HAITI EARTHQUAKE USAID/DART HUMANITARIAN UPDATE #3

UNCLAS PORT AU PRINCE 000104 AIDAC SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID ECON PGOV PINR PREL PREF HA SUBJECT: HAITI EARTHQUAKE USAID/DART HUMANITARIAN UPDATE #3 REF: PORT A 0054; PORT A 0058; PORT A 0060 ¶1. Summary. USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (USAID/DART) staff report that the final U.S. Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams departed Haiti on January 27, as coordination efforts continue to advance response capacity for earthquake-affected populations in Haiti. A small contingent of U.S. USAR members will remain in Haiti capable of responding to potential search and rescue requests. Water trucking deliveries have increased to 133 sites in recent days, reaching more than 400,000 beneficiaries per day. However, inadequate sanitation services at displaced person spontaneous settlements sites remain a significant concern. To date, USAID has contributed nearly $230 million in earthquake response funding to address the critical needs of affected populations. End summary. -------------- COORDINATION -------------- ¶2. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has established sub-cluster coordination operations in Leogane and is looking to expand a presence to other heavily affected areas, including Jacmel. Similarly, sector-specific clusters, including health and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) are establishing coordination meetings in locations outside the capital. The U.N. WASH Cluster has established coordination meetings in Leogane, Petit Goave, Grand Goave, Gressier, and Jacmel. The Health Cluster is establishing sub-clusters in Leogane and Jacmel. ¶3. USAID/DART staff report that the multi-sectoral, multi-agency rapid assessment of spontaneous settlement areas, led by OCHA, began in Port-au-Prince on January 25. Teams will continue assessments in the capital on January 27 before moving to additional locations in other departments. Final results from the assessment are expected during the week of January 31. USAID/DART staff note that the information compiled from the ongoing multi-sectoral assessments is critical to identifying gaps in coverage and inform appropriate response measures in the sectors of health, nutrition, water, sanitation, security, and shelter. ¶4. On January 26, USAID/DART staff participated in a donor coordination meeting in Port-au-Prince and noted a positive convergence of response priorities and approaches among donors that should facilitate enhanced coordination, including a focus on supporting a shelter and settlements approach supported by integrated WASH, livelihoods, health, and nutrition interventions. ¶5. To facilitate local Haitian non-governmental organization (NGO) engagement in response efforts, USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) has activated USAID/OFDA's Haiti consultant through an existing mechanism to serve as a local NGO liaison to the U.N. Emergency Shelter and Non-Food Item (NFI) Cluster to ensure local NGO access and participation in the distribution of emergency relief supplies as part of Haiti response efforts. -------------- WATER, SANITATION, AND HYGIENE -------------- ¶6. USAID/DART staff report that water availability and access continues to improve for earthquake-affected populations. In recent days, the number of water distribution sites receiving daily water delivery through a coordinated fleet of approximately 160 water tanker trucks has increased from 115 to 133. More than 2 million liters per day are currently delivered to an estimated 400,000 beneficiaries throughout Port-au-Prince out of a total target population of 500,000 beneficiaries at approximately 200 sites. ¶7. However, inadequate sanitation facilities at displaced person sites continue to be of significant concern, according to the USAID/DART. The USAID/DART is strongly advocating with the Government of Haiti (GOH) National Direction for Potable Water and Sanitation (DINEPA) and the U.N. WASH Cluster to advance the construction of latrines as quickly as possible to prevent a further deterioration of conditions and a potential escalation in disease outbreaks. The U.N. WASH Cluster estimates that a total of 5,000 latrines are needed at this time for spontaneous settlement sites. ¶8. As of January 26, USAID/OFDA has supported and received 27 flights containing relief commodities, including chlorination tablets, water purification units capable of providing 15,000 liters of clean water per hour, water containers, and hygiene kits. As of January 26, USAID/OFDA had consigned 20 water bladders, 100,000 water containers and 50,000 family hygiene kits to implementing partner the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for distribution to affected populations. -------------- SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAMS -------------- ¶9. Following demobilization on January 26, the final U.S. USAR teams departed Haiti on January 27. Operations have transitioned from search and rescue to recovery efforts, with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) conducting recovery activities at the Hotel Montana, according to the USAID/DART staff. The USACE team plans to remain on-site at the Hotel Montana for the duration of the recovery effort. However, a small contingent of U.S. USAR specialists will remain in Haiti, capable of responding to potential search and rescue requests. According to the U.N. Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) Team, between January 13 and 23, international USAR teams rescued a total of 134 people, of which 47 individuals were by rescued by U.S.-based USAR teams. -------------- USAID ASSISTANCE -------------- ¶10. On January 25, USAID/DART staff coordinated the distribution of USAID/OFDA-funded U.S. USAR tent supplies to the U.N. Children's Fund (UNICEF) and area hospitals, including three 19X35-foot tents to the Foyer L'Escale orphanage in northern Port-au-Prince and one 19X35-foot tent to the U.N. logistics base located at the UNICEF compound. The donated tents will be utilized for the creation of child-friendly spaces at the L'Escale orphanage and will complement coordination efforts between UNICEF and the GoH's Ministry of Social Affairs to increase support for earthquake-affected orphans. In addition, USAID/DART and U.S. USAR team members delivered and erected one 19X35-foot tent and three 20-foot octagonal tents at the University of Miami field hospital at the Port-au-Prince airport and three additional 19X35-foot tents to the Port-au-Prince general hospital to enhance hospital operations. ¶11. According to the USAID/DART, offloading of USAID/OFDA-funded emergency relief supplies from the USNS LUMMUS at the Port-au-Prince port continued as of 1200 hours local time on January 26. On January 25, USAID/DART staff reported that 1,632 kitchen sets - to benefit approximately 8,160 individuals - and 210 rolls of plastic sheeting - to benefit an estimated 10,500 people - were offload for consignment to implementing partner the International Organization for Migration (IOM) for distribution. The commodities supplement 1,584 kitchen sets, 190 rolls of plastic sheeting, and 16,650 humanitarian daily rations offloaded from the USNS LUMMUS on January 24. ¶12. As of January 26, USAID had contributed nearly $230 million in earthquake response funding, including more than $152 million from USAID/OFDA, $68 million from USAID's Office of Food for Peace (USAID/FFP),$5 million from USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives, more than $3.5 million from USAID/Haiti, and $1 million from USAID/Dominican Republic. On January 25, USAID/OFDA awarded $1 million to Samaritan's Purse for health, economic recovery, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) activities and $5 million to Save the Children for health, nutrition, and protection activities in affected areas. In total, the U.S. Government has contributed nearly $356 million in earthquake response funding for Haiti to date. MERTEN