ARTIC- CHOLERA IN MANICHE - SOUTH HAITI

 

CHOLERA - 8 DEATHS IN 78 CASES RECORDED IN MANICHE (SOUTH) AFTER TROPICAL STORM SANDY
(Alterpresses) -

PORT-AU-PRINCE - "From October 24 (date of the first effects of Hurricane Sandy) to today [Monday, 29 October 2012], the clinic has received 78 people with cholera. Eight have already died", said Madeleine Chery, the nurse in charge of the dispensary Community Dori, communal section of Maniche (about 200 miles south of the capital Port-au-Prince) to Alterpresse.

The flooding of the Cavaillon River (another municipality in the south of the country), with the rains caused by Hurricane Sandy, have encouraged the spread of Vibrio cholerae in the communal section of Dori.

"As of October 2012, the clinic has only one nurse for the entire population of Dori. We are left to ourselves with cholera, "says Ramón Gasma, coordinator of Tet Kole Ti Peyizan ayisyen (Union of small Haitian farmers of Maniche).

Faced with the increasing cases of cholera contamination, health authorities have sent to the South from "Saturday and Sunday [27 and 28 October 2012] 5 new nurses to accompany the head of the clinic."

This administrative arrangement does not seem to reassure the interim executive agents of Maniche, Pierre Alexis Evens, expressing "dismay" faced "with the plight of the Dori Communal Section, which is cut off from the rest of the commune because of flooding of the Cavaillon River and the fury of the Ravine Blanche which traverses through the commune.

" With a population of about 15,000 inhabitants, Dori is located 8 km from the center of Maniche. The only clinic available to the communal section, does not even have a doctor.

"The clinic is not the most appropriate place to receive cholera victims, because it is close to a church and schools. Our first desire is that a cholera treatment center (CTC) installed for the peasants, and that a doctor is assigned to the clinic", hopes Alexis.

Meanwhile, several residents of the communal section have shown a "participatory heroism" by putting themselves into the flooding waters of the Cavaillon River to retrieve on the other side, drugs, iv fluids and other materials sent by the Ministry of Public Health and Population (MSPP).

The MSPP vehicle, carrying medicines and equipment, could not cross the flooded Cavaillon River to bring relief to Maniche, according to testimony gathered by AlterPresse.

OCHA SITUATION REPORT #3

 

TROPICAL STORM SANDY SITUATION REPORT NO. 03 (as of 30/10/2012)

This report is produced by OCHA Haiti in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It covers the period from 28 to 30/10/2012.

HIGHLIGHTS:

- Red Alert lifted;

- Damage assessments by GoH and humanitarian partners ongoing and findings are still being tallied;

- Casualties: 54 dead; 21 missing; 20 injured;

- 1,500 people left in 15 hurricane shelters (nationwide);

- GoH actors and their national and international partners continue to assist the affected population;

- Considerable damage to agriculture, with potential negative impact on food security;

- Increase in the number of cholera cases in affected areas (Sud, Sud-est, Ouest)

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Although the assessment of the impact of TS Sandy remains partial, the storm has caused 54 deaths, all of them in the Ouest and Southern departments.

Up to 18,277 homes were flooded, damaged or destroyed. Evacuees are gradually returning to their homes throughout the country. This has freed most of the school premises used as emergency shelters, thus enabling classes to resume.

TS Sandy brought heavy rains which caused severe flooding in the Ouest department and southern peninsula. Water levels in most of the rivers continue to recede to normal levels, but several areas remain inaccessible due to damaged bridges.

The Government of Haiti (GoH) and its humanitarian partners continue to carry out joint multi-sectorial assessments, including reconnaissance flights in order to have a general profile of the situation. In the Ouest department, the situation on two axes: Tremblay to Ganthier (Fond Verrettes) and Thomazeau to Croix-des- Bouquets, is of great concern with up to 330 families still in need of various emergency stocks.The Rivière Grise which runs strait through the capital burst its banks in those areas of Port-au-Prince.

HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE:

CAMP COORDINATION AND CAMP MANAGEMENT

Many people were temporarily displaced by TS Sandy. However, uncertainty remains as to their exact number. Some 50,000 tents and tarpaulins are made available by humanitarian partners for distribution.

- Sud: Distribution of sleeping bags, mattresses, hygiene kits, blankets, food rations, water treatment supplies to those in shelters in Les Cayes by Haitian Red Cross, IOM, World Vision, and DINEPA.  Nippes: Families were evacuated from the areas at risk of flooding in 7 communes. All of them were provided with water and sanitation supplies and food.

- Grand-Anse: MDM (Médecins du Monde) distributed 100 hygiene kits. The Red Cross supplied 145 mattresses.

- Artibonite: 234 mattresses, 117 hygiene kits were distributed by IOM and ACTED, in Grande Saline.

