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Haiti

Haiti: Hurricane Matthew - Situation Report No. 24 (22 November 2016)

Attachments

This report is produced by OCHA in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It was issued by the Hurricane Matthew Emergency Response Team and covers the period from 19 to 22 November 2016. The next report will be issued on 25 November.

Main Points

  • Early data indicate that 82 per cent of the targeted population in 16 communes of the Grand’Anse and Sud departments received cholera vaccination between 8 and 18 November.

  • An intersectoral Cash Working Group has been activated that will be led by the Government of Haiti, co-chaired by WFP and CARE, and facilitated by OCHA through secretariat support.

  • After further assessments on the affected people and their needs, the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) has revised the Flash Appeal, which is now seeking an additional US$19 million. Pending Government approval, the new appeal seeks $139 million.

  • Since week 43 in Sud and week 44 in Grand’Anse, the number of suspected cholera cases has started to decline, while the national weekly figure remains around 1,200 cases.

116,000+ Children require school and learning materials (Source: UNICEF)

546,000 Women and girls have reproductive health needs (Source: UNFPA)

651,177 People vaccinated against cholera (8-18 November) (Source: UNICEF)

$580 million Estimated in damages to agricultural sector (Source: FAO)

Situation Overview

Following the hurricane, tens of thousands of people are still in temporary shelters and require urgent help to build a more durable shelter for their longer-term recovery. Another half of million people are estimated to have sought refuge with friends, family, and neighbors, or resorted to makeshift temporary shelters. To assess the feasibility of a market-based shelter response, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) and other humanitarian partners recently conducted an Emergency Market Mapping and Analysis (EMMA) in eight communes in Grand’Anse and Sud. Regarding the market of corrugated galvanized iron (CGI) sheets for roofing, the analysis found that as the CGI market is functional and has the capacity to deliver the required quantities of sheeting, a market-based response to shelter needs is feasible. However, the quality of available materials was generally low and prices had risen. Market-based shelter responses should be complemented by “build back better” training for affected communities and support to markets.

The most visible market impact of the hurricane is the surge in demand for CGI. This surge is creating bottlenecks at the level of importers and wholesalers, which cause delays in delivery. Often, the quantity delivered to wholesalers or mid-level wholesalers does not correspond to the initial purchase request and fails to satisfy all customers. One of the recommendations of the analysis is the importance of cash- for-work to rehabilitate markets and access roads, and to enable entire communities to have better market access more quickly.

In terms of food, WFP will publish final results of its food market analysis (VAM) this week, based on an assessment of 22 markets in affected areas. The preliminary results of the VAM has found a decrease in market activity, significant price increases in both staple and imported products, and a strong continued dependence on food assistance. Cash-based assistance was found to be a feasible modality for meeting food security needs in the three most affected departments.

A collective approach to engaging and communicating with affected communities is critical to establish trust and ensure effective humanitarian response. Internews has set up a “Humanitarian Information Service”, which gathers feedback from affected populations to directly address the issues that concern them the most, and to help humanitarian partners integrate their voices into their programming and interventions. Through partner coordination and training, the feedback gathered is the basis for two outputs: information for the affected people and information for the humanitarian community.

Humanitarian partners and Internews will also conduct a rapid assessment on the most pressing information needs among affected communities to support humanitarian organizations to provide timely and coherent information.

After its temporary suspension during the election period, from 19 to 22 November, MINUSTAH will resume the provision of armed escorts and support to humanitarian convoys on 23 November. Nonetheless, humanitarian partners have been requested to carry out distribution activities through alternatives that will minimize the need for using escorts. WFP and other partners are working towards this approach.

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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
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