Haiti Appeal 2006-2007 No. MAAHT001

This appeal seeks CHF 3,605,351(1) to fund programmes and activities to be implemented in 2006 and 2007. These programmes are aligned with the International Federation's Global Agenda, which sets out four broad goals to meet the Federation's mission to "improve the lives of vulnerable people by mobilizing the power of humanity":
Global Agenda Goals

Reduce the numbers of deaths, injuries and impact from disasters.

Reduce the number of deaths, illnesses and impact from diseases and public health emergencies.

Increase local community, civil society and Red Cross Red Crescent capacity to address the most urgent situations of vulnerability.

Reduce intolerance, discrimination and social exclusion and promote respect for diversity and human dignity.

The International Federation's is the world's largest humanitarian organization, and its millions of volunteers are active in over 183 countries. Our aim is to build safer communities, able to prevent and respond to human suffering in times of crises and distress, and where people work together to promote hope, dignity and equity. We work to support vulnerable communities through neutral, impartial, independent humanitarian action, in accordance with our Fundamental Principles and in line with the Red Cross Red Crescent Code of Conduct, the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response, and the SPHERE Project.

Country context

In the last decade, Haiti, with the weakest economy in the western hemisphere, has endured unstable governments and several coups d'etat. The situation deteriorated dramatically in February 2004 as armed opposition groups clashed with government supporters. Violence and insecurity continue to disrupt the daily lives of Haitians and ongoing relief efforts by the Haitian National Red Cross Society (HNRCS) and international agencies. As a result of many years of economic and political instability, Haiti presents the lowest human development indicators in the entire Americas region. Half of the population has no access to safe drinking water or existing medical facilities, and the country's HIV prevalence rate is 5.6% - the highest in the Americas. Haiti is also extremely disaster-prone, lying in the Caribbean hurricane zone and on an active seismic fault line. Massive deforestation, and a burgeoning population settling increasingly in hazardous areas contribute to a high annual death-toll from landslides and flooding - in 2004, for instance, over 3,500 people were killed.

The HNRCS has a long history of involvement in humanitarian programmes, but its efforts have been hindered by structural weaknesses and the chronically unstable environment in which it works, at both governmental and civilsociety levels. Nonetheless, the National Society has successfully carried out projects in a variety of areas, including community-based disaster preparedness and response, First Aid, HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness, and the dissemination of the Humanitarian Principles. The Federation, which had a delegation working directly with the Haitian National Red Cross Society from 1989 to 1997, re-established this permanent, direct presence in 2002 to strengthen the support provided through the Santo Domingo Regional Delegation since 1997. The Federation expanded its delegation in response to the crisis of early 2004 and assisted the HNRCS in carrying out relief operations following floods and hurricane strikes later in the year and in 2005. It has also coordinated support to the HNRCS from a variety of sources - the Federation itself, the numerous Partner National Societies (PNSs) active in Haiti, the ICRC, and non-Movement agencies. The HNRCS, with Federation assistance, finalized a National Development Plan in 2003, and is engaged in the Cooperation Agreement Strategy (CAS) process. In May 2005 a three-year plan of action was endorsed by a partnership meeting in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, aligning the National Society's activities both with the Federation's Strategy 2010 and with regional agendas such as the Caribbean Regional Cooperation Agreement Strategy (RCAS) and the plan of action stemming from the XVII Inter-American Conference of 2003. In order to enhance programme impact, the 2005-2008 plan focuses on three priority geographical regions in Haiti - Upper Artibonite, the North, and the North-East. Since mid-2005 the organizational development of the National Society has materialized through the governmental recognition of its statutory independence and the subsequent General Assembly, which autonomously elected the National Society’s president.

For further information please contact:

In Haiti: Dr. Michaèle Amédée Gédéon, President, Haitian National Red Cross Society; email croroha@haitiworld.com, phone (509) 510-9813, fax (509) 223-1054

Franco Kabuela, Acting Head of Haiti Delegation, Port-au-Prince; e-mail franco.kabuela@ifrc.org, phone (509) 510 2628, fax (509) 221 2838

Luis Luna, Regional Officer; e-mail luis.luna@ifrc.org; phone (41 22) 730 42 74; fax (41 22) 733 0395;

Footnote

(1) USD 2,795,075 or EUR 2,338,144

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