Cablegate: Haiti Earthquake Usaid/Dart Humanitarian Update #3

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DE RUEHPU #0096/01 0281314
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TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0068
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0271
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INFO RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL IMMEDIATE
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UNCLAS PORT AU PRINCE 000096

AIDAC
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID ECON PGOV PINR PREL PREF HA
SUBJECT: HAITI EARTHQUAKE USAID/DART HUMANITARIAN UPDATE #3

REF: PORT A 0054; PORT A 0058; PORT A 0060

1. Summary. USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team (USAID/DART)
staff report that the final U.S. Urban Search and Rescue (USAR)
teams departed Haiti on January 27, as coordination efforts
continue to advance response capacity for earthquake-affected
populations in Haiti. A small contingent of U.S. USAR members will
remain in Haiti capable of responding to potential search and
rescue requests. Water trucking deliveries have increased to 133
sites in recent days, reaching more than 400,000 beneficiaries per
day. However, inadequate sanitation services at displaced person
spontaneous settlements sites remain a significant concern. To
date, USAID has contributed nearly $230 million in earthquake
response funding to address the critical needs of affected
populations. End summary.

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COORDINATION

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2. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
(OCHA) has established sub-cluster coordination operations in
Leogane and is looking to expand a presence to other heavily
affected areas, including Jacmel. Similarly, sector-specific
clusters, including health and water, sanitation, and hygiene
(WASH) are establishing coordination meetings in locations outside
the capital. The U.N. WASH Cluster has established coordination
meetings in Leogane, Petit Goave, Grand Goave, Gressier, and
Jacmel. The Health Cluster is establishing sub-clusters in Leogane
and Jacmel.

3. USAID/DART staff report that the multi-sectoral, multi-agency
rapid assessment of spontaneous settlement areas, led by OCHA,
began in Port-au-Prince on January 25. Teams will continue
assessments in the capital on January 27 before moving to
additional locations in other departments. Final results from the
assessment are expected during the week of January 31. USAID/DART
staff note that the information compiled from the ongoing
multi-sectoral assessments is critical to identifying gaps in
coverage and inform appropriate response measures in the sectors of
health, nutrition, water, sanitation, security, and shelter.

4. On January 26, USAID/DART staff participated in a donor
coordination meeting in Port-au-Prince and noted a positive
convergence of response priorities and approaches among donors that
should facilitate enhanced coordination, including a focus on
supporting a shelter and settlements approach supported by
integrated WASH, livelihoods, health, and nutrition interventions.

5. To facilitate local Haitian non-governmental organization (NGO)
engagement in response efforts, USAID's Office of U.S. Foreign
Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) has activated USAID/OFDA's Haiti
consultant through an existing mechanism to serve as a local NGO
liaison to the U.N. Emergency Shelter and Non-Food Item (NFI)
Cluster to ensure local NGO access and participation in the
distribution of emergency relief supplies as part of Haiti response
efforts.

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WATER, SANITATION, AND HYGIENE

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6. USAID/DART staff report that water availability and access
continues to improve for earthquake-affected populations. In
recent days, the number of water distribution sites receiving daily
water delivery through a coordinated fleet of approximately 160
water tanker trucks has increased from 115 to 133. More than 2
million liters per day are currently delivered to an estimated
400,000 beneficiaries throughout Port-au-Prince out of a total
target population of 500,000 beneficiaries at approximately 200
sites.

7. However, inadequate sanitation facilities at displaced person
sites continue to be of significant concern, according to the
USAID/DART. The USAID/DART is strongly advocating with the
Government of Haiti (GOH) National Direction for Potable Water and
Sanitation (DINEPA) and the U.N. WASH Cluster to advance the
construction of latrines as quickly as possible to prevent a
further deterioration of conditions and a potential escalation in
disease outbreaks. The U.N. WASH Cluster estimates that a total of
5,000 latrines are needed at this time for spontaneous settlement
sites.

8. As of January 26, USAID/OFDA has supported and received 27
flights containing relief commodities, including chlorination
tablets, water purification units capable of providing 15,000
liters of clean water per hour, water containers, and hygiene kits.
As of January 26, USAID/OFDA had consigned 20 water bladders,
100,000 water containers and 50,000 family hygiene kits to
implementing partner the International Organization for Migration
(IOM) for distribution to affected populations.

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SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAMS

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9. Following demobilization on January 26, the final U.S. USAR
teams departed Haiti on January 27. Operations have transitioned
from search and rescue to recovery efforts, with the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers (USACE) conducting recovery activities at the
Hotel Montana, according to the USAID/DART staff. The USACE team
plans to remain on-site at the Hotel Montana for the duration of
the recovery effort. However, a small contingent of U.S. USAR
specialists will remain in Haiti, capable of responding to
potential search and rescue requests. According to the U.N.
Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) Team, between January
13 and 23, international USAR teams rescued a total of 134 people,
of which 47 individuals were by rescued by U.S.-based USAR teams.

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USAID ASSISTANCE

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10. On January 25, USAID/DART staff coordinated the distribution
of USAID/OFDA-funded U.S. USAR tent supplies to the U.N. Children's
Fund (UNICEF) and area hospitals, including three 19X35-foot tents
to the Foyer L'Escale orphanage in northern Port-au-Prince and one
19X35-foot tent to the U.N. logistics base located at the UNICEF
compound. The donated tents will be utilized for the creation of
child-friendly spaces at the L'Escale orphanage and will complement
coordination efforts between UNICEF and the GoH's Ministry of
Social Affairs to increase support for earthquake-affected orphans.
In addition, USAID/DART and U.S. USAR team members delivered and
erected one 19X35-foot tent and three 20-foot octagonal tents at
the University of Miami field hospital at the Port-au-Prince
airport and three additional 19X35-foot tents to the Port-au-Prince
general hospital to enhance hospital operations.

11. According to the USAID/DART, offloading of USAID/OFDA-funded
emergency relief supplies from the USNS LUMMUS at the
Port-au-Prince port continued as of 1200 hours local time on
January 26. On January 25, USAID/DART staff reported that 1,632
kitchen sets - to benefit approximately 8,160 individuals - and 210
rolls of plastic sheeting - to benefit an estimated 10,500 people -
were offload for consignment to implementing partner the
International Organization for Migration (IOM) for distribution.
The commodities supplement 1,584 kitchen sets, 190 rolls of plastic
sheeting, and 16,650 humanitarian daily rations offloaded from the
USNS LUMMUS on January 24.

12. As of January 26, USAID had contributed nearly $230 million in
earthquake response funding, including more than $152 million from
USAID/OFDA, $68 million from USAID's Office of Food for Peace
(USAID/FFP), $5 million from USAID's Office of Transition
Initiatives, more than $3.5 million from USAID/Haiti, and $1
million from USAID/Dominican Republic. On January 25, USAID/OFDA
awarded $1 million to Samaritan's Purse for health, economic
recovery, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) activities and
$5 million to Save the Children for health, nutrition, and
protection activities in affected areas. In total, the U.S.
Government has contributed nearly $356 million in earthquake
response funding for Haiti to date.
MERTEN

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