Attachments
Situation in numbers
3,200,000 total people affected (OCHA-HNO)
1,100,000 # of children in need of humanitarian assistance (UNICEF)
1,600,000 # of adults in need of humanitarian assistance (OCHA-HNO)
41,421 suspected cholera cases and 447 fatalities (MSPP – 1 Jan to 31 Dec 2016) (UNICEF)
12,000 # of children in situation of vulnerability (UNICEF, OCHA-HNO)
1,400,000 # of people in need of WASH assistance (OCHA-HNO)
18,000 # of children under-5 at risk of SAM 2017 (UNICEF/HNO)
SIX MONTHS AFTER HURRICANE MATTHEW
Matthew made landfall in Haiti as a Category 4 hurricane in the early hours of 4 October 2016. It arrived overnight – the worst time for such a destructive storm, as visibility in the ensuing chaos was further hampered by the darkness.
Six months after the disaster UNICEF and its partners have brought humanitarian relief to the most-affected departments and continue being operational in the affected areas. To date:
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75 schools have been rehabilitated, which has facilitated the return to class for approximately 25,000 students.
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Over 400.000 individuals received access to safe water.
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UNICEF child protection interventions reached over 9,000 children through material assistance, household-level socio-economic interventions, resettlement and medical and psycho-social care for SGBV survivors.
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UNICEF increased the number of cholera rapid-response teams from 46 nationally to 88 since the hurricane. In the 10-week period since 1 January 2017, 3,585 suspected cases of cholera have been reported compared to over 9,400 in the same period of 2016 which shows ongoing progress towards the goal of eradicating Cholera in Haiti.
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Over 80,000 people have benefitted from consultations through mobile medical clinics that UNICEF put into place to respond while heath facilities were being repaired, and ongoing nutrition screening shows needs are high with 2,506 acutely malnourished children admitted to the UNICEF supported CMAM programme in South and Grand’Anse, of which 810 SAM and 1,696 MAM.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
In the six-months since Hurricane Matthew, Haiti has been impacted by a number of events affecting the operational environment in which UNICEF response programming took place. Haiti has got a new leadership following elections at the Presidential, Legislative and Municipal levels. The transition period has seen some turbulences, including protests related to the arrest of Senator-elect Guy Philippe in Grand’Anse. Furthermore, there have been numerous security incidents related to the distribution of humanitarian aid and flooding post-hurricane in the North, posing challenges to the delivery of needed assistance to the affected populations. During the reporting period, the UN mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) is downsizing its presence in the country and is working on transitioning plans in view of preparations for ending its current mandate. All these events have contributed have posed challenges to the operating environment, nevertheless UNICEF response to the needs of people affected by Hurricane Matthew continues.
In introducing its programming to the new government, UNICEF is looking into transitioning out of Matthew emergency response, developing exit strategies toward recovery, development and preparedness for the next cyclonic season, the dissolution of emergency structures, and ensuring the continuation of existing projects.