OCHA Situation Report
Haiti
31 August 2005


Source: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

I. Operational Environment and Security Situation
a) Overall Situation

An improvement trend in security is apparent since end of July in
Port-au-Prince and no significant changes have occurred in the generally
quiet environment elsewhere in the country. This encouraging trend will
go through a determinant test in the forthcoming period, between the
resumption of the school year, beginning of September, and the opening
of the electoral campaign with the ensuing elections. (In this respect,
it is well known that a bitter controversy is going on among CEP
members, who are voicing up until now contradictory statements on its
calendar.)

The causes of the abovementioned progress may be linked with the pursuit
of MINUSTAH security operations in Cite Soleil and, most surely, with
the reinforcement of the UN troops' stable presence in Bel Air
shantytown during the past six weeks. Both factors have considerably
reduced - hopefully not momentarily - the gangs' capacity to strike
outside their strongholds. Besides, the move into Bel Air has
subsequently dragged with it the presence of the HNP and, as a direct
consequence, the incipient return of government institutions (Ministry
of Health, Education) backed by UN agencies (UNICEF, WHO/OPS) and the
interest of NGOs. Another beneficial result of this enforced security is
the trickling back of the population to its places of regular residence,
like - besides Bel Air - Carrefour, Martissant, Nazon and Solino.

That been said, there is still ground for concern: 47 kidnappings during
the month, including one US citizen on the 22nd - later released after
payment - and a failed one that ended in the killing of a Canadian on
the 19th. MINUSTAH scored also some successes in this regard, by
liberating several hostages and arresting nine presumed gang members. UN
troops and police, on the other hand, are being shot at on a daily basis
in Cite Soleil, including while the DPKO Deputy Military Adviser was
visiting the slum.

Yet another repeated phenomenon during the past weeks, initially labeled
as lynching of presumed bandits by the population - worrying enough -,
has eventually emerged as a planned HNP-instigated execution action. It
happened in some Port-au-Prince districts, but also in the North and
South-East Departments. In this connection, it is perhaps not a
coincidence that ex-Fahs (former military) from Ouanaminthe turned down
a DDR offer on the 12th because it did not cover to the entire group, as
MINUSTAH applies some restrictive criteria - this reinforces the belief
that they were offered reintegration into the state security.

In the Departments, the salient security fact that made the exception to
the relative calm was the violent incidents that occurred after a
demonstration in Gonaives on 26th August; MINUSTAH security cancelled
flights to and from the city as well as road trips during the morning.
Road travel was allowed in the afternoon under escort.

Also during the month:

- A Tap-Tap (main public transport) strike against rising fuel prices on
the 8th; it was overwhelmingly followed.

- On August 8th, three moderate members of Fanmi Lavalas registered
themselves for the forthcoming elections.

- The replacement of the US Ambassador was announced on the 9th; he left
the following weekend and on his last press point he criticized the
protracted detention without trial of the former Lavalas Prime Minister
and the release from prison of a former high ranking official condemned
for his responsibility in an (in)famous massacre in Gonaives over a
decade ago.

- On 16th August, the DDR Section of the MINUSTAH organized a two-day
Voodoo meeting with the participation of houngans and mambos from Bel
Air and foreign experts, to explore the ways in which the high social
influence of this deeply rooted religious belief can promote peace and
isolate violence in the slums; the Minister of Culture attended the last
day.

- On the 28th a traditional Kompas festival took place at the Champ de
Mars (downtown Port-au Prince) with a huge attendance; MINUSTAH helped
with the security and no incidents were reported.

- On the 31st the handing over ceremony of Minustah's military command
took place.

b) Security Incidents

The table below shows only the incidents affecting directly humanitarian
staff or assets:


