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Haiti

Field Reports  In-Depth Reports  

Overview
Already the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere prior to the devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010, Haiti  now requires long-term assistance in order to recover. The government of Haiti estimates that approximately 230,000 people were killed in the quake and over 300,000 injured. More than 500,000 people are displaced, most of them living in 1,300 displacement camps and some living with host families.

Current Humanitarian Situation
Continued focus on the humanitarian crisis is needed while work is done on longer-term reconstruction. People still live in camps, most of which are overcrowded, unacceptably squalid, and without sufficient security or access to services. The UN cluster system, which allocates responsibility and assigns leadership to various UN agencies and NGOs for the provision of humanitarian aid, has organized the delivery of some essential aid. But it has not yet established an effective, coordinated system for delivering protection and assistance to all of the displaced. Further, Haitian civil society organizations have not been involved enough in the humanitarian operation.

There are rising concerns about security for the displaced. Women and children are particularly vulnerable as has been shown through increasing reports of sexual violence and exploitation. Camp residents who are being threatened with eviction by landowners are at great risk. An insufficient number of experienced protection officers has been deployed in Haiti by international humanitarian organizations. The UN police and military force in Haiti, known as MINUSTAH, is working with the Haitian National Police to improve security, but they have inadequate staffing and equipment.

There are currently insufficient livelihood opportunities and no plans for people to transition out of the camps.

Actions Needed
  • The UN should appoint a full-time Humanitarian Coordinator and should deploy more experienced protection staff, including significantly more staff from the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR.
  • International Donors should provide funding for more UNHCR staff, for increased support to the UN’s work on Gender-Based Violence (GBV), to support grassroots women’s groups working on GBV, and to designate more resources to livelihood opportunities in rural areas.
  • The UN peacekeeping force should increase staffing and equipment for policing of the displacement camps.
  • UN agencies and international NGOs should appoint civil society liaison officers.


Field Reports
  • Dominican Republic: New Chances for Change
    10/13/2010
    The impressive solidarity demonstrated by the Dominican Republic in the aftermath of the January earthquake in neighboring Haiti already has led to improved relations between the countries. This must be sustained by reaching bilateral agreement on a migration policy which respects human rights. The Dominican Government should pass the long-awaited regulations for the 2004 Migration Law and put in place a transparent regularization process that gives a path to legal status to foreigners who have lived in the DR for long periods. Despite advances in relations with Haiti the Dominican Government continues to illegally strip Dominicans of Haitian descent of their nationality and is thus increasing statelessness. This policy must be changed.
  • Haiti: Still Trapped in the Emergency Phase
    10/06/2010
    Nearly ten months after the January 12 earthquake, the people of Haiti are still living in a state of emergency, with a humanitarian response that appears paralyzed. Camp inhabitants are protesting against their living conditions and threats of evictions and objecting to the arbitrarily appointed or completely absent camp managers. Gang leaders or land-owners are intimidating the displaced. Sexual, domestic, and gang violence in and around the camps is rising. More experienced United Nations personnel and resources for humanitarian protection are urgently required. Further, agencies must focus much more attention on developing livelihood opportunities that would enable people to transition out of the camps.
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In Depth Reports
Successes
Systematic targeting of women has become a widespread tactic of war and the stresses of displacement often lead to increased violence against women. RI called attention to the specific needs of women in Haiti, Sudan and the DR Congo and urged the US and key UN agencies to provide more resources to respond to rape and the abuse of women. In Sudan, this translated into the UN providing funding for women's groups who set up community protection networks. Agencies also pre-positioned safe birthing kits and post-rape kits in the run-up to South Sudan's referendum for independence. Coordination in the DR Congo also improved between agencies providing emergency aid and those longer-term programs related to sexual violence, and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced a plan to increase communication over the sexual violence strategy with local and national NGOs.