WFP Haiti Country Brief, January 2017

Highlights

• According to the latest results of the Emergency Food Security Assessment (EFSA), food insecurity halved in the areas most affected by Hurricane Matthew. However, high levels of food insecurity persist in the North-West, Artibonite and La Gonave regions, where little assistance was provided.

• Four months after Hurricane Matthew, WFP continues to support the Government in providing emergency food assistance in the most affected regions. So far, more than 900,000 people have received WFP food delivered by trucks, helicopters and ships.

Operational Updates

• In January, as part of the activities to strengthen emergency preparedness and resilience, WFP reached nearly 103,000 people with general in-kind food distribution; and 60,000 people with food assistance through cash-based transfers. Moreover, specialised nutritious food was provided to over 23,000 children aged 6 to 59 months and pregnant and nursing women.
  Since the start of the operation, WFP has assisted more than 900,000 people.

• As recovery begins, WFP will continue to provide general food distributions for one more month, using in-kind and cash-based transfers in the hurricane-affected communes of Grand-Anse, Sud, La Gonave and Nippes.

• As part of a joint initiative between FAO and WFP, the second distribution round of food rations to prevent the consumption of seeds by farmers started on 29 January. This activity targets vulnerable families in South and Grande-Anse. A total of 60,000 people were reached during the first round of distribution.

• WFP set-up a hotline service for beneficiary feedback. The service was advertised on a creole-language radio programme on 21 January, which was broadcasted in the areas affected by Hurricane Matthew.

• The ICT Working Group is working towards the rehabilitation of four local radio stations to improve community’s ability to transmit important messages and promote dialogue on humanitarian issues.

• Air support facilitated by the Logistics Working Group allowed access to remote locations across Haiti where communities have been cut off by floods, landslides and damaged infrastructure. Every day, an average of 30 passengers are transported to support distributions, conduct assessments and other humanitarian activities. The Logistics Working Group also facilitated air transport to partner organisation “Médecins Sans Frontières” using UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS)/WFP helicopters to deliver assistance in hard-to-reach areas.

• In January, WFP introduced micronutrient powders (MNP) in its school feeding, targeting 100,000 school children to ensure their nutrient needs are met.