|------------+------------+------------------+--------+------------------|
|    Date    |  Location  |     Incident     | Source |     Comments     |
|------------+------------+------------------+--------+------------------|
|   03.08    |Road to the |Kidnapping attempt| ACTED  |The vehicle was   |
|            |North/      |against ACTED (3  |        |identified with   |
|            |outskirts of|National and 1    |        |the NGO logos. The|
|            |PAP         |French staff)     |        |four persons      |
|            |            |                  |        |managed to rush   |
|            |            |                  |        |away with the     |
|            |            |                  |        |vehicle and found |
|            |            |                  |        |protection at a   |
|            |            |                  |        |HNP post.         |
|------------+------------+------------------+--------+------------------|
|Second week |La          |Solar  panels     |  WFP   |There is only one |
| of August  |Citadelle,  |feeding WFP radio |        |access path to the|
|            |North       |(security)        |        |Citadelle, winding|
|            |Department  |repeater stolen   |        |up the mountain,  |
|            |            |                  |        |past several huts.|
|            |            |                  |        |The monument is   |
|            |            |                  |        |guarded.          |
|------------+------------+------------------+--------+------------------|
|   18.08    |Rte. des    |WFP lorry stopped |  WFP   |Communication     |
|            |Freres, PAP |by gunmen in      |        |equipment and     |
|            |            |police uniform.   |        |documents stolen. |
|            |            |                  |        |No injured.       |
|------------+------------+------------------+--------+------------------|



II. Humanitarian Coordination

As in the past months, regular weekly coordination meetings took place
in the four Departments covered by HDCS - South, North, West and
Artibonite. Coordination happens also through meetings with other
relevant MINUSTAH sections, UN Agencies, NGOs and Government partners on
specific issues and projects. At national level, the Humanitarian
Coordination Forum takes place every two weeks in Port-au-Prince. New
regular meetings are taking place since end of July on Cite Soleil, for
the follow up of the projects and activities of five sectoral working
groups and, since more recently, on Bel Air.

A provisional Coordination Cell was set up in Grand Goave to deal with
the humanitarian assistance addressed to the victims of Dennis. This
Cell will fill in the gap till the creation of the communal committee of
the DPC and coordinate the damages evaluation - mainly the destroyed
houses.

Two additional meetings were convened also on the situation in the
border regarding the continuous expulsions of Haitian citizens from the
Dominican Republic. In this respect, HDCS invited the ONM (Migration
Department), IFRC, HRC, IOM, WFP and GARR (Groupe d'Appui aux Rapatries
et Refugies) to discuss about possible measures to be taken in case a
massive arrival occurs. For the time being, the Government should be in
a position to take responsibility for the basic needs with the support
of the NGOs already very active in the two critical border areas
(Solidarite Frontaliere in Ouanaminthe and GARR in Belladere). In case
the need arises, IFRC, HRC, IOM and WFP could support these efforts. In
the case of Ouanaminthe, a Coordination Committee was set up with the
participation of the ONM, RBJS (Reseau Binational Jeannot Succes pour la
Defense et Promotion des Droit Humains - group operating in the border
area), SF, HRC and HDCS' Regional Office. The committee has already
worked on a resources inventory and intervention capacities.

A HDCS Regional Office mission took place from 24th to 31st in the
South-East to follow up on the coordination structure set up in Jacmel
last June and assess its operationallity. Additional objectives were to
reinforce the regular humanitarian and development coordination meetings
(twice a month), update the existing list of NGOs and establish a
portfolio of projects.

Since MINUSTAH's deployment in Haiti, one of the principal missions of
the force is to stabilize and secure an environment permitting the
humanitarian and development activities in the country. Military
contingents have been performing various duties in areas where programs
or activities are being implemented in the country. Several natural
disasters that Haiti has suffered since the deployment of the mission,
have revealed a permanent support of the units to the population in
coordination with local authorities, NGOs and UN Agencies in the field.

The lack of health facilities and personnel in some areas made the
Forces provide medical attention to over 5,600 persons, including
forcibly expelled from the Dominican Republic, between April and the end
of this month; they also provided temporary shelter to 339 persons.

During these 5 months, 265 convoys have been escorted throughout the
country and 53 engineering operations have been effected. Currently,
MINUSTAH is participating in two major road repair projects, funded by
the Inter American Bank of Development and the European Union, with its
military engineers units.

A seminar of the CIMIC units will be organized early September to
instruct and update them on the CIMIC policy regarding the humanitarian
interventions. One document is being prepared by MINUSTAH in cooperation
with ICRC and MSF regarding the relations with humanitarian actors in
operation areas in Haiti.

