Heavy and successive rains provoked by the tropical storm Gustav, Hurricanes Hanna and Ike, caused floods, land slides and serious road access problems in the Ouest, Sud, Sud-est, Grande Anse, Nippes, Nord-ouest, Artibonite departments.
According to the DPC, some 337 people have died as a result of the tropical storms. Some 54 people are missing and 301 are injured. Approximately 170,780 families (almost 854,000 people) are affected and currently some 158,600 people are in temporary shelters.
Many communities, in Artibonite, Sud, Sud-est departments remain still wedged because bridges have collapsed and road access is not possible, while the largest concentration of the affected population is in Gonaïves with 250,000 affected people.
Rapid needs assessment missions are ongoing and figures are expected to rise, especially since certain parts of the country continue to be enclave. As reported by the humanitarian community and local authorities the situation is worse than official figures, which evolve continuously.
Since 21 August 2008, WFP, UNICEF, other UN, Government and NGO rapid assessment missions to affected areas concluded that Ouest, Sud, Sud-est, Grande Anse, Nippes, Nord-ouest, Artibonite departments urgently need food, safe drinking water and sanitation.
Food reserves, cash for petty commerce, crops, livestock, house and other belongings have been lost to these climatic conditions.
These disasters amplified the already negative impact on household food security of the sharp fuel and food price increase crisis, resulting in previous food secure households falling into food insecurity.
It is expected that the population’s malnutrition status will worsen, compounded by the current situation and last April’s high food prices crisis. Prices of staple food have more than double, while the price of rice has increased by 80%. Already in early 2008, some 56% of the population was living on less than one US dollar per day and 76% on less than 2 dollars per day.
Acute and chronic malnutrition for children under five was respectively at 9 and 24%. Half of pregnant women and 72% of rural children between 6 and 12 years were suffering from iodine deficiency.
Some 158,600 people are living in shelters and many more are in need of urgent assistance. In Gonaïves, some 250,000 people have lost their livelihood and currently rely on food assistance. Current estimates of people in situation of food insecurity and requiring food assistance are of 800,000 people and it is expected to last for six months, until the situation returns to pre-crisis conditions.
A joint flash appeal has been launched seeking some 112 million dollars over the next six months. WFP alone has requested over 34 millions dollars for food assistance to save lives and protect livelihood in crisis situation, as well as some 17 million for two special operations, to provide an air service to the humanitarian community and augment logistical capacity in light of the collapse of the road network.
An EMOP is also being formulated and is expected to last for six months.
As immediate response, some 167,301 people have received food assistance, including high energy biscuits (HEB), borrowed from the regular programme. The Haiti CO already distributed 775 MT (45 MT of HEB) to 167,301 persons, living in shelters and to other food insecure households, in affected areas.
Initially, some 360 000 beneficiaries located in affected areas will have required food assistance (HEB requirements only), in shelters and affected communities, including areas currently undergoing rapid needs assessments.
The beneficiaries will be targeted by CARE, Caritas, CROSE, CRS, departmental and local DPC, local authorities and other partners, on the basis of their vulnerability to food insecurity, following the recent events.
Distributions will take place in the most affected departments, namely Ouest, Sud, Sud-est, Grande Anse, Nippes, Nord-ouest, Artibonite.
