Situation Report

In an earlier post we referred to the reality that at some point more critical analysis will eventually emerge concerning the emergency and development response to the Haitian earthquake. It now appears that some key insights are beginning to roll in. But before we get into it here, we must all acknowledge that there is no way to get such huge catastrophes and the commensurate humanitarian reaction 100% right. We learn better responses as we progress from crisis to crisis, and the Haitian emergency will be no different.The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) published one of its key situation reports in March and the observations are instructive. In and around the Cap-Haitian municipality, the most current assessment discovered that 40,000 displaced individuals are greatly straining the historic resources that existed before the earthquake struck.  Food is still a huge need, and not all of it is getting out as it should. Homelessness is a clear problem, with many such affected individuals living with “host” families as they seek to work out their future. It appears likely that not enough land has been apportioned for displaced individuals and further statements are being called for.Non-governmental organizations are reporting that customs clearance procedures are holding up materials destined for transitional shelters and food distribution. One of the more curious findings is that a growing percentage of people coming to camps and shelters are people actually not affected by the earthquake. It remains unclear as to why this is transpiring.An International Organization of Migration health unit discovered that in 21 sites only some 57% of the emergency latrines were being used, and then only partly. A further 33% were not being used at all due to difficulties in accessing these latrines. Some of the set-ups for these latrines had no seating facilities, gave insufficient privacy and weren’t separated by gender. More troubling still, 30 per cent of the sites reported incidents of sexual violence and a number of other sites didn’t have latrines at all, leading to significant concerns for the health of the inhabitants.It’s comforting to note that hundreds of thousands of children have received vaccinations, yet thousands more have yet to be reached. CIDA has done a commendable job in coordinating with the US Centre For Disease Control and the Cuban Medical Brigade to train clinical staff in all the large Port-au-Prince settlements on how to look for and chronicle specific diseases.  Outside of the capital, however, a significant shortage of health coverage is being recognized but not yet filled.Vulnerable populations (women, children, elders, persons with disabilities, and others) are still a long way from having their needs met for shelter.  And in the field of education, with so many school buildings being destroyed or remaining unsafe, there is still a chronic shortage of structures for learning, especially with the rains coming.The Canadian troop withdrawal from the island appears to have had some unintended consequences, such as only one relief plane per day arriving since the Canadians departed. A certain confusion remains as to why the heavy lifting equipment was removed along with the troops, as it’s still required.  The Canadian military was only there on a limited timeframe, but perhaps consideration could be given to returning a small troop component along with the equipment.This is a lot of information to digest, but for those who donated to the Haiti cause it is important to keep up with the latest objective analysis.  It’s an ongoing narrative coupled with ongoing assessments. Our job as citizens is to stay attentive and follow developments closely. Canada – government, NGOs, and the private sector – have performed remarkably.  Trouble is, there’s still so terribly far to go.