Gonaives and has brought to
a halt all the other WFP operations in the country.

Protection

11.  Two street children who were participating in UNICEF funded
Protection programmes were allegedly murdered in Port-au-Prince. On 18
October, the bodies of another 10 children, shot and beheaded, were found
in the morgue.

12.  A coordinated response is being carried out with human rights NGOs
and the Ombudsman Office (a children's rights unit set up with the support
of UNICEF), which are currently undertaking their own enquiries. UNICEF
will also meet with the Minister of Justice to request a thorough and
impartial investigation into the circumstances of these killings, in order
to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal and
administrative sanctions as provided by Haitian law and in accordance with
international human rights standards.

13.  Out of fear, the number of street children sleeping in one centre has
almost doubled from 70-80 children/night, to 130-150 children/night. The
number of children sleeping in the other centers has increased from 45 to
65.

14.  UNICEF will provide non-food items to the children's centers to
increase their capacity to accommodate the growing numbers of children
seeking refuge and protection. UNICEF will diffuse radio spots on the
vulnerability and protection of street children.

Gonaives

Food Security

15.  The total of food distributed in Gonaives and outskirts since the
onset of the crisis is 2,083 MT while the total of food distributed in
other affected areas is 150 MT. This gives us a total of 2,233 MT of food
commodities that have been distributed in Gonaives and other affected
areas.

Agriculture

16.  The situation in Gonaives requires urgent action in terms of
rehabilitation of irrigation systems, an expensive operation. Agricultural
seeds and tools are still required. Coordination meetings in the farming
sector continue with all partners involved in agricultural rehabilitation
(FAO, Action contre la Faim (ACF), World Vision, Oxfam UK/Quebec, ACTED,
OAS's Agricultural Cooperation Institute).  Activities in the rest of the
country have been reduced.

17.  As reported earlier, up to 80 per cent of the irrigation system has
been destroyed in Gonaives, Vallees des Trois Rivieres and Moustiques. It
is therefore of utmost importance to rehabilitate the irrigation system.
So far, no funds have been received for these rehabilitation operations.

18.  The Government has made available HTG (Haitian Gourds) 10 million
(approximately USD 270,000). HTG 4 million will be used in Bas Artibonite
to restore the electric plant in Belanger, to repair infrastructures, to
set up seeds and farming centres as well as to carry out some containment
work on the river La Quinte. In Haute Artibonite, the balance will be
given to reforestation, construction of cisterns and other civil
engineering projects.

Health and Nutrition

19.  The situation in the health sector in Gonaives has improved and is
considered to be better than before the crisis. Some issues need to be
dealt with, such as the lack of Haitian doctors in the Canadian/Norwegian
Red Cross Field Hospital, and the issue of free medical assistance and
treatments.

20.  According to the Red Cross, the Field Hospital continues to be
under-utilized. During its first 3 weeks of operation beginning 14 October
2004, the hospital received a total of 2,933 outpatients (of which 458
children), carried out 32 surgeries and attended 151 deliveries. A total
of 312 persons were admitted for care. A study is under way to better
understand the reason for under utilization.

21.  A recent UNFPA needs assessment mission on reproductive health to
Gonaives (25-27 October) noted that five weeks after the catastrophe, the
level of response of the international community and the Government is not
adequate to satisfy the current needs. In order to assist authorities,
UNFPA has decided to fund the hiring of personnel by the Sanitary
Direction of the Artibonite department in order to ensure better
coordination of health services.  UNFPA also contributes to the setting up
of a coordination cell together with UNICEF, WHO/PAHO and UNOPS in
Gonaives.

Resettlement and Shelter

22.  Resettlement of flood-affected people is still a sensitive issue that
has not yet received clear political guidance. A recent debate has emerged
from a project to establish a tented camp on the outskirts of Gonaives for
up to 1,000 people for 45 days, while a durable alternative is found.

Water and Sanitation

23.  The water and sanitation sector shows clear improvement, especially
in water supply to the most affected persons living in relocated shelter
sites. Some 500 liters of water is being distributed per day. Estimated
needs are of 3,450 liters per day for Gonaives, a city of some 230,000
inhabitants. The normal water ration is of 70 liters day/person though
current figures are closer to 10 liters per day.

24.  The Service National d'Eau Potable (SNEP), the national water
management authority, fielded technicians to reinforce it regional office
in Gonaives to strengthen the water distribution pipe and repair the main
drilling, currently running at half of its capacity, which fills the
SNEP's 2,400 liters reservoir, from which OXFAM and ACF provide
distribution to the population. Another pump is being rehabilitated to
provide more water in the area.

25.  The Departement Hygiene Publique (DHP) continues clean-up operations
in building and streets of Gonaives as well as disinfections of private
dwellings.

26.  The French Red Cross mass water Emergency Recovery Unit (ERU) has
reached a production of more than 500,000 liters of drinking water per day
affording approximately 33,500 persons with 15 liters. The total amount of
produced water is being distributed, mostly through OXFAM, who has taken
over six of the twelve water points formerly operated by FRC. The FRC,
however, continues to monitor the state of the 12 bladders.

27.  UNICEF and OXFAM have agreed on a common strategy for the
rehabilitation of the sanitation systems of fifty schools in Gonaives.
UNICEF and OXFAM will also work together in cleaning and disinfecting
wells. UNICEF's part will be to provide chlorine by facilitating three
devices which uses electrolysis to convert salt to chlorine.

Protection

28.  Recent floods in Gonaives particularly affected children, as some
1,170 children lost their lives. Others fall victim to acts of violence.

29.  UNICEF deployed a team to Gonaives from 20 October to 2 November to
work on protection, education and water and sanitation. UNICEF assessed
the condition of orphans and street children, and coordinated with local
organizations working on the matter, especially CARITAS. The problem of
rape of teenage girls was also evaluated. The team concluded that this
issue must be followed-up by simplifying the collection of information
process, coordinate with local authorities and supporting CARITAS.

Education

30.  To support the return of 10,000 pupils to primary schools, UNICEF in
cooperation with the regional education authorities is providing technical
support for the cleaning of 50 schools with the help of a social movement,
the "Timoun ke kontant" network, involving 1,000 parents and teachers.
Trucks and loaders rented by UNICEF have been used in this clean-up phase.

31.  Four schools were selected for a temporary school pilot project
serving 2,000 children. Arrangements have been made with the local
education department, and these schools have already been cleaned. UNICEF
will start the rehabilitation of the sanitation system of these schools.

Recovery

32.  The dire situation prevailing in Gonaives still requires the
continuation of humanitarian assistance for a while in term of basic
needs. Nevertheless, it is necessary to put in place a strategy for
recovery. A plan of action is under discussion among the UN agencies,
donors and the Government to ensure a strengthened cooperation in line
with the Interim Cooperation Framework (ICF), thus under the direction of
the Haitian government, with the UN support for the execution.

33.  On 28 October, a meeting on rehabilitation and reconstruction for
Gonaives was held with UN agencies and donors, chaired by the Minister of
Environment. It was decided to dispatch a multi-sectoral team in order to
elaborate a strategy for sustainable rehabilitation with a focus on
disaster prevention and management.

Mapou

Resettlement and Shelter

34.  Reconstruction of houses continues in Mapou/Belle Anse. The
Netherlands Red Cross is starting the construction of 200 houses for most
vulnerable families after May floods until December 2004, to be extended
to the end of February 2005).

Southern Departments (Sud, Sud-Est and Grande-Anse)

Preparedness

35.  On disaster preparedness activities, the Netherlands Red Cross (NRCS)
is continuing its community-based disaster preparedness in southern
provinces (Sud, Sud-Est, Grande-Anse) until December 2004. This includes
the training workshops for the new Local Disaster Committees and other
small projects such as reforestation of trees, replanting mangroves,
rehabilitating houses in hurricane-prone areas, and cleaning of canals).

36.  This situation report, together with the information on contributions
and other ongoing emergencies is also available on the OCHA Internet
Website at http://www.reliefweb.int

Telephone: +41-22-917 12 34
Fax: +41-22-917 00 23
E-mail: ochagva@un.org

In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10

Desk Officers:
   Mr. Erik Haegglund
     Direct Tel. +41-22-917 3299, E-mail: haegglund@un.org
   Ms. Masayo Kondo
     Direct Tel. +41-22-917 1977,  E-mail: kondo@un.org

Press contact:
   GVA - Ms. Elizabeth Byrs, direct Tel. +41-22-917 2653
   NYC - Ms. Stephanie Bunker, direct Tel. +1-917-367 51 26

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