Haiti: Tropical Storm Hanna, Gustav, Ike OCHA Situation Report No. 21

Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Date: 09 Oct 2008


OVERVIEW OF THE SITUATION

According to the current national meteorological center's forecast, a large area of low pressure is located at around 360 km east south-east of the Antilles. Some disorganized zones of rains and storms are associated with this system. However, the development of a tropical cyclone is not expected for the next 36 hours. Nevertheless, there is the possibility of light rain and isolated storms in the Center and South-East departments. Populations living in areas at risk must comply with the security advisory instructions in case of bad weather.

Coordinated response efforts to alleviate the suffering of affected populations are being strengthened through the cluster leads.

Food: According to the September 2008 Food Security Bulletin issued by the Government's National Coordination for Food Security (CNSA) and the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET), three million people in Haiti are now affected by food insecurity, an increase of 20 per cent in one month. The lean season from November to December 2008 will be particularly hard in the affected zones. As of 8 October, in coordination with its implementing partners, WFP distributed 3,893 metric tons of food to 715,474 beneficiaries including 418,641 persons from Gonaives.

WASH: The WASH strategy for Haiti (next 6-months) has been finalized after circulation to partners. A budget for the WASH sector activities has been completed with the support of UNICEF WES. The budget estimate for WASH activities to date is USD 4,045,000. Current pledged WASH funds are estimated at 1,000,000 indicating a WASH funding gap of USD 3,045,000.

Shelter and Non-Food Items:

Shelter and NFI Cluster completed a countrywide gap analysis using the cluster database. Unfortunately with the combined resources of the entire shelter cluster, this allows for only 27% of the tarpaulins required, 4.9% of the plastic sheeting and only 23% of sheets/blankets.

Health/Nutrition: The countrywide priorities are 1) facilitate financial access to health care 2) monitoring nutritional status and multiplication of reference centers 3) guarantee the quality of drinking water distributed or collected, 4) increase anti vector measures (prevention of malaria and dengue. Malnutrition seems to be more prevalent in the South and especially in the more isolated areas.

Education: The Ministry of Education is aiming for a return to school on 20 October tentatively in Artibonite. The Director of the Ministry of Education for the Department expressed the need for heavy machinery to clean certain schools and is currently dispatching to partners (CARE and AMURT) the cleaning supplies provided by UNICEF. UNICEF and its partner CARE are currently cleaning three schools used as shelters and a part of the school will be reserved for the displaced people until they can return home.