EDUCATION:

The Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training and UN partners continue to assess the state of school buildings. An initial assessment of damage has been conducted:

- West Leogane: all public and private schools in the city were flooded.

- Grande-Anse: 10 schools sustained significant damage.

- Sud: 14 schools are affected. The extent of damage is being assessed. The situation delays the full resumption of classes this week.

Needs:

The Ministry of Education has appealed for tents to accommodate students, pending repairs.

In Nippes department, Handicap International is providing tents to the Ecole nationale mixte de l’Anse à Veau, l’Ecole nationale de Grand Fond and l’Ecole communautaire de Laval.

FOOD SECURITY

The situation in at least 60 of the 140 communes in Haiti is considered serious by international partners. The food insecurity rate could be reaching 50%. Up to 2 million people are thought to be at risk of malnutrition as per the latest estimates.

The southern part of the country that had suffered crop and livestock losses with the passage of TS Isaac in August, is now suffering the consequences of TS Sandy. So far, the response to the impact of TS Sandy has been as follows:

- Sud: WFP is providing 5 tons of foodstuff to victims of TS Sandy. 700 families received food kits and water.

- Ouest: IOM distributed 2.7 tons of WFP-supplied High Energy Biscuits to 5,693 persons in temporary shelters in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area.

- Nippes: The Ministry of Social Affairs provided 200 women with food kits.

- Grand-Anse: 3 tons of High Energy Biscuits pre-positioned in Les Cayes.

- Artibonite: WFP distributed 0.69 tons of High Energy Biscuits to 1,723 persons in temporary shelters in Verettes, Grande Salines, Desdune and St. Michel de l’Attalaye.

- Venezuela has dispatched a ship and aircraft laden with food aid for Haiti

HEALTH

According to PAHO/WHO, there is an increase in cholera cases in the Sud (06 deaths) and Sud-est where 49 cases and 09 deaths were recorded. These cases were notified after the passage of the storm. The northern Departments were also hit by an increase in Cholera cases but they cannot yet be attributed to the passage of TS Sandy.

Cases of cholera in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area are being treated by PAHO/WHO and the Ministry of Public Health.

- Sud: Patients were evacuated from the Hopital HIC in Camp Perrin.

- Nippes: Two tents were donated to replace the CTC (Cholera Treatment Center) in Anse à Veau by Handicap International, while MSF is also treating cholera patients.

- Artibonite: Cholera treatment supplies were provided by the Ministry of Health.

WATER, SANITATION AND HYGIENE

- Ouest: 8 temporary shelters in metropolitan Port-au-Prince supplied with 18,000 gallons of potable water by DINEPA.

- Nippes: 50,000 aquatabs, 50 buckets and 15 hygiene kits were distributed in temporary shelters in Baradères. Temporary shelters in Petite Rivière, Anse à Veau and O’rouk also received 100,000 aquatabs, 15 hygiene kits and 50 buckets.

- Sud-est: 13 drums (250kg each) of High Test Hypochlorite (HTH) were distributed for chlorination of the water system and 32 cubic metres of potable water supplied to 6 shelters. This assistance has been realized by DINEPA.

- Grande-Anse: 150kg of HTH supplied to private water distributors, for water treatment in temporary shelters.

- Artibonite: Potable water, jerry cans (2 per family) were provided by IOM/MINUSTAH/ACTED to the affected in Grande Salines. WFP distributed 7,350 aquatabs.

Once the road to Baradères has been reopened, Handicap International will install a water treatment station.

LOGISTICS

WFP and IFRCRC conducted assessments. IFRCRC carried out 03 reconnaissance flights in the affected areas. In Sud-est and Grande-Anse, the road from Cayes to Jeremie is still cut (serious damages) at Roseau. In Ouest department, the road from Croix des Bouquets to Fond Verettes remains cut at Ganthier.

The Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Communication and UN partners have been working to restore traffic on most major roads in the various affected departments. General Coordination The GoH’s departmental emergency coordination centers remain active. OCHA as well as other partners continue to assist the COUN in facilitating coordination and compilation of data.
For further information, please contact:
George Ngwa - Chief, Communication Section, gnwaanuongong@un.org
Widlyn Dornevil - Public Information Officer, nornevil@un.orgGuillaume Shneiter - Reporting Officer, shneiterg@un.org

OCHA humanitarian bulletins are available at http://haiti.humanitarianresponse.info, www.nocha.org , www.reliefweb.int

ARTICLE - CHARITIES PREPARE TO HELP HAITI

AFTER 52 HURRICANE SANDY DEATHS, CHARITIES PREPARE TO HELP HAITI REBUILD
(Guardian.co.uk) - Paul Owen

Paul Owen talks to three charity workers in Port-au-