Efforts To Help the Haitian People

Food Security

The ongoing political turmoil and economic deterioration in Haiti have created the potential for a humanitarian crisis, and have affected numerous aspects of development such as food security, health and nutrition, and water and sanitation. While sufficient food stocks are currently in-country and no immediate food crisis exists at present, this could change quickly in coming weeks, especially in the north, due to insecurity and disruptions in the transportation and distribution system. USAID currently has in storage, more than 11,000 metric tons of P. L. 480 Title II food commodities. The bulk of these commodities are monetized and the proceeds are used for delivering health care, education, and agricultural production services to Haiti's most food-insecure population. The rest is used for direct food distribution to Haiti's indigent populations and children's orphanages throughout the country. Most of the food stocks are under secured storage in Port-au-Prince. The World Food Program and European Union also have available for distribution, stocks of at least 5,000 metric tons, and 3,100 tons respectively.

Humanitarian Program

The U.S. Government through USAID is Haiti's largest bilateral donor. In FY03, USAID contributed $71 million. Through fiscal years 1995-2003, USAID provided a total of $850 million in direct bilateral assistance. Prior to the outbreak of violence, USAID had planned $52 million in assistance in FY04 to programs ranging from health, democracy and governance, education and economic growth. We are currently analyzing additional assistance options. To ensure that quality service delivery continues to benefit those Haitians who are most in need, USAID assistance is channeled principally through NGOs. USAID is also the lead donor in addressing critical transnational issues such as HIV/AIDS and other debilitating infectious diseases, a seriously degraded natural resource base, respect for human rights and the rule of law, and trafficking in persons.

USAID uses food aid both to supplement its humanitarian program and as a truly development tool. PL 480 Title II funds account for more than one-half of USAID/Haiti's funding. This food-assisted program promotes improvements in household food security, nutrition, and the welfare of women, children, and poor, marginal farmers in six out of the nine districts of Haiti -- affecting the lives of 640,000 poor Haitians. Emergency response is also critical. Last year, over $3 million in emergency assistance was provided to communities affected by drought and flooding.

Civil Unrest and the USAID Program

Civil unrest reached a peak in Port-au-Prince over the past week, and although not as intense, lawlessness continues and the situation remains fluid following the resignation of Aristide. There have been violent conflicts between opposition protestors and government supporters, accompanied by widespread looting, and robberies of civilians at roadblocks throughout the capital. On February 27-29, several warehouses in Port-au-Prince were looted. Reports indicate that 800 metric tons of European Union food commodities may have been taken. The manager of the food storage facilities in Port-au-Prince where USG-funded stocks are located reported that approximately five percent of the food stocks there have been looted. One of four USAID-supported Cooperating Food Sponsors, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) reported on March 1 that looters stole 30 pickup trucks from the CRS garage. In Port-au-Prince, looters also stole medical supplies.

Increasing conflict since early February has severely restricted movement of commercial goods and relief supplies, including food, fuel and medical supplies, creating difficult conditions in some areas, and for those normally dependent on food assistance. Access and distribution remain major obstacles for both humanitarian deliveries and regular consumption. USAID and its implementing partners continue to report that the primary humanitarian concerns at present stem from limited access, security, and unsafe passage for transporting and distributing relief supplies, fuel, water, and food commodities. There appears to be no massive shortages of food or other essential commodities at this time as Haiti benefited from good harvests over the last two agricultural seasons. However, an accurate assessment is difficult at present due to lack of secure access to vulnerable areas throughout the country.

Food Availability: USAID's NGO development food aid partners and the U.N. World Food Program (WFP) currently have approximately 15,000 metric tons (MT) of food stocks in country. The European Union (EU) has 2,500 MT at a warehouse and 600 MT at the port in Port-au-Prince. There is also an additional 2,000 MT available from other donors. Thus the total amount of food assistance available from all donors is approximately 20,000 MT.

Due to poverty and chronic malnutrition in Haiti, some segments of the Haitian population are vulnerable to severe malnutrition. However, daily reports from USAID's four partners in Haiti-CARE, Save the Children Foundation (SCF), World Vision International (WVI), and CRS-indicate that none believe the situation requires re-programming of planned food assistance. Region-specific reports from food aid organizations are summarized as follows:

-- WVI does not anticipate a food crisis erupting in its targeted areas of Central Plateau and Île de la Gonâve, even if distributions stop for a few months because of the strong coping mechanisms among the populations and the good December harvest. WVI is currently operating at 100 percent on Île de la Gonâve.

-- CRS reported that food supplies for orphanages in Haiti are limited and some orphanages may begin to run out of food early March. CRS is considering using existing funds to purchase food on the local market for vulnerable orphanages.

-- On February 22, looters broke into a WFP warehouse in Cap-Haïtien and took 800 metric tons (MT) of food stocks, mainly vegetable oil and pulses. Despite the loss of food stocks, WFP estimates that it still has sufficient stocks either in Haiti or en route to the country to provide assistance to 373,000 people.

-- WFP reported that the shipment of 1,200 MT of rice scheduled to arrive at the Cap-Haïtien port is on hold until the security situation improves. According to WFP, a total of 268,000 people are in need of food in the north and northeast, where prices have increased by 20 to 30 percent since early February. However, the prices of these commodities have decreased after the February 22 looting of the WFP warehouse in Cap-Haïtien.

