Haiti earthquake disaster relief
National Disaster
- Earthquake
- 7.0 Magnitude
- Devastates Port-au-Prince (Haiti Capital)
Official Death Toll
- 112,250 dead
- 194,000 injured
- unknown number are missing
as of 24th Jan 2010
Response
Extensive damage to the nations capital including Hospitals, government agencies, buildings housing international organisations have been severly damaged or destroyed completely.
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u.n. situation reports
Haiti: Earthquake Situation Report #13 - 25 Jan 2010
- 200,000 family sized tents are requested to support the one million people displaced by the earthquake. Only a fraction of the required tents are in country or in the pipeline, according to IOM.
- Tens of millions of ready-to-eat meals are required to meet the needs of 2 million people for 15 days.
- Haiti's Ministry of Health is revising its emergency response strategy and will gradually shift focus from emergency surgical cases to primary health care. Thousands of amputees will require physical therapy.
- Some 500 Haitian patients are being treated in nine hospitals in the Dominican Republic. The influx of patients requiring emergency care in these hospitals is declining.
- The distribution of assistance continues in Port-au-Prince and other affected areas such as Jacmel, Carrefour, Leogane and Petit Goave. Tents, food, health (post-operative care and epidemiological surveillance), sanitation and hygiene are the priorities for assistance.
Haiti: Earthquake Situation Report #12 - 24 jan 2010
- As of 24 January, the Government estimates the death toll from the 12 January earthquake at 112,250 deaths and 194,000 injured.
- More than 235,000 people have left Port-au-Prince using the free transportation provided by the Government. The largest influx, some 62,000 people, is in Artibonite department.
- Ready-to-eat meals are needed for the short term to cover food needs.
- The number of people living in temporary shelter sites in Port-au-Prince could be as high as 800,000, according to the Shelter Cluster.
- Water continues to be distributed daily at 115 sites in Port-au-Prince reaching an estimated 235,000 people.
- The number of injured people that need surgical interventions is diminishing, according to WHO/PAHO.
- Traffic congestion is major issue in Port-au-Prince, especially in the area of the airport.
Haiti: Earthquake Situation Report #11 - 22 Jan 2010
- The Government has declared the search and rescue phase over. There were 132 live rescues by international search and rescue teams.
- Humanitarian relief efforts continue to scale up in Port-au-Prince, Jacmel, Leogane and other affected areas.
- The number of people leaving Port-au-Prince is increasing daily. More than 130,000 people have taken advantage of the Government's offer of free transportation to cities in the north and south west.
- FAO estimates that the number of people leaving cities for rural areas could reach one million, putting pressure on already vulnerable communities.
- WHO reports that despite difficult conditions, there are no reported outbreaks of communicable diseases including cholera, measles and rubella.
- There are enough fuel supplies in country for the next two-three weeks until the port is likely rehabilitated to receive new supplies.
Haiti: Earthquake Situation Report #10 - 21 Jan 2010
- Aid is getting through to more and more locations. Water is available at many water points throughout Port-au-Prince but quality remains an issue.
- Tens of thousands of people still do not have access to shelter. The Government is identifying sites for temporary settlements.
- Untreated injuries, infectious diseases and sanitary conditions remain a priority concern to prevent death.
- Some 150 planes are landing daily at the Port-au-Prince airport and another 1,000 planes are waiting to get in. The road from the Dominican Republic remains the best option for the majority of incoming cargo.
- The Port-au-Prince port is functional and can receive 250 containers per day with the goal of 350 containers per day by 25 January.
Haiti: Earthquake Situation Report #9 - 20 Jan 2010
- The Government estimates that 75,000 people have been killed, 200,000 injured and one million displaced by the earthquake that struck on 12 January.
- IOM estimates that some 370,000 people are living in makeshift settlements throughout the city with limited access to water and sanitation.
- People continue to leave Port-au-Prince for unaffected areas in the south and south west of the country.
- A strong 6.1 magnitude aftershock struck Petit Goave on 20 January at 06:03 local time. Search and rescue teams were deployed and reported no new deaths but some injuries.