III. Sectoral Overview

a) Food/Food Security

The total WFP food stocks currently in Haiti are estimated at over 4,500
MT, almost half of them available for distribution in their warehouses.
The UN Agency continues the implementation of its project benefiting
550.000 persons, worth US$ 40 million, running from last May through
April 2007. Over 720 MT of food were delivered in August to health
centres and schools (PRRO and CP) in the West, North and North-East
Departments and Port-au-Prince and to the various implementing partners
of PRRO activities in the North-West and Central Plateau.

As for immediate plans, WFP went on mission with a potential partner to
the area of Coridon to evaluate the possible rehabilitation of the salt
ponds destroyed by tropical storm Jeanne in September 2004 - in line
with WFP's efforts to fight the prevalence of iodine deficiency in
Haiti, facilitating locally produced iodized salt and, at the same time,
promoting economic development in vulnerable regions through its Food
For Work program.

Food For Work projects in the Northern, North-Eastern and Artibonite
departments, approved by the Selection Committee, are under finalization
and training sessions are being planned. Works have to do with soil
preservation, cleaning of sewage system, roads repair, etc.
Implementation of school gardens in different schools in the
North-Eastern Department is being assessed, also with a FFW project
supporting this activity, in which cooperation with FAO is being
considered.

In spite of the improvement in the security, all WFP activities in PAP
were carried out under escort around Cite Militaire and SHODECOSA.

A FAO staff was posted in Les Cayes to implement a six-month project to
alleviate the drought effects in the South. The project, funded by
400,000 Euros from ECHO Emergency Fund, will provide bean seeds and
maize for 8,000 farmers in the South, 1,500 in Nippes and 500 in the
West Departments. It also provides manioc for 1,000 farmers and 10,000
rat traps. In total, 70 MT of bean seeds and 10 of maize have been
distributed as of 31st August. Unfortunately, some 4 to 5 MT of these
seeds were stolen and the case is under investigation - having been
chemically treated, they are toxic and pose a threat to public health.

Also in the South Department, CRS, with MINUSTAH support, distributed a
one-month ration to 226 families victims of Dennis and Emily.

In the Artibonite Department, international organizations go on
supporting the families affected by last year floods. FAO, DAI, Caritas
and PRODEVA, in coordination with the Departmental Directorate for
Agriculture, are distributing beans, millet, onions and tools. In
addition, FAO continues the distribution of seeds around Gonaives. Also
Caritas has distributed seeds to 2,500 families, as well as pigs and
chickens for 1,000 families.

b) Health and Nutrition

WHO/OPS presented its emergency preparedness project, funded by ACDI,
targeting the South, South-East, Grande Anse and Nippes Departments; it
aims at supporting the departmental committees in the managing of risk
and disaster and at training health staff in appropriate responses. It
will run till March 2006 and it foresees, inter alia, the equipment of
Emergency Operations Centers, stocking of medical supplies and radio
equipment for the communal Health Centres. One WHO/OPS staff will be
based in each of the EOCs.

WHO/OPS have also resumed its fortnightly Health Forum, with the
participation of the Ministry of Health and practically all NGOs active
in the sector.

There is no response yet to the appeal made by the Municipality of
Gonaives, supported by the NGOs working in the sector and transmitted
through HDCS Regional Office to MINUSTAH, to clear a passage in the road
by Morne Blanche (Gonaives), turned into a detritus dumping place that
poses a serious threat to public health.

After the Brazilian UN troops have brought an acceptable level of
security to Bel Air, the UN Agencies (WHO/OPS, UNFPA, UNICEF) have taken
a prompt action in supporting the Ministry of Health in reopening three
Health Centres in the slum. Two local NGOs, FONDEV and FORESOPA, are
ready to join also. Two of these centres are scheduled to open on the
8th of September. Their activities will initially focus on vaccination,
nutrition and health education. Before, the Ministry of Health (MSPP)
and NGOs are to disseminate this information among the inhabitants. The
MSPP will reinforce its personnel in these centres with the temporary
support of MINUSTAH medical staff. A private clinic is also scheduled to
reopen soon.

c) Water and Sanitation

A coordination meeting on Cite Soleil was organized in Port au Prince
with the participation of the Director General of CAMEP (public water
enterprise), the Director General of TPTC (Ministry of Labour) and the
Director General of SMCRS (public solid waste enterprise) and his
Deputy; as a result, some project ideas were identified: For CAMEP, a
project has been already submitted, worth some US$ 60,000, covering fuel
expenses, a back up generator and an electrical pump. For TPTC, a
project proposal will be submitted shortly focusing on a "Plan Directeur
de Cite Soleil", essential for an urban Water&Sanitation comprehensive
plan. For SMCRS, it has been stressed that no garbage collection is
taking place due to the poor condition of the truck fleet and to lack of
enough garbage containers (CICR has provided 22, though). A proposal
will be also submitted soon. All these proposals will be reviewed and
shared with the other working groups on Cite Soleil, cleared in a
general meeting and submitted to donors for funding.

