Progress, Gaps and Plans in Humanitarian
Action
Supporting a Transformative Agenda for Children
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The earthquake that devastated Haiti on the 12th January 2010 killed over 220,000 people, injuring over 300,000 and causing up to 4,000 amputations. Three million people, or 30 per cent of the population, have been affected; almost 1.3 million are living in temporary shelters in over 400 spontaneous sites in the Port-au-Prince area, while more than 600,000 have moved to outlying areas, including some 300,000 children.
This disaster has been a children's emergency: nearly 1.5 million children have been directly affected by the disaster; many more remain at risk and continue to require assistance and protection. Girls and boys, who make up almost half of the population, are among the most vulnerable groups.
Already before the earthquake, Haiti's children were up against unfavourable indicators: one in every 13 infant died before the age of five; over 30 per cent of Haitians under the age of five were chronically undernourished; 55 per cent of school-aged children were out of school; 50,000 were in some 600 residential care facilities; an estimated 2,000 girls and boys were trafficked across borders annually.
In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, the logistical, communication and coordination challenges were massive: the capital was debilitated with damaged and destroyed infrastructure, including key Government buildings and entry points into Port-au-Prince like the seaport. UN capacity was weakened by the loss of lives under the collapsed building, while UNICEF staff lost family members and homes. Despite this, the mobilisation of international humanitarian assistance in support of the Government of Haiti has been on a scale rarely - if ever - seen in the past, thanks to the generosity, commitment and support of governments, partners, and the public.
UNICEF's global response to this rapid-onset emergency has been unprecedented. UNICEF has taken extraordinary measures to mobilise some 300 staff and consultants from around the world to work on the Clusters response, programmes and operations. There were visits from the Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, senior management, and from various National Committees.
To help address the unprecedented devastation and the subsequent logistical constraints, the UNICEF Country Office in the Dominican Republic established a support hub of a fluctu-ating 20 - 25 staff, called Lifeline Haiti (LLH). The hub has sup-ported the needs of Haitian earthquake victims in delivering services at the border, facilitating relief efforts and the flow of supplies into the country.
UNICEF, in line with its Core Commitments for Children and with its partners, has been delivering life-saving assistance to Haitian children in the sectors of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), nutrition, and health. As part of its commitments, UNICEF has been providing children with a sense of safety and normalcy through designated spaces and materials for education, recreation, and early childhood development. UNICEF has also been working towards building and strengthening systems to protect girls, boys and women from violence, exploitation, abuse and neglect.
In accordance with its inter-agency commitments, UNICEF, in close partnerships with respective Ministries, is leading the Clusters in WASH, Nutrition, Education together with Save the Children, and the Sub-Cluster in Child Protection. UNICEF is also working with WHO and the Ministry of Health on resuming and expanding primary health care services.
It is clear that the humanitarian action taken over the past three months has averted a post-earthquake crisis. There have been no outbreaks of diseases or epidemics so far. Much however, remains to be done. With the upcoming rainy and hurricane seasons, the relocation of displaced people to safer shelters, along with the provision of basic services and the protection of children and women, remain a priority.
UNICEF, with its partners, will continue to support the relief operations and assist in the reconstruction and recovery phase. Children must re-main at the forefront of the reconstruction, recovery, and development processes. It is important that children's voices are heard, their rights are upheld, and their needs are addressed. UNICEF Haiti's three priorities for 2010 include:
1. Ensuring that children are in school;
2. Preventing and addressing the threat of under-nutrition in chil-dren;
3. Protecting the most vulnerable from violence, exploitation, abuse and neglect.
UNICEF's response has been possible due to the generous support pro-vided by donors, including Governments, National Committees, and indi-viduals. Implementing partners have been central to ensuring that ser-vices and supplies have been delivered to beneficiaries. UNICEF acknowl-edges the tremendous efforts undertaken by voluntary organizations and individuals. Particularly commendable is the courage and commitment demonstrated by Haitians inside the country and abroad, within UNICEF, among displaced persons, in camp committees, and all those who have dedicated their efforts to assisting the country.
The challenge now is to build a Haiti with a transformative agenda to make it a better place for all children and youth. We are taking a step further: as an example, we are going beyond the "back to school" ap-proach to an "all children in school" approach. Haiti's recovery must be-gin with its children and their communities. Only with children at the centre of the reconstruction effort can we build a new Haiti - a Haiti Fit for Children.