Attachments
Highlights
• Four months after the earthquakes, the majority of children living in the most affected municipalities included in the immediate response phase have gradually returned to school and to their normal lives.
• As of January 2018, UNICEF started implementing a 6-month Early Recovery Plan, which includes actions on Education, Child Protection, Social Inclusion, Health and Nutrition, and WASH. Also, after several demands from the respective local governments, UNICEF´s intervention in this phase will expand to the State of Mexico and Guerrero with concrete education actions. At least 8.6 million children live in these two states.
• Several news reports provide current situation analysis of the different affected states, highlighting those cases which have not received yet an adequate response to particular housing, education or health needs.
• In Mexico City, the city´s government has implemented diverse actions on education, urban, justice, legal and security matters, e.g. 155 out of 422 damaged schools are being reconstructed.
• In Oaxaca, harsh windy conditions persist, making it difficult for the tents for temporary learning spaces to remain standing. A more sustainable alternative is yet to be identified. UNICEF has sought the Army’s support for technical assistance in identifying the best places to locate them. There are some 400 schools which have not received assistance yet.
Situation Overview & Humanitarian Needs
Mexico City
• According to a recent study, 71% of the people affected by the September 19 earthquake in Mexico City are women. Most of them owned their houses. Between 22-26 January, the Ministry of Social Development of Mexico City conducted the first 1,700 socioeconomic studies among affected people, finding that 71.4% lived in an independent house, 21.1% in an apartment, 6.8% in a neighbourhood (vecindad) and 0.7% in a roof room (Cuarto de azotea). 2.5% of the households visited are indigenous (mainly nahuas, mazahuas and otomies). In 16.5% of the households they found at least one person with some kind of disability. Monthly average income in these households oscillates between US$105 and US$315. Interviews were conducted in the main affected distributed to affected people. Resources come from the Reconstruction Fund. Advances on these type of studies will be disseminated on a weekly basis.
• During the 122 days since the second earthquake, the city´s government has implemented diverse actions on education, urban, justice, legal and security matters. For instance, 155 out of 422 damaged schools are being reconstructed, 135,000 tons of gravel have been recollected, almost 50,000 checks for housing support have been distributed, and 1,000 extra seismic alarms have been installed.
Oaxaca
• In Juchitan, Oaxaca, four months after the earthquake, affected people are still homeless. Progress in reconstruction activities ranges between 30% and 50%.
• During the first month of 2018, no situations of violation of protection rights have been identified by UNICEF.
• Both in Oaxaca and Mexico City, a "self-evaluation" exercise was carried out in which the facilitators of the activities in the child-friendly spaces (CFS) identified positive and negative aspects of their experience in the past three months. The facilitators mentioned that one of the greatest satisfactions is to feel part of the positive changes they observe in children and adolescents; for example, to see how they develop social skills, ability to express themselves, positive changes in mood, etc. Additionally, they believe that being part of the CFS is an enriching and rewarding experience on a personal and professional level. The negative aspects include fatigue and stress caused by work in communities highly affected by earthquakes, difficulties related to the climate (winds and rains); and the insecurity in some neighbourhoods.
• Harsh windy conditions persist in Oaxaca. Students and teachers have come up with creative ideas to protect the tents serving as temporary learning spaces. Wooden beams, bottles with sand and bricks are being used to keep walls and windows from moving. Nevertheless, a more sustainable alternative to the tents is yet to be identified. UNICEF has sought the Army’s support for technical assistance in identifying the best places to locate the tents.
• There are some 400 schools which have not received assistance yet.