Haiti Update Friday, February 26

Post a Comment » Written on February 26th, 2010     
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General Haiti Updates

*597,801 people are reported to have left Port-au-Prince for other parts of the country.  They are moving in with family and friends in areas less affected by the earthquake.  Experts are predicting many will never return to Port-au-Prince.

*Rains have begun in many locations and flooding has been reported in many spontaneous settlements.  The need for adequate shelter is great and increasing daily.  With rain comes the chance for outbreak in disease increases dramatically.

*The official death toll is 222,517, up 5,000 people from a week ago.

*Aftershocks continue to cause damage and strike fear in the people in Haiti.  One day in the last week, there were more than four shocks in less than a single 24-hour period.  People continue to be afraid, even some with livable homes are unable to sleep inside.

*The public water infrastructure has been completely devastated. Until wells and public water sites are available again, there is an urgent need for water to reach vulnerable populations.

*Cite Soleil was one of the largest slums in Haiti before the earthquake—housing between 200,000 and 300,000 people.

*Handicapped in Haiti have dramatically increased in the aftermath of the earthquake, which left more than 300,000 injured.  Their future would be a challenge under any circumstances, but they now face an even more uncertain future.

How we are responding with World Relief International

World Relief has performed rapid assessments in spontaneous settlements across Port-au-Prince to identify the most vulnerable populations and urgent needs. This week we will begin providing relief in the areas of food, water, health and hygiene to five sites that are not currently receiving systematic assistance from other organizations.

Hygiene Kits

*We are preparing to ship hygiene kits for 1,500 needy families with key household necessities such as soap, toothbrushes and shampoo.

*Hygiene is challenging to maintain in camps based on limited access to clean water, soap and safe bathing areas. The kits will help prevent the spread of disease in cramped living conditions with significant risk of outbreaks of disease.

Water

*World Relief staff will continue to distribute household water to thousands of vulnerable families in Cite Soleil.

*We delivered 16 truckloads of water with 3,200 gallons per truck, for a total of 51,200 gallons last week, serving 10,240 households (about five gallons per family).

*We will also distribute 2,000 jerry cans to households so they can carry and store water.

*To date, we have distributed an estimated 243,200 gallons of water. We will continue targeting Cite Soleil and other internally displaced persons’ camps, reaching at least 16,000 individuals per day.

Food Distribution

*After distributing food in Mais Gate, Delmas and Carrefour to approximately 10,000 individuals per day (at the height), we are now linking our church partners into 16 fixed distribution sites around the capital.

*Next week, we will begin providing six-day rations of food to thousands of individuals in large unreached camps in the greater Port-au-Prince area.

*Planting season has begun and lasts into April.  We are currently assessing how to best respond to food security and agriculture needs.

Wells

*Six well sites have been identified, including churches, orphanages and schools. These wells will provide ongoing potable water to the community. We are helping to facilitate the formation of community water committees to manage wells on a long-term basis and create ownership.

*Four wells have been drilled to date. Two wells are already fully-functional with hand pumps, allowing churches and hospitals to meet tangible needs of patients, congregants, vulnerable children and others in their community.

*Hand pumps yield about 175 gallons per hour and submersible pumps give approximately 10 gallons per minute or 600 gallons per hour.

Tarps

*We distributed 2,000 tarps to ensure protection for families in Cite Soleil. We are working in partnership with 66 pastors to register neediest in their communities. Thousands people are currently living on the streets with inadequate shelter.

*This week we will receive an additional 8,000 tarps to serve 2,000 families.  Each family receives 2 high quality overhead tarps and two ground tarps.

*We have provided approximately 10,000 individuals with temporary shelter.

Media Resources/Articles

Miami Herald—Haiti Struggles to Keep Up with Births

Chalmers Center—Haiti: When Helping Hurts Webinar Series

World Relief—Vecia Photo book

World Relief—Haiti Earthquake Center

World Relief/Joanna Mayhew blog—New Foundations

Haiti Jobs

Communications Officer

World Relief International is hiring for a 3 to 6 month post for Communications Officer in Haiti.  The position is posted on www.worldrelief.org/jobs.

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