- Priorities for assistance remain medical assistance, food, water, shelter, as well as fuel and transportation equipment to support the relief operation.
Haiti: Earthquake Situation Report #8 - 19 Jan 2010
Emergency relief distributions are continuing on a daily basis. They include food, water, water purification tablets, medical supplies and shelter material. However, a formal distribution system is not yet in place and the needs are greater than the response. Search and rescue and the delivery of assistance are increasingly moving beyond Port-au-Prince to other affected areas such as Jacmel, Carrefour and Legouane.
Search-and-rescue operations continued on 19 January, with reports of an additional four more live rescues late in the day. The live saves included a 22-day-old baby and a 3-year-old child. There were an additional two trapped people confirmed alive with rescues ongoing at the time of reporting. The revised number of live rescues by these teams is now over 121 people (due to new reporting into UNDAC by departing search-and-rescue teams). At the peak of the search-and-rescue effort, there were 52 teams on the ground with 1,820 rescue workers and 175 dogs. As of 19 January, there are 36 international search-and-rescue teams remaining. Teams have been asked to continue working past the immediate life-saving phase to assist with humanitarian activities should they have the capacity to do so.
The Government has devised eight zones for the distribution of humanitarian assistance. Each zone will receive direct support by a national minister to coordinate the relief effort. These include: 1) Petionville and Kenscoff; 2) Carrefour; 3) Gressier; 4) Petit Goave, Grand Goave and Leogane; 4) Tabarre; 5) Cabaret and Croix de Bouquets; 6) Delmar; 7) Jacmel; and 8) Port au Prince Municipality.
Haiti: Earthquake Situation Report #7 - 18 Jan 2010
Urban Search-and-Rescue (USAR) activities continue with an additional two live rescues reported on 18 January. The total number of live rescues is 90 people by the USAR teams. USAR will continue operations and teams are increasingly reaching out to affected areas outside Port-au-Prince. The immediate priorities for the wider humanitarian response continue to be medical assistance, corpse management, shelter, water, and food and sanitation.
MINUSTAH reports that the overall security situation in Port-au-Prince remains stable, with limited, localized violence and looting occurring. It has assessed that most security incidents have been reported from areas that were categorized as high risk prior to the earthquake. Military escorts are required for the delivery of humanitarian assistance. The Government has declared a state of emergency throughout the country and national mourning for one month until 17 February.
The Government is prioritizing a rapid return to economic activities through the establishment of food and cash-for-work programmes, and through efforts to re-establish power and remove debris from roads. The Government has further advised severely affected populations to leave the city if they have family or friends in non-affected areas. To this end, it provided cash and fuel to a transport company to provide free transport. Reports have been received that thousands of displaced are leaving Port-au-Prince for rural areas.
Local banks have announced their plans to open 30 to 40 distribution points within the week for the population to access their bank accounts. WFP reports that ad hoc sales of fruits and vegetables are sporadically beginning in the city. However, access to staple foods remains extremely difficult and expensive. Long, chaotic lines are forming at the few gas pumps that still work.
A slot system has been created for Port-au-Prince airport by the US Government. Slots are given pending the size of aircraft (bigger aircraft take longer to offload and take more space); aircraft requiring ramp space (small aircraft are parked on the grass, requiring no ramp space); and cargo transported as per priorities.
On 17 January, a technical assessment mission was carried out by IOM, the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) and Haitian Government officials at Croix des Bouquets to gauge the area's suitability as a possible location for a large 100,000-person settlement. Further assessments were planned for 18 January with the aim of not just setting up a temporary settlement, but also starting construction of new houses with IADB funding.
An initial assessment by the United Nations Environment Programme, from 13 to 17 January, indicated no major acute environmental emergencies, but enormous issues for the anticipated recovery phase. The most urgent issues include waste management, medical waste, disposal of corpses and disposal of demolition material.
Haiti: Earthquake Situation Report #6 - 17 Jan 2010
- Search and rescue teams extracted 13 more live rescues on 16 January bringing the total by these teams to 71 people, a record amount. A small number of additional rescues were reported today.
