OCHA Situation Report No. 9
Tropical Storm Jeanne - Haiti
24 September 2004


Situation

1.  Tropical Storm Jeanne brought extensive flooding to the northern half 
of the country with heavy rainfalls on 17 and 18 September. The 
Departments affected include l'Artibonite, Plateau Central and the 
Nord-Ouest. The City of Gonaives, in the department of l'Artibonite, is 
still without electricity and the threat of looting remains high. Living 
conditions in the 20 shelters for people displaced by the floods are 
reportedly poor.

2.  Both local authorities and the international community are struggling 
to meet the challenge of identifying the victims of the floods and to 
respond to their urgent needs, such as stepping up deliveries, dealing 
with the corpses and dead animals in the streets and maintaining public 
security.  With the start of food and water distribution, it is hoped that 
there will be increased optimism in the town. The architecture of the 
humanitarian operation is now in place with the basic essential 
coordination.

3.  The Haitian Directorate of Civil Protection (DCP) estimates the total 
deaths at 1,105 and 1,251 missing.  The majority is in Gonaives. These 
numbers could rise quite dramatically in the coming days as there are 
still two areas of town under water and inaccessible.

National and International Response

4.  According to the Emergency Operations Centre (Centre d'Operations 
d'Urgence/COU), the following activities have been carried out:

    COU activated

    Shelters established at schools and churches in Gonaives

    Reconnaissance missions by helicopters fielded in collaboration with
    the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations
    Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) in the departments of
    l'Artibonite, Nord and Nord-Ouest

    Health posts activated in Gonaives

    Government officials' field missions (Prime Minister, Ministers of the
    Interior, Public Works and others in the departments of l'Artibonite
    and Nord-Ouest)

    Relief supplies provided by the Haitian Red Cross (hygien kits for
    2,000 families, tents, medical kits, personal hygiene kits and
    clothing)


5.  DCP reports that the Government of Haiti has allocated 1.5 million 
Gourdes (approximately USD 42,255) for the Ministry of Health and another 
million Gourdes (USD 28,170) for the Ministry of Agriculture. The 
Government dispatched some 20 volunteers to assist the clean-up operation.

6.  The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has taken on the 
task of listing the dead and tracing the missing and attempting to 
organize reunions. They report a number of unaccompanied children 
wandering in the town of Gonaives, abandoned or orphaned.


Health

7.  The Ministry of Health has sent 4 Haitian doctors to Gonaives, ten 
health officers and chemicals to deal with the corpses.

8.  The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) plan to send a team of 30 
psycho-social workers on 23 September, to work with the population already 
in temporary shelters. The World Health Organisation (WHO) delivered to 
10,000 basic health kits.

9.  IFRC with the Norwegian Red Cross delegate is studying the possibility 
of establishing a semi-permanent field hospital.

10.  Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) and Medecins du Monde (MDM), 14 Cuban 
doctors and the Argentinean military medical team continue to run four 
small field hospitals.  It is reported that the Argentinians alone have 
carried out over 800 consultations since 19 September, including 
amputations and deliveries. At this stage it is generally agreed that the 
health situation is under control but the danger of epidemics can not be 
ruled out.


Shelter and Non-food Items

11.  DCP delivered, to Gonaives, 15 hospital beds, two containers of food 
aid, 3 generators, 20,000 packets of bread, 500 packets of biscuits, 700 
cases of sardines, and 50 cases of juice. 383 rolls of plastic sheeting 
has also been delivered to Gonaives.


Food and Water

12.  Food and water distributions began on 22 September, lead by CARE and 
with MINUSTAH security support, based in three fixed distribution points 
with some mobile distributions. The OCHA Officer in Gonaives reported that 
the three CARE distribution points supported by MINUSTAH and in 
coordination with local committees all were functioning well and some 41 
tons of food had been distributed to an estimated 20,000 people.

13.  The World Food Programme (WFP) transported 71.5 tons of food to 
Gonaives over the past 48 hours and four trucks will remain in Gonaives to 
assist distributions on 23 September. WFP bread has been distributed, some 
4,500 loaves, through the temporary shelters. There is still a clear need 
for kitchen utensils and fuel for cooking pusposes.

14.  WFP informed that in order to better coordinate the delivery and 
provision of security of relief workers and convoys, CARE has agreed to 
make its warehouse available to centralize the distribution of 
humanitarian assistance. Trucks with foodstuff and water supplies would 
converge on the warehouse before the actual distribution is undertaken.

