New Field Report Outlines Next Steps for Haitian Relief Effort

Washington, DC – Working with civil society groups and providing support outside of Port-au-Prince are two concrete steps to better meet the needs of millions of Haitians, Refugees International said in a report today. Based on a recent field assessment mission after the devastating January 12 earthquake, “Haiti: From the Ground Up” argues that agencies are falling short in meeting the needs of the Haitian people. The report also urges the U.S. to increase funding for international disasters and calls on the UN to strengthen its humanitarian leadership in the country.

“The needs in Haiti are absolutely staggering, but nearly two months after the earthquake, agencies are still moving too slowly to provide basic supplies like tents and tarps,” said Patrick Duplat, senior advocate for Refugees International. “We saw some very impressive programs, but we were also disappointed that there were limited efforts to ensure that Haitians are safe and secure. The international community is also largely ignoring local Haitian groups and the vast needs of people outside of Port-au-Prince.”

Some 700,000 people in Port-au-Prince are without homes or proper shelter and another 600,000 people have left the capital. The report urges rapid investment in the provinces to ease the strain on local resources. In at least one area, families have reported an average of 20 to 26 people living in their homes. In addition, international aid groups should take the time to invest in Haitian civil society groups throughout the country. This is more efficient in the long run because local knowledge helps ensure that the right assistance reaches the right communities.

“Haitian civil society is very well developed and it needs to be involved in the rebuilding of the country,” said Emilie Parry, who was part of the Refugees International assessment team. “Some of the problems in distribution that we saw immediately after the earthquake could have been avoided had international agencies incorporated local knowledge and recommendations and emphasized community outreach.”

The report looks at three institutional barriers to effective aid and recovery programs. First, the UN must strengthen its humanitarian leadership to speed up and simplify the complex relief operation. Second, in future natural disasters, UNHCR should lead the “protection cluster,” which is in charge of all efforts to ensure Haitians’ individual rights and physical security. Lastly, the U.S. must ensure that more funding is available for international disasters around the world. USAID’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance has already spent 1/3 of its entire annual budget on Haiti, and aid organizations working in other humanitarian crises may face cuts in their funding. Refugees International is urging Congress to replenish international disaster funding by at least $400 million in any supplemental appropriations bill that helps address Haiti’s needs and provide $1.06 billion in the International Disaster Assistance account for 2011.

Refugees International is a Washington, DC-based organization that advocates to end refugee crises and receives no government or UN funding. Patrick Duplat and Emilie Parry assessed the needs of Haitians affected by the January 12 earthquake in Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas in February. To read the entire field report, go to http://www.refugeesinternational.org/policy/field-report/haiti-ground [1].

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