It has to be stressed that the implementation of these projects needs
constant security interventions to protect fuel transporters or
electrical workers of the public company, so that CICR's support yields
its fruits. In that sense, water distribution in Cite Soleil has
improved, with a record of 18 days in July and August. Water
distribution points can be found now in many streets.

In Artibonite, Caritas is implementing the construction of irrigation
channels in Verrettes. Also in Gonaives, the cash-for-work project
aiming at the maintenance and cleaning of the city channels in
cooperation with the Ministry of Work, Transports and Communications is
facing difficulties due to the strike of the latter's employees.

It has to be recalled that, in general, NGO interventions do not meet
the needs of the population in this sector, as all Haitian cities suffer
from a strong deficit in infrastructures.

d) Education

As for para b) above, UN Agencies (UNICEF, UNOPS, UNESCO) have quickly
supported the move of the Ministry of Education to reopen schools in Bel
Air taking advantage of the security environment brought by the UN
Peacekeepers' efforts. Didactic materials and equipment are ready for
supply for the resumption of the school year in that slum - although
delayed till the second week of September.

The Cite Soleil's sectoral working group on Education has set three main
goals for the forthcoming months: Support to the school year resumption,
psychosocial attention and support to the children with special learning
difficulties. A scholarship programme will be implemented with UNICEF
and USAID support to counter the social exclusion of slum children.

The 'back-to-school' programme of the government, running during the
period July - December 2005, has attracted substantial donor support.
Out of a total requirement of US$ 40.3 million, almost US$ 32 million
has been funded. In addition to USD 8.3 million provided by the
government treasury to subsidize the printing of school books, donors
have provided US$ 23.6 million to cover rehabilitation of schools,
furniture, didactic material, school canteens, payment of salaries etc.
Additional funding is still expected to cover school material for a
number of schools in Cite Soleil and other marginalized districts during
September. Among other components, the programme foresees the
construction of 100 new schoolrooms, the rehabilitation of 150 schools -
in progress or planned - the furnishing of tables and chairs,
subsidizing tuition of approximately 6,000 children of families without
means into private schools, and regularization of salaries for 1,060
contractual teachers.

The Argentinean Federal Sports Department is cooperating with two local
NGOs and the Ministry of Education in Gonaives to train 30 sports
teachers in view of spreading the practice of sport as a means of
achieving social integration.

e) Shelter/Infrastructures

Shelter reconstruction needs in the Grande Anse were highlighted during
two field visits of HDCS/CRS to the Grande Anse (communes of Beaumont
and Pestel). Nevertheless, no concrete results to these two field
reports have yet materialized. CRS have not yet written a proposal and
DPC in PAP have not given a response to the shelter project proposed by
the Departmental Delegate.

In Mapou, no floods occurred during the last cyclones. The two main NGOs
operating in Mapou, French Red Cross and Dutch Red Cross have either
left or are about to leave. The shelter project benefiting the victims
of last year's floods is now coming to an end as the French Red Cross
has built 60 Houses and the Dutch 110. However, there is a need to
continue the project that, for the moment, has no funding. The
Departmental Delegation is very interested and, for this, the
reinforcement of the coordination structure remains essential to handle
the humanitarian and development activities.

In Artibonite, PADF is starting the repair of the road
Poteau-Passereine, severely damaged by Jeanne last year.

f) NFI

The distribution of NFI by IFRC and CRS to 167 families victim of Dennis
and Emily in the South Department has been delayed, but the items are
ready now on the spot. The emergency response has been slow, but the
Departmental Committee has proven to have good coordination mechanisms.
The same can be said for the Grande Anse: In this case, the DPC
preferred to wait for the arrival of CRS' complementary kits to those of
IFRC.

