- A camp has been established in the town of Fond Parisien, West Department along the Haiti–Dominican Republic border, to accommodate the repatriation of an estimated 14,000 Haitians who crossed the border following the earthquake. WHO notes the need for additional humanitarian services at the site.
- On January 30, the Government of Haiti’s National Direction for Potable Water and Sanitation (DINEPA) communicated a plan for transitioning from water tankering to increased on-site water access, including through utilization of boreholes in low-lying to areas and support for water storage and disinfection. DINEPA also recommended that the WASH Cluster provide funding to re-establish water distribution by local vendors, with a conversion to market prices over time.
- Relief agencies recently commenced food distributions in Port-au-Prince under the new fixed distribution point system. As a part of the new Government of Haiti-led effort, the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) provided commodities, non-governmental organizations managed distributions, and the U.S. Military and U.N. Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) provided security escorts. On January 31, food distributions were successfully implemented in nine of the 16 sites [one of which CRS completed; see below], with additional distributions planned in the coming days.
- The large downtown rice distribution began on Jan. 31 in one of the three CRS-designated camps (Palace/Champ de Mars). This site is the most problematic in terms of security but the distribution went well and was relatively orderly. To date, CRS/Caritas Haiti has provided food to 113,978 people, and nonfood items to more than 20,000 people.
- On Jan 31, the CRS/Caritas Haiti medical team hired a public health specialist who will work closely with the water and sanitation team at the St. Francois de la Sale Hospital. Key objectives include implementing a one-month plan for health messaging (signs), managing the solid waste and medical waste, dealing with the sewage water that is backing up, and clearing debris from the drainage, etc.
- Water and sanitation materials for thousands of people arrived over the weekend, and include large water bladders, water treatment packs, building materials, tools, and other sanitation and construction supplies.
- Major water and sanitation efforts are underway at the St. Francois de la Sale Hospital, where CRS/Caritas Haiti is carrying out a full sanitation plan. The CRS/Caritas Haiti team delivered cleaning supplies and buckets on Jan. 31 and started putting up screens around the operating room to protect patients from the flies. The full package of water and sanitation activities will take place at the hospital, including the construction of more latrines and showers, hand washing stations, clearing of drainage, management of waste, etc. The CRS/Caritas Haiti team also selected camps downtown where today the team will start installing latrines. CRS/Caritas Haiti is identifying a local NGO with which to partner on participatory camp planning for water and sanitation in camps. The local NGO will help CRS/Caritas Haiti work with the camp committees to identify the locations for latrines, hand washing stations, showers, etc. In areas where digging is possible, latrines can be built within two days. For many of the urban camps set on concrete, CRS/Caritas Haiti is contracting companies that rent portable latrines, and then will de-sludge the port-a-potties on a regular basis to maintain sanitation.
- The CRS team has started recruitment for technical engineers and field technical staff.
- The last of the materials for shelter kits for 180,000 people were due to arrive on February 1.
- The distribution of shelter kits at Pétionville Club and in other camps is set to start this week.
For more information about CRS’s efforts in Haiti go to http://crs.org/.
