HAITI EARTHQUAKE: USAID/DART HUMANITARIAN SITUATION UPDATE

UNCLAS PORT AU PRINCE 000080 AIDAC SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAID ECON PGOV PINR PREL PREF HA SUBJECT: HAITI EARTHQUAKE: USAID/DART HUMANITARIAN SITUATION UPDATE REF: PORT A 0054; PORT A 0058; PORT A 0060; PORT A 0076 ¶1. (U) Summary. Despite U.N. and media reports noting that the Government of Haiti (GoH) declared the end of the search and rescue phase on January 22, urban search and rescue (USAR) teams responded to a request for assistance that resulted in a live rescue on January 23. On January 22, the GoH revised the death toll to more than 111,400 people. The GoH reported that 609,000 people remained displaced in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area alone. Numbers of population receiving assistance continue to increase, including in the priority sectors of food assistance, water, and shelter. To date, USAID has contributed nearly USD180 million in earthquake response funding. End summary. -------------- SEARCH AND RESCUE OPERATIONS -------------- ¶2. (U) According to the U.N. Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) Team, the GoH announced the end of the search and rescue phase at 1600 hours local time on January 22. However, the GoH subsequently told the U.S. Embassy that it has not terminated search and rescue operations. UNDAC reports that between January 13 and 21, international urban search and rescue teams (USAR) rescued 132 people in total, of which 47 were by U.S. USAR teams. According to international media reports, on January 22, an 84-year-old Haitian female was rescued by family and friends and a 21-year-old Haitian male was rescued by an Israeli USAR team. On January 23, a French USAR team, with assistance from a Greek and two U.S. USAR teams, rescued a 22-year-old Haitian male from the rubble of the Napoli Hotel in downtown Port-au-Prince - 11 days after the earthquake. ¶3. (U) The number of international USAR teams has significantly decreased but USAID staff cannot confirm the number of international teams that currently remain in-country. The six U.S. USAR teams have begun demobilizing. In coordination with the GoH and local fire authorities, U.S. USAR teams will leave behind a significant cache of equipment for donation to Haitian first responders, and 15 U.S. USAR staff members, including six structural engineers, will remain in-country to train Haitian first responders in the use of the donated equipment and provide technical assistance on structural assessments and stabilization efforts. -------------- LATEST ESTIMATES of DEATH AND DISPLACMENT -------------- ¶4. (U) Efforts to account for the dead and displaced resulting from the January 12 earthquake continue. On January 22, the GoH revised the death toll to more than 111,400 people, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The number of displaced persons and associated spontaneous settlement sites vary as ongoing assessments continue to refine estimates. ¶5. (U) The GoH reported that 609,000 people remained displaced in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area alone. Of an estimated 500 spontaneous settlement sites accommodating displaced earthquake-affected populations in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, the Shelter and Non-Food Item (NFI) Cluster reported that relief agencies had assessed 314 sites as of January 21. Based on preliminary assessments, an estimated 470,000 people are residing in the 314 sites and the projected total population for the 500 spontaneous sites could exceed 770,000 individuals. ¶6. (U) In addition to displaced persons in Port-au-Prince, on January 23, the GoH reported that an estimated 210,000 individuals have left the capital to other departments. This information appears generally consistent with a January 20 and 21 rapid assessment of outmigration from Port-au-Prince conducted by USAID partner Market Chain Enhancement project in Haiti (MarChE). According to MarChE, approximately 230,000 people have migrated from Port-au-Prince to the departments of Grand-Anse, Nippes, North, Northwest, South, Southeast, and Artibonite. MarChE identified rapid job creation as an important need in all departments receiving displaced persons and noted that residents already unemployed before the earthquake fear that the new arrivals may exacerbate socioeconomic pressures. -------------- FOOD ASSISTANCE -------------- ¶7. (SBU) On January 22, the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) and the U.S. Military's Joint Task Force-Haiti (JTF-H) met to plan military logistical and security support for the first phase of WFP's operation to rapidly provide prepared meals to areas of displacement. Under the plan, an estimated 15,000 people per day will receive two-week rations at each of 15 distribution points. The total requirement for the operation is 15 million prepared meals, although the resourcing of this requirement has not been confirmed. Although the plan was briefed to the GoH, it has not yet been formally approved. (Note: This revised plan will replace the original plan of four distribution hubs to service various distribution points. Under this revised plan, beneficiaries will have to walk no further than 5 km to reach a distribution point. End note.) ¶8. (U) On January 22, WFP reached 66,321 people with food, bringing the cumulative total to more than 284,000 people. Numerous non-governmental organizations (NGOs),including current P.L. 480 Title II partners, have also started distributing food at various locations, but numbers of beneficiaries reached are not yet available. According to the GoH, an additional 300,000 people have received hot meals from the Government of the Dominican Republic and through the GoH's National School Feeding Program. ¶9. (U) On January 23, the JTF-H coordinated with the U.N. Humanitarian Information Coordination Unit (HICU) located at the U.N. Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) and WFP to conduct an air delivery of 40 bundles of prepared meals and 20 bundles of water to a secure site in Port-au-Prince. WFP received and distributed the commodities on the ground, with MINUSTAH securing the distribution area. -------------- SHELTER -------------- ¶10. (U) The USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (USAID/DART) reports that the Emergency Shelter Cluster's draft shelter strategy will focus on host community support, transitional shelter, disaster risk reduction programming, and cash-for-work activities focused on salvaging and debris removal. The Emergency Shelter Cluster capacity is expected to significantly increase with the arrival of additional U.N., NGO, and International Organization for Migration (IOM) qualified shelter specialists in the coming days. ¶11. (U) Citing significant needs among displaced persons in Leogane and Gressier, the GoH is advocating for immediate tent distributions in the two areas to provide shelter assistance. However, IOM noted the depletion of tent stocks in Haiti, Panama, and Florida, and the unavailability of tents from other regional sources. Attempts to procure tents from India and other countries involve a protracted delivery date unsuitable to address immediate needs. IOM estimates that combined in-country tents stocks and expected tent arrivals in the coming days represent a total of 40,000 tents capable of accommodating five individuals per tent for a total of 200,000 individuals. However, given the extensive shelter needs, tents are not the only option and will be supplemented with host family support, transitional shelter, and shelter kits featuring plastic sheeting. -------------- HEALTH -------------- ¶12. (U) As of January 22, the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) reported a total of 47 hospitals, 2 floating hospitals with helicopter transport capacity - the USNS Comfort and a Mexican hospital ship - and approximately 11 mobile clinics in Port-au-Prince. In addition, 150 health facilities with primary care are operational in Port-au-Prince, including 46 with operating rooms, and 8 field hospitals. According to the Health Cluster, approximately 20,000 people are known to be injured and in need of medical assistance, of which approximately 1,000 patients require specialized care. ¶13. (U) The U.N. World Health Organization (WHO) reports no outbreaks of communicable diseases, including cholera, measles and rubella, despite difficult public health conditions. However, the earthquake has disrupted vaccination services and conditions have contributed to increase population vulnerability. In response, the Health Cluster has reported plans to increase immunization activities for polio, measles, and diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus (DPT). However, details remain to be determined and will require a stabilization of conditions and improved logistics. In addition, the Health Cluster plans to establish epidemiological surveillance mechanisms at 31 health facilities on January 24 to monitor health conditions and disease outbreaks. -------------- WATER, SANITATION, AND HYGIENE (WASH) -------------- ¶14. (U) Consolidation and increased coordination involving water trucking efforts continue to improve distribution efforts. On January 22, the WASH Cluster reported that a two-week contract between the Coalition Nationale des Syndicats de Transporteurs Ha????tiens (CNSTH) and the GoH's National Direction for Potable Water and Sanitation (DINEPA) is under finalization to provide fifty 3,000-gallon trucks to transport water from three pre-identified sites (Drouillard, Cazeau, and Tabarre) to several distribution sites in Bas Delmas, Haut Delmas, Plaine du Cul de Sac, and Carrefour. ¶15. (U) On January 22, the WASH Cluster reported that 98 of the highest density settlement sites and hospital sites are receiving water deliveries, representing an estimated 225,000 individuals. On average, water tanker trucks are delivering a total of 1 million liters of water each day. Deliveries are currently providing approximately four liters of water per person per day, in addition to other existing water sources available near many camps. -------------- USAID ASSISTANCE -------------- ¶16. (U) As of January 23, USAID has contributed nearly USD 180 million in earthquake response funding, including more than USD 102 million from USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA),USD 68 million from USAID's Office of Food for Peace (USAID/FFP),USD 5 million from USAID's Office of Transition Initiatives, more than USD 3.5 million from USAID/Haiti, and $1 million from USAID/Dominican Republic. Of the total, USAID has contributed USD 90 million to the U.N. appeal, including USD 22 million in non-food assistance and USD 68 million in food assistance. ¶17. (U) As of January 22, USAID/OFDA had consigned 766 rolls of plastic sheeting, 64,000 aqua tabs, 54,414 water containers, 35,242 hygiene kits, 817 kitchen kits, 20 water bladders, 446 tents, 3,090 blankets, 1,000 body bags, 13 water purifiers, 380 food rations, and 408 sleeping mats to IOM as part of Haiti earthquake response efforts. ¶18. (U) On January 22, USAID/OFDA partner IOM reported that more than 100,000 people were receiving relief items daily, including blankets, kitchen sets, plastic sheeting, water containers, water purification tablets, and mosquito nets, through IOM and partners in Port-au-Prince. As of January 23, USAID/OFDA-provided relief supplies continue to be offloaded from the USNS LUMMUS. The commodities include 3,552 kitchen sets to benefit more than 17,000 individuals and 400 rolls of plastic sheeting to serve the shelter needs of 20,000 individuals, as well as water, fuel, and rubble removal equipment. In addition, two USAID/OFDA-chartered flights are currently en route to Port-au-Prince, transporting water containers, hygiene kits, and plastic sheeting. ¶19. (U) On January 18, USAID/Haiti redirected more than USD 3.5 million from the Global Financial Crisis Haiti en Chantier project for immediate earthquake response. The program will operate in affected areas with an initial focus on Port-au-Prince and Petit Go????ve. Activities include debris removal, rehabilitation of key infrastructure, particularly roads, to facilitate relief efforts, and re-establishing water and sanitation systems. MERTEN