An agreement with CRS is scheduled to be signed early September for the
provision of water purification products, hygiene kits and cooking sets,
worth US$ 50,000 from the OCHA Emergency Fund. The beneficiaries will be
some 4,000 families in the West and Grande Anse Departments.

g)  Emergency Preparedness

The CRS programme to reinforce the capacity of communal committees for
the management of risks and disasters in the South Department continued
during a two-week training programme for the committees at Roche a
Bateau, Coteaux and Port Salut on the South coast with the support of
UNDP' UGRD and DPC. The training includes identification of vulnerable
populations, identification of refuges, management of refuges, provision
of initial assistance to victims and completion of damage assessment
reports for DPC. Further trainings by UNDP/DPC are needed for the
Departmental Committees in the Grande Anse and Nippes, along the lines
of those conducted recently in Gonaives and Cap-Haitien - i.e. the roles
and action plans of the different commissions.

In Gonaives, two workshops were organized on risk and disasters
management and preparedness. One was addressed to the Departmental
Committee and aimed at the elaboration of a preparedness and response
plan adapted to the region's specificity. The second was addressed to
some 30 local journalists aiming at training them on disaster related
information and prevention.

The Committee of the North Department met to compile a list of high risk
zones, identify the risk types and to prepare the training of the
communal committees. Early in September, the documents will be
finalized..

h)  Gaps in Humanitarian Assistance

Some of the gaps are partially reflected in the paragraphs above.

The continuous expulsions without respect of minimal humanitarian
standards of Haitians nationals from the Dominican Republic have further
raised protection concerns. Families are being separated, people are
deported without possibility to bring with them their belongings (some
after having lived for years in the DR.); sick, pregnant women trucked
away without adequate medical attention. Neither the DR nor Haiti have
signed any of the international treaties on migration. However, the
president of the DR has acknowledged irregularities during the
repatriation and especially condemned the Human Rights violations in
relation to the killings of Haitians on 16 August. There Haitian
authorities do not react, as if they ignored the problem; there is no
registration or adequate reception assistance on the Haitian side. They
do not seem to have a policy or claims with respect to the non
observance of existing agreements and protocols, and seem unwilling to
deal with this complex socioeconomic and political issue. Only lately
have the Haitian authorities responded, and that focused on the Human
Rights violation of the three Haitians burnt in the DR. and not to the
conditions of repatriation per-se.

In terms of humanitarian impact on the Haitian side of the border, the
assistance community and local authorities have been able to cope with
the steady flow, although present resources of the NGOs have become
strained and would require reinforcement in case the number of expelled
grows. In Ouanaminthe (North) and Belladere (Centre) reception
facilities are managed by Solidarite Fwontalye and GARR respectively.
The majority of the repatriated do not require further assistance, pass
through the border, and find their way to their area of origin by their
own means. When expulsions occur at night - regularly - or people do not
have the means for self-transportation, they can stay overnight in the
reception centre, get a meal and receive up to 400 gourdes (approx. 10
US$) to pay for the bus or 'tap-tap'.

A contingency response plan for Ouanaminthe, involving the authorities,
local and regional agencies and NGOs has been established, whereby a
mechanism is in place to respond to a crisis - like the one last May.
Revitalizing the 'reception committee' of local authorities and
organizations in Belladere, and reinforcing this with a contact network
for emergency response from the international assistance community is
being worked out. The idea behind this is that while the Haitian
Government has the responsibility to establish adequate reception
procedures, receive and cater for its citizens (even though the DR. does
not advise of days and number of expulsions), it should also allocate
resources at the border crossings. The international and national
regional assistance community would step in when this capacity is
overwhelmed. WFP, IFRC, CR-H, IOM among others have expressed
willingness to assist where required. The National Office of Migration
informed that on 23 August, a committee was established with
representation of relevant ministries to devise a plan and reception
mechanism. The next meeting should take place this coming week.

Together with the Political Affairs and Human Rights sections, HDCS have
composed a response to a message from USG Gehenno on these expulsions.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Appropriate Donations for International Disaster/Humanitarian Needs
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Center for International                  web: www.cidi.org
    Disaster Information             listserv: www.cidi.org/listsub.htm
                                   guidelines: www.cidi.org/donate.htm
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -