Home » Archive » USAID Disaster Assistance » National Hurricane Center »
	USAID Responds to Cyclone Nargis USAID's Guide to Effective Giving Center for International Disaster Information ReliefWeb
	09/26/08: USAID Sponsored Haitian Diaspora Investment Challenge Facility 09/24/08: USAID Announces Haiti Diaspora Investment Challenge 09/20/08: U.S. Offers New Direct Humanitarian Aid to Cuban Government; Humanitarian Organizations Set to Move U.S. Aid to Cuba 09/16/08: USAID Adminstrator Announces $9 million in Aid to Haiti 09/10/08: USAID Hurricane Assistance to Haiti Now at $19.5 Million
	Field Operations Guide for Disaster Assessment and Response Mitigation Practitioner's Handbook UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Get Acrobat Reader...
	Advanced Search... Search USAID Personnel... Search USAID Documents...

USAID Assistance to Haiti

September 29, 2008

KEY DEVELOPMENTS

A resident of Gonaïves who received vegetable oil from USAID.

• On September 26, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that road travel remains disrupted due to collapsed bridges, damaged dykes, flooded roads, and landslides. The U.N. Development Program is leading the interagency effort to strengthen Haiti’s dyke system. Several non-governmental organizations are willing to implement cash-for-work programs to assist with infrastructure repair.
• OCHA reported that as of September 26, the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) Humanitarian Air Services had one operational helicopter and expected the second to be ready in the coming days. A third helicopter is scheduled to be operational by October 10.
• To date, the total value of U.S. Government (USG) humanitarian assistance in response to recent storms is more than $30 million.

Humanitarian Assistance Fact Sheets

09/29/08: Haiti Storms Fact Sheet #12 (pdf, 95kb )
09/29/08: Haiti Storms Map Book #12 (pdf, 4mb )
09/10/08: Hurricane Season 2008 Fact Sheet #3 (pdf, 133kb)
09/10/08: Hurricane Season 2008 Map Book #3 (pdf, 1.2mb )

FY 2008 HUMANITARIAN FUNDING PROVIDED TO DATE FOR 2008 ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON

1 Internally displaced persons (IDPs)
2 This amount includes actual assistance provided and funds allocated for forthcoming assistance as of September 22, 2008.
3 USAID’s Office of Food for Peace (USAID/FFP)
4 This amount does not include previos USAID/FFP contributions in response to other emergencies in FY 2008.
u5 U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)
6 U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

CURRENT SITUATION

• According to a USAID implementing partner, local staff conducted an assessment of Petite Riviere de l’Artibonite, Artibonite Department, and determined ongoing needs for food assistance. As of September 27, approximately 1,194 IDPs remained in seven shelters. Prior to September 24, when local staff began preparing basic hot food for the IDPs, people residing in shelters either were not eating or were scavenging for bananas, bread, or crackers.
• According to local staff, those people whose homes remained intact have returned, while the population remaining in the shelters lacks cash to purchase staple food items.
• According to WFP, as of September 28, the city of Les Cayes in South Department was experiencing fuel shortages. The USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (USAID/DART) and U.N. staff continue to monitor the situation. On September 27, the USAID/DART received similar reports regarding shortages in Cap Haitien in North Department. U.N. staff are working to confirm the information.
• On September 28, WFP reported ongoing problems with the Miragoane bridge, which was submerged under Miragoane Lake. Because the lake’s drainage system remained blocked and the lake continued to rise, humanitarian partners anticipated that the bridge would remain submerged for several additional days. The GOH Ministry of Public Works, Transportation, and Communications is working on a temporary bypass for the bridge. A completion date is unavailable.

  Food Security

• At present, USAID/FFP has 7,000 metric tons (MT) of food aid in Port au Prince and 10,000 MT of food aid in regional warehouses. In addition, 5,000 MT of emergency food are scheduled to arrive in Haiti between September 28 and 29. On September 29, partners of USAID/FFP expect to have 22,000 MT of food in country. The total amount of food in country as of September 29 will benefit more than 700,000 people over the following nine months.
• WFP continues to work through implementing partners Caritas and CARE to provide a rolling food distribution in Gonaïves. The most recent distribution began on September 23, will provide sufficient food for 240,000 people, and continues to move throughout Gonaïves, section by section. Humanitarian staff report that the food aid has diffused tensions.
• USAID/FFP has provided support to WFP. The USAID/DART continues to monitor the ongoing distributions and situation.

  Health

• According to OCHA, the U.N. World Health Organization (WHO) has noted that the health status of flood-affected populations remains immeasurable due to the lack of baseline data, hindering a comparative analysis. WHO has reported sporadic cases of fever due to malaria and dengue as well as diarrhea in North East, Artibonite, and South East departments.

  Education

• The Government of Haiti Ministry of Education reports that over 50 schools were destroyed, and more than 500 sustained significant damage. 
• Many of the schools that were not destroyed were pressed into service as temporary shelters for individuals displaced by the storms and flooding.
• The opening of the school year was delayed by one month, to early October, and teachers are not yet receiving their salaries.
• Links found at www.cidi.org provide additional information about organizations working to support Haiti’s education and other sectors.

  Humanitarian Coordination

• On September 26, the USAID/DART met with members of the U.N. Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) Americas Support Team and discussed coordination concerns in Gonaïves. To date, humanitarian partners have highlighted ongoing issues regarding effective coordination and communication between humanitarian actors and international agencies.

  Logistics and Relief Supplies

• As of September 26, the USG had transported 1,608.1 MT of emergency relief commodities provided by USAID/OFDA, WFP, and multiple relief organizations on 130 missions to and within Haiti using a combination of DOD and DHS air and sea assets as well as three USAID/OFDA-chartered aircrafts. The USS Kearsarge departed Haiti on September 26.

  Shelter

• The USAID/DART reported that on September 26, the shelter and non-food item (NFI) cluster group met to discuss results from recent distributions and future needs. According to Le Groupe d’Appui aux Rapatriés et Réfugiés, the storms destroyed 1,608 houses and damaged 911 homes and several churches and schools in Fonds Verrette village, West Department. The next shelter and NFI cluster group meeting is scheduled for September 29.

  Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene

• On September 26, the U.N. Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced the arrival of an interim UNICEF water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) cluster coordinator. The interim cluster coordinator will be responsible for overall coordination for all WASH activities in Haiti. The cluster has scheduled a meeting for September 30 to discuss concerns of implementing partners and donor agencies, ongoing response efforts, and future planning.

USG HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

Haiti

• On September 2, U.S. Ambassador Janet A. Sanderson issued a disaster declaration in response to Hurricane Gustav and resulting flooding throughout Haiti. In total, the USAID/DART is working to program $10 million in funding from USAID/OFDA for programs to assist disaster-affected populations in Haiti.
• On September 4, a USAID/OFDA-chartered aircraft arrived in Port au Prince, delivering USAID/OFDA emergency relief supplies including 5,088 hygiene kits, 10,800 ten-liter water containers, and 500 rolls of plastic sheeting. Worth nearly $335,000 including transport, the supplies were transported to affected areas with assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard and implementing partner the International Organization for Migration (IOM). On September 11, a second USAID/OFDA-chartered aircraft arrived with 10,200 ten-liter water containers, 5,088 hygiene kits, 700 rolls of plastic sheeting, and 2 water bladders, valued at more than $410,000, including transport. On September 26, a third USAID/OFDA-chartered aircraft arrived with 5,088 hygiene kits, 4,350 water containers, and three water bladders, valued at more than $96,000, including transport. The airlifts will benefit more than 200,000 people.
• USAID/OFDA is providing $500,000 in funding to the American Red Cross for emergency relief supplies and logistical support. Programs supported by this funding will benefit 12,000 people in Haiti’s Artibonite, Grand Anse, and South East departments.
• USAID/OFDA is committing nearly $2 million to CHF to provide livelihood assistance and support the recovery of critical social infrastructure such as roads, canals, and schools in Gonaïves, Artibonite Department, and Port Goave, West Department. This program will benefit nearly 50,000 people, including 37,000 IDPs.
• USAID/OFDA is also contributing more than $1.5 million to IOM. This assistance will support shelter and settlements projects as well as humanitarian coordination activities.
• USAID/OFDA recently provided nearly $160,000 to the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) to support the provision of emergency shelter materials for 10,000 people as well as relief supplies including tools for debris cleaning, first aid kits, and kitchen utensils, benefiting 15,000 people.
• USAID/OFDA provided $500,000 to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in response to PAHO’s appeal for funding to support health activities for individuals affected by Hurricane Gustav and Tropical Storm Hanna. This funding will assist 10,000 people.
• USAID/OFDA has committed $600,000 to Save the Children/U.S. (SC/US) to provide child friendly spaces in Artibonite, South East, and West departments. The program will benefit 20,000 people, including 5,000 children.
• USAID/OFDA committed $2 million to WFP to augment logistical capacity for delivery of humanitarian aid to affected areas.
• USAID/OFDA provided more than $660,000 to the World Concern Development Organization to improve household food security and livelihoods for approximately 5,700 farmers affected by Hurricane Hanna.
• USAID/OFDA has also committed $750,000 to implementing partner World Vision to support the distribution of emergency relief supplies and WASH activities, benefiting nearly 70,000 people.
• On September 7, USAID/OFDA authorized the deployment of a three-person Americas Support Team to Haiti to supplement the UNDAC team based in Gonaïves.
• USAID/Haiti is working to re-direct $5 million in funds toward food and other assistance to meet critical needs related to the growing humanitarian crisis.
• USAID/FFP is providing an additional $7 million in response to the U.N. flash appeal, which brings the total USAID/FFP contribution to $14 million for the U.N. flash appeal. The contribution will enable WFP and private voluntary organization (PVO) partners to respond to relief and recovery food aid needs in Haiti.
• As of September 29, DOD had provided support worth more than $1 million in response to a USAID request for helicopter transport. The contribution does not include fuel cost for the USS Kearsarge.

Back to Top ^