OCHA SITREP #2 - FLOODING

HAITI - FLOODING - SITUATION REPORT NO. 2 - 8 JUNE 2011

This report is produced by OCHA in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It was issued by OCHA field Office. It covers 8 June. The next report will be issued on or around 9 June.

I. HIGHLIGHTS/KEY PRIORITIES

- According to revised estimates, 23 people died, 8 were injured and 6 are missing following torrential rains and mudslides on the night of 6 to 7 June.

- Evacuations to community shelters and distribution of tents, tarpaulins and non food items have started

- Drainage of IDP camps, additional Aquatabs, and jerricans urgently needed

II. SITUATION OVERVIEW

According to revised estimates from the Direction de la protection civile (DPC), 23 people died, 8 were injured and 6 are missing following torrential rains and mudslides on the night of 6 to 7June. A total of 20 deaths were reported in the West department alone, including Port-au-Prince metropolitan area, two in the Centre and one in the Nippes departments.

Moderate rains were reported in some parts of the country during the night of 7 to 8 June. An orange alert is maintained for the entire country in light of possible heavy rains. Heightened vigilance is particularly required in the Nippes, Grande Anse, South, West, Artibonite, North-West, North and North-East departments which are at higher risks of flooding and landslides.

A total of 470 houses have been damaged, reports the DPC as of 7 June. The Artibonite River has over flown its banks resulting in the flooding of Grande Saline.

An aerial mission supported by MINUSTAH was conducted today by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the southern tip of the country, which was previously reported as being cut off by flooding. No damages were observed in the areas under surveillance, mainly the villages of Maniche, Tiburon, Les Anglais, Les Cayes and Côte de Carcassone.

III. HUMANITARIAN NEEDS AND RESPONSE

EMERGENCY SHELTER/NFI

Needs: Hundreds of tents and emergency shelters are reported to be flooded and /or damaged. Water canals near IDP camps are blocked, reports the CCCM Cluster.

Response: Distributions of NFIs (wheel barrows, rakes, shovels, picks, shelter tool kits, plastic sheets, hygiene kits), tents, tarpaulins, are ongoing in various communes, including Tabarre, Delmas, Carrefour, Léogâne, Cité Soleil and Port-au-Prince. Three evacuation sites have been identified in Cité Soleil, Tabarre, Martissant for a total capacity estimated at 3,300 people. Evacuation of 87 families has also been conducted in Baradères in the Nippes department. Repair of embankments of Te Roche IDP camp which was heavily flooded has been completed.

Gaps & Constraints: Water canals need to be cleaned to prevent further flooding /landslide in camps. Tools to clean canals are needed. CCCM partners have reported difficulties to perform targeted distributions due to
security risks as a result of general degradation of emergency shelters conditions after nearly 18 months of use.

WATER SANITATION HYGIENE (WASH)

Needs: Damages have been reported mainly in IDP camps where there is no presence of WASH actors. Some WASH actors have scaled down or terminated their activities since April resulting in the non maintenance of latrines and pits which have been damaged, flooded or destroyed, further increasing the risk of cholera.
Flood water from the channel leading to the sea in the Palmes area has also caused an accumulation of garbage and human waste in Mariani.

Response: Drainage and assessments activities are ongoing. No major damage in water distribution systems has been reported.

Gaps & Constraints: Water levels have started receding in some camps but stagnating water remains a health hazard. Drainage of IDP camps, additional Aquatabs, jerricans, rakes and shovels are urgently needed. A lack of drinkable water and latrines has been reported in various areas, including in the evacuation site of La Tapie in Grande Saline in the Artibonite department. In Thomazeau in the West department poor hygiene conditions have been observed in evacuation sites resulting from a lack of latrines, garbage disposal system and hand washing stations. From 350, the number of displaced people due to rising water of Lake Azuei on the evening of the 5 to 6 June has gone up to 811. It is not clear whether these new people have been really affected by flooding. Humanitarian partners’ response is and remains based on the initial number of 350 people displaced.

HEALTH

Needs: Localized outbreaks of cholera due to increased water contamination risks are still reported in all ten departments.

Response: Health partners are responding accordingly. Additional bed capacity, Oral Rehydration Posts (ORPs) and chlorination stations have been set up in hard hit areas.

Gaps & Constraints: Cities in the Artibonite department cut off by flooding report having difficulties accessing health services.

NUTRITION

Needs: No serious damages to infrastructures or nutrition stocks have been reported, according to the Nutrition Cluster

Gaps & Constraints: Partners report difficult or blocked access to communities due to an increased water level of rivers in the South-East, Nippes, and South departments.

EDUCATION

Response: Identifications or evacuations in public schools in the West and Nippes departments have been conducted. DPC prevention messages have been disseminated to all Education Cluster members.

VI. Contact

Head of OCHA Haiti: Philippe Verstraeten; Email: verstraeten@un.org

Spokesperson/ Public Information Officer: Emmanuelle Schneider;
E-mail: schneider1@un.org

Reporting Officer: Abdourahmane Diallo; Email: diallo57@un.org / ocha.haiti@gmail.com

For more information on the response in Haiti, please visit:
http://haiti.humanitarianresponse.info

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, (OCHA), Boulevard Toussaint Louverture et Clercine 18, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.