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Haiti

Haiti: Hurricane Matthew - Situation Report No. 12 (17 October 2016)

Attachments

This report is produced by OCHA Haiti in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It was issued by OCHA Haiti and covers the period of 15-17 October 2016. The next report will be issued on 19 October

Highlights

  • 2.1 million people are affected throughout the country.

  • 546 are dead and 128 missing.

  • 806,000 people are at an extreme impact level of food insecurity.

  • 10,000 children need protection from exploitation, violation, and abuse.

  • 34 cholera treatment centres are completely destroyed

2.1 million
Affected people
Source: United Nations and Government

1.4 million
People need humanitarian aid
Source: United Nations and Government

750,000
People require urgent help
Source: United Nations and Government

175,509
People displaced
Source: United Nations and Government

Situation Overview

On 4 October, Hurricane Matthew violently struck Haiti and resulted in the country’s largest humanitarian emergency since the 2010 earthquake. It caused extensive flooding and mudslides, damage to road infrastructure and buildings, and electricity and water shortages. As of 14 October 2016, the Directorate of Civil Protection (CPD) of Haiti had confirmed 546 deaths and 128 people missing.

Though access continues to be gained to more affected areas, the poor conditions and lack of infrastructure – especially in the rural areas – continue to impede progress to the more remote parts of the country. Humanitarian needs are said to include access to a sufficient supply of quality water, education, shelter, child protection, health, and nutrition.

The Directorate of Civil Protection (DPC) of the Government of Haiti has reported that at least 11 of 33 hospitals in the hard-hit departments of Grand’Anse, Nippes, and Sud sustained damage following the hurricane. The storm also damaged most of the cholera treatment centers of Grand’Anse and affected 34 of 212 centers for treatment of acute diarrhea countrywide.

Today, more than 40 per cent of the 1.4 million people who need humanitarian assistance are children, and who are mainly in the Grand’Anse and Sud Departments. Another 40 per cent – approximately 546,000 people – are women of reproductive age, according to the UN’s specialized agencies. With the promise of official shelters set to close, there is a fear that displaced people will cause overcrowding in the homes of families and friends, or on the streets. UN agencies have also reported migration from rural areas to the towns as people look for food. These have raised multiple concerns for the safety of children and families, especially with the increased risk of food insecurity, malnutrition, and vulnerability to violence – including sex- and gender-based violence (SGBV), exploitations, and disease.

A national NGO reported on 15 October that it had cleared the coastal road between Anse d’Hainault and Les Irois communes in the Grand’Anse Department, improving humanitarian access in the severelyaffected areas. The Sud Department Emergency Operations Center (COUD), however, has been reported as lacking adequate staffing, communications capacity, and organizational structure, significantly impairing the coordination of response activities in the area, according to sources that recently visited the facility.

Disclaimer

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
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