- Fuel remains an issue for humanitarian operations. Fuel restrictions are now in place. Some 10,000 gallons were trucked in from Santo Domingo on 17 January.
- The port remains unusable; incoming vessels are being re-directed to Cap-Haitien. The Portau-Prince airport is heavily congested.
- Four distribution sites will be established at Petionville Club, two soccer fields in Delmas, and on Place Dessaline on Champ de Mars.
- Tents and shelter material will be required for temporary shelter sites in the coming week. At least 20,000 tents will be needed with only 3-4,000 tents already in country.
Haiti: Earthquake Situation Report #5 - 16 Jan 2010
- Fuel for humanitarian operations will only last 2 to 3 more days before operations will be forced to cease. A fuel distribution mechanism is required urgently.
- 27 Urban Search and Rescue teams are deployed across priority locations with approximately 1,500 rescue workers and 115 dogs. There have been 58 live rescues so far by these teams.
- A joint UNDAC/EU/WFP assessment found 80-90 percent of the buildings destroyed in Leogane and 40-50 percent in Carrefour and Gressier.
- Priorities for assistance continue to be search and rescue, medical services, shelter, food and water.
- IOM estimates that 200,000 families (up to one million people) are in need of immediate shelter and non-food assistance.
- Major health concerns include untreated trauma wounds and infection of wounds.
OCHA SitRep #4 - 15 Jan 2010
- Logistics and the lack of transport remain the key constraints to the delivery of aid. Needs are still being identified as access becomes possible and as assessments begin to take place.
- Displaced populations are currently scattered across multiple locations where there is open space. Temporary shelters urgently need to be established.
- Fifteen sites have been identified for distribution of relief items. WFP reached 13,000 people today with food, jerry cans and water purification tablets (provided by IOM).
- 26 search-and-rescue teams are on the ground and deployed to priority sites. No additional urban search-and-rescue teams should be deployed at this stage.
Remarks from UN Secretary Ban Ki-Mon 15/1/2010
"Reports on the extent of the devastation in Haiti are still coming in, each seemingly worse than the last...
"Distribution of food and medical supplies has begun in Port au Prince, supplemented increasingly by the aid beginning to arrive from the outside.
"Logistics are extremely difficult. The airport is open, as you know, but capacity is limited. A lack of transport and fuel is also hampering efforts. Many roads remain blocked.
"That said, the international community's response has been generous and robust, and we are gearing up rapidly and effectively despite the challenging circumstances...
"(Regarding casualty figures)... We cannot do more than guess at the total dead and injured. You have seen the various estimates. There is no point in my speculating further...
QUESTION:
Mr. Secretary-General, how would you say that the coordination effort is working; is this a coordinated effort?
SG: You should understand that we are still less than 3 full days after this earthquake struck. The situation has been quite dramatic - beyond control and beyond imagination – and the assistance and solidarity has been significant. This situation has been quite overwhelming. In that regard, we should at least be more patient and more understanding about what is happening. But considering this very chaotic situation, I think the coordination has been maintained... This assistance has been coming from all around the world. At the same time, there is clearly some lack of coordination. The roads are still not all open and there are some problems in delivering the assistance materials. But as time goes by, I am sure that we will be more coordinated...
United Nations World Food Program Update - 15th Jan 2010
WFP is gearing up to distribute ready-to-eat food rations to 2 million people in quake-stricken Haiti because, with so many homes and buildings destroyed, most people have no access to cooking facilities.
Logistics hub
The airport is heavily congested; aviation fuel is in short supply and planes attempting to land have been held in holding patterns for up to two hours. The airport in neighbouring Dominican Republic is also becoming congested. WFP is actively exploring alternative routes to bring food assistance into Haiti, by road and sea.
WFP has established a logistics hub in neighbouring Dominican Republic and has begun acquiring logistical assets that will help deliver assistance without unduly impacting on the country's crippled logistics infrastructure.
Two convoys from Dominican Republic managed to get across border into Haiti on Thursday and arrived at Port-au Prince by early evening - estimated travel time is 12-18 hours.
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