Fuel Availability: Fuel is vital not only for transport, but also for the continued operation of facilities and equipment such as hospitals, bakeries, and freight moving equipment at ports. Reports regarding fuel supplies in the capitol are conflicting. According to the fuel companies, there is currently enough fuel in storage in Port-au-Prince to supply the country, but the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) are concerned that fuel shortages may lead to the shutdown of the capitol's electrical plant and water treatment station. Further exacerbating the situation is the destruction of at least one fuel station in Port-au-Prince during the civil unrest. CARE reported that there is a potable water crisis in Gonaives due to a lack of fuel. Although CARE has food stocks in Port-au-Prince, the organization lacks fuel for transportation, particularly for food distributions in the north.

Medical Supplies: A major humanitarian concern at present is the interruption of basic health services, particularly in the north. The ability to purchase and transport drugs and fuel to health facilities nationwide has been disrupted in major population centers due to the sporadic access to banks and insecure travel on the roads. The ICRC has been organizing regular convoys to both Gonaives and Cap-Haitien in cooperation with the Haitian Red Cross, and ICRC medical teams have also been stationed at facilities in these cities.

It is not clear at this time how many medical facilities have been affected by the recent unrest. Reports from the Hospital Communaute Haitienne in the capitol indicate that there is an increase in the number of trauma patients at the hospital and care is hindered by fuel shortages for generator power and lack of surgical and medical kits. Negotiations for a planned expansion of ICRC operations in the Canape Vert Hospital in Port-au-Prince ended without agreement and ICRC has reported that there are no doctors remaining at Canape Vert following the withdrawal of ICRC staff. Similar disruptions of supplies are occurring in Gonaives and other areas.

Currently there are no reports of an outbreak of the six major childhood vaccine-preventable diseases. However, increased cases of diarrhea and fever have been reported in the town of Gonaives due to a lack of potable water. The Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) has sentinel sites in Haiti, of which 30 percent to 40 percent are still functional and operating.

A Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) epidemiologist recently arrived in Haiti to reactivate the health surveillance system, as Haiti lacks adequate surveillance data from health facilities throughout the country. PAHO will monitor data on measles outbreaks, polio, diphtheria, typhoid, and violence, as well as acute malnutrition. According to PAHO, there is a shortage of tuberculosis (TB) drugs and a disruption of TB programs in the north. Médicins Sans Frontières-Belgium is requesting TB drugs from PAHO.

Displaced Populations: USAID and its NGO partners continue to report very limited displacement and no "sites" with concentrations of internally displaced persons (IDPs). According to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), numbers of IDPs cannot be accurately assessed at present. However, UNOCHA notes that significant numbers of residents are moving from insecure cities to other areas or returning to their places of birth in the mountains. Movements have also been reported from rural areas to main cities. According to a well-known and trusted source, he has never been aware of the existence of IDPs in Haiti.

On February 23, the Government of the Dominican Republic (GODR) indicated that the Dominican Republic does not have structures in place to manage a migratory wave of refugees. The GODR also noted that Dominican authorities have reinforced the border with Haiti along critical points. On February 24, the GODR sent 1,200 additional troops to patrol its border with Haiti. The GODR has declined to state the total number of troops along the 225-mile border. According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, approximately 400 Haitians have fled to the DR, Jamaica, and Cuba since early February 2004.

U.S. Government Humanitarian Response to Haiti's Political Crisis

-- On February 18, U.S. Ambassador to Haiti James B. Foley issued a disaster declaration due to the ongoing complex emergency in Haiti. As an initial response to the situation, OFDA has provided $50,000 through USAID/Haiti to support the transport and distribution of emergency relief supplies, including 12 medical kits and three surgical kits, valued at approximately $87,000. Each medical kit is equipped to serve 10,000 people for approximately three months. On February 26, the medical kits arrived in Port-au-Prince. In addition, OFDA approved $400,000 in funding for PAHO to purchase additional medical supplies and to conduct emergency relief activities in Haiti.

-- On February 24, OFDA deployed a three-person team to Port-au-Prince, including a Senior Regional Advisor as Team Leader, a Health Officer, and an Information Officer.

-- OFDA has contracted with Airserve for two to three aircrafts to move relief personnel and light cargo around Haiti if required in the coming days and weeks.

-- USAID/Food For Peace has significant amounts of additional food stocks which can be transported to Haiti by sea for food assistance within 7-14 days if needed.

-- OFDA is currently awarding grants in the amount of $400,000 to CRS for local procurement and emergency cash grants to institutions serving vulnerable populations such as orphanages and hospitals.

-- The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince is currently developing a security asset plan that will address protection of people and USG buildings, transport of goods and people, and security of NGO partners, such as CRS, WVI, CARE, and Save the Children. A top priority of the security asset plan is to secure and protect the airport and port in the capital.

-- There are approximately 15,000 MT of USG-procured food commodities immediately available for distribution in Haiti. USAID will continue to work with other members of the donor community to mobilize the additional resources required for the Haiti post-conflict effort.

CONCLUSION

USAID is closely monitoring the humanitarian impact of the current political crisis in Haiti. With the presence of international forces in Haiti, we expect the security situation to improve significantly. This will facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance. USAID/Haiti and OFDA personnel will continue to assess the unfolding humanitarian situation, and develop appropriate responses for the Haitian post-conflict period. USAID is working closely with other agencies and implementing partners to develop a post-conflict program strategy that will ensure the continued provision of emergency relief and improved basic services, and generate productive employment over the immediate, short- and medium-term. In addition, USAID is working with other donors to jointly identify long-term priorities in Haiti.