Attachments
Situation in Numbers
2,246 deaths
12,763 wounded
650,000 people in need of humanitarian assistance, including 260,000 children
137,000 houses partially or completely destroyed
82 health facilities destroyed or partially damaged
738 schools partially or totally destroyed
212,000 people lost access to their drinking water source
Sources: Government of Haiti/COUN, OCHA Haiti.
Highlights
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Access to basic healthcare and safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services are still critical needs, four weeks after the devastating earthquake that hit southwestern Haiti. According to ongoing assessments, 82 health facilities have been damaged or destroyed, 56 water supply piped systems have been severely damaged and more than 1,800 water supply systems endured minor damages; 212,000 people have lost access to their drinking water source with 500,000 people needing immediate/long term support to access water supply services. Out of 1,017 assessed schools, at least 738 are partially and totally destroyed, affecting an estimated 200,000 children.
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Due to the scale and complexity of the emergency, UNICEF has activated its corporate emergency procedures, with Level 2 Emergency declaration for Haiti, triggering additional organization-wide support to scale up its response.
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UNICEF, WFP and IOM, national authorities and NGO partners conducted joint distributions to more than 6,000 families, reaching 30,000 people in several locations in Les Cayes. UNICEF provided hygiene kits, tarpaulins, mosquito nets, blankets and jerricans.
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UNICEF equipped a total of 24 mobile clinic teams with essential medical equipment/medicines, providing basic care at the community level, in 18 remote communes in the three departments.
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UNICEF is requesting US$73.3 million to respond to the humanitarian needs due to the earthquake, focusing on providing urgent support in education, WASH, health, nutrition and child protection, including gender-based violence (GBV), over the next six months, in line with the UN Flash Appeal (August 2021). These needs are also reflected in the revised funding requirements of UNICEF´s 2021 Haiti Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) appeal, which totals US$122 million.
Funding Overview and Partnerships
In its revised Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC),
UNICEF is requesting an additional US$73.3 million to deliver lifesaving support to people affected by the earthquake, in line with the Inter-Agency Flash Appeal (25 August 2021). These funds will allow UNICEF to further scale up immediate actions in critical sectors such as WASH, health, education, nutrition and child protection, while ensuring coordination support across UNICEF-led sectors, at both field and national level. It will also allow UNICEF to ensure that emergency response will lead to the long-term sustainability and system strengthening.
As of 8 September, UNICEF had received US$7,754,633 million for the earthquake response in Haiti, including recent contributions from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), and donations by private partners raised through UNICEF National Committees in France and Spain, and the United States Fund for UNICEF. In addition, Global Humanitarian Thematic Funds have been allocated to Haiti, which will be critical to cover urgent gaps thanks to its flexibility. UNICEF funding ask for the earthquake response is currently 11% funded, resources are urgently needed to scale up its actions and to prepare for the reactivation of education activities in the coming weeks.
Situation Overview and Humanitarian Needs
Humanitarian needs are rapidly growing in the aftermath of the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on 14 August 2021, badly affecting the departments of Grand'Anse, Nippes and Sud. The earthquake's devastating impact was later compounded with heavy rains from tropical depression Grace on 17 August.
While assessments are still in progress, official reports indicate more than 2,246 deaths and more than 12,763 people injured; 137,000 homes destroyed or damaged; 738 schools partially or totally destroyed (171 schools destroyed and 567 partially collapsed ); 82 health facilities damaged or destroyed; 4 56 water supply piped systems have been severely damaged and minor damage to more than 1,800 water supply systems has been reported; rendering thousands homeless and in urgent need of assistance.
According to the August 2021 UN Flash Appeal, at least 650,000 people including 260,000 children are in dire need of humanitarian assistance after the earthquake. 5 Damage to the region's already fragile infrastructure is making it difficult to access the affected areas to reach people in need, further complicating the response efforts. In addition, gangs along the routes into the peninsula from Port-au-Prince have made security an issue as the possibility of attacks on convoys remains high.