15.  Plan Haiti and Oxfam are providing significant amounts of water, in 
part at least through CARE. There would appear to be possibilities of soon 
reopening sources of water in Gonaives itself.  A Water Committee has been 
set up with Action Contre la Faim, Oxfam, IFRC and the Haitian authority, 
SNEP.  Water could be available in wells in the ice factory and one other 
reservoir but in both locations the generators are broken.

16.  The International Organization for Migration (IOM) office in Port au 
Prince is working with the Ministry of Public Works (TPTC) to provide 
clean water and assistance to the victims of Tropical Storm Jeanne in 
Gonaives. IOM and the TPTC are implementing a three-part plan designed to 
address the immediate needs of the victims and to build the government's 
capacity to respond to future emergencies. These activities, implemented 
as part of IOM's ongoing Haiti Transition Initiative (HTI), which is 
assisting Haitian communities to identify and implement priority community 
improvement projects. The IOM/HTI programme is funded by USAID's Office of 
Transition Initiatives.


Coordination

17.  There is a regular schedule of coordination meetings at 0800 and 1600 
in Gonaives, attended by Action Contre la Faim, Oxfam, Medecins sans 
Frontieres (MSF), Medecins du Monde (MDM), CARE, World Vision, Caritas, 
IFRC, DPC, the Mayor, regional delegates, the Director of Health for 
l'Artibonite, OCHA, UNDP and the military and police components of 
MINUSTAH in Gonaives.

18.  UNDP indicated that 60 University students of Port-au-Prince have 
volunteered to help in the distribution of humanitarian assistance. 
Meanwhile, the Haitian Red Cross has informed that 100 volunteers would be 
available in Gonaives. It was noted that given the need to provide their 
daily subsistence and accommodation, it was advisable to recruit local 
volunteers.

19.  The 8-member United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination 
(UNDAC) with IT equipment and two generators arrived on 23 September in 
Port-au-Prince. A three-member team reached Gonaives on 24 September. The 
team will first concentrate their activities on Gonaives before expanding 
to surrounding areas of Port-de-Paix, Gros Morne, Anse Rouge and Ennery 
and other areas also affected by the floods. One of the tasks of UNDAC 
will be to identify affected areas north of Gonaives and receive more 
information from areas known to have been affected such as Gros Morne and 
Chansolme as well as Port de Paix where only a couple of NGOs operate, 
including CARE and Action Contre la Faim.

20.  The UNDAC Team Leader indicated that an On-site Operations 
Coordination Centre (OSOCC) has been established in the MINUSTAH compound 
in Port-au-Prince Airport. OSOCC will track incoming aid and organize the 
dispatching of humanitarian assistance to Gonaives.


Contributions

21.  The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) announced on 23 September 
the approval of a USD 200,000 emergency grant to help Haiti in the wake of 
the massive floods caused by Tropical Storm Jeanne. IDB's loans to Haiti 
support programmes in education, health, water and sanitation, rural 
roads, basic infrastructure, agriculture, community development and public 
finances reform.

22.  The Government of Canada, through the Canadian International 
development Agency (CIDA), will provide an additional USD 2 million in 
support of relief efforts to help flood victims in Haiti. This 
announcement is in addition to the USD 50,000 provided in immediate 
emergency relief to IFRC.

23.  The Government of Germany is providing EUR 250,000 (approximately USD 
300,842) to meet emergency needs in Haiti, focusing on emergency shelter, 
food and drinking water. The implementing partners are CARE, the Red Cross 
and a cooperation of Christian NGOs.

24.  The Government of Luxembourg has decided to release a grant of EUR 
100,000 (USD 120,337) to assist the victims of floods and subsequent 
damage.

25.  This situation report, together with the information on contributions 
and other ongoing emergencies is also available on the OCHA Internet 
Website at http://www.reliefweb.int

Tel. +41-22-917 1234
Fax: +41-22-917 00 23
E-mail: ochagva@un.org

In case of emergency only: Tel. +41-22-917 20 10

Desk Officers:
   Mr. Erik Haegglund
   E-mail: haegglund@un.org
   Direct Tel. +41-22-917 3299

   Ms. Masayo Kondo
   E-mail: kondo@un.org
   Direct Tel. +41-22-917 1977

Press contact:
   GVA - Ms. Elizabeth Byrs, direct Tel. +41-22-917 2653
   NYC - Ms. Stephanie Bunker, direct Tel. +1-917-367 51 26

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