This report covers the period of 01/01/06 to 31/12/06 of a two-year planning and appeal process.
In a world of global challenges, continued poverty, inequity, and increasing vulnerability to disasters and disease, the International Federation with its global network, works to accomplish its Global Agenda, partnering with local community and civil society to prevent and alleviate human suffering from disasters, diseases and public health emergencies.
In Brief
Goal: The overall goal of the Federation in Haiti is to strengthen the capacities of the HNRCS to more effectively meet the needs of vulnerable people and become an increasingly relevant partner for civil society.
Programme Summary: After a revision of the 2006-2007 Plan of Action that focused mainly on the Federation's support to the Haitian National Red Cross Society (HNRCS) and ensured prioritization in view of reduced human and financial resources, the Haiti Delegation fought a constant battle in light of limited donor support. Nevertheless, the HNRCS with the support of the Federation has used this year to accomplish significant achievements in the field of disaster management, in particular through the implementation of the "Kouri di Vwazin 'W" project which seeks to save lives during the hurricane season through awareness-raising. Another area that has seen noteworthy progress is Health, in particular with the roll out of the "Club 25" concept. In the area of Organizational Development, the Federation provided support for the training of new governance in local branches.
However, in spite of these achievements, programme implementation was seriously hindered by constrained resources. The response to the Federation's 2006-2007Appeal for Haiti has been very disappointing, and as a result many of the planned activities could not be implemented. In general, Haiti needs more funds for the implementation of the 2006-2007 appeal than it received in 2006.
During the year the Federation's team was reduced substantially in size, with the number of delegates dropping from seven at the beginning of the year to only two at the end. In 2007 a more sustainable model should be made up of a single Federation representative with relevant background in OD and who is based within the Haitian National Red Cross Society.
Needs: Total 2006-2007 budget CHF 4,527,058 (USD 3,625,294; EUR 2,802,436), out of which 35% is covered. Revised 2006 Appeal target: CHF 2,277,496 (USD 1,912,719; EUR 1,435,130), of which 70% is covered. Click here to go directly to the attached financial report.
No. of people we help: The Haiti Delegation focuses on building the capacities of the Haitian National Red Cross Society. Therefore, the direct beneficiary of the delegation's programmes is the National Society - its staff at headquarters and branch level, governance bodies and volunteers. .
Our Partners: 5 partners from within the movement 4 United Nations agencies 2 international organizations
Current context
With the weakest economy in the western hemisphere and the lowest development indicators of the Americas, Haiti has long been highly vulnerable, and 2006 was no exception.
The Presidential and Parliamentary elections at the beginning of the year brought about uncertainty and unrest. The situation has been relatively calm since the national elections were held in February and the newly elected President took office in May. However, security remains an ongoing concern and gang violence and kidnappings, especially in Port-au-Prince, continue to be a constant threat and have impact upon the work carried out in Haiti by development and humanitarian agencies.
The biggest threats faced by the Haitian population and the HNRCS are the environmental events that continue to challenge the development of the country. This year, tropical storm Chris led to heavy rainfall which resulted in extensive flooding. Subsequently, tropical storm Ernesto passed over Haiti's southern coast and became a category 1 hurricane as it started to leave Haitian territory. The very heavy rainfall that accompanied this system caused considerable damage. Then at the end of November, Haiti experienced extreme weather in many regions of the country, again causing serious flooding. All three of these events affected many people, leaving them homeless, injured and more vulnerable than before.
In response to these natural disasters, the National Society provided assistance in cooperation with other agencies and distributed relief goods to the worst affected families. In addition, material for sanitation and hygiene activities was supplied to help affected families return to their normal lives. Other areas where the NS proved to be of inestimable value were evacuation, follow-up after disasters and participation in coordination meetings.
These emergency situations had a significantly negative impact on the progress of the programmes. In this annual report, however, both the achievements and the constraints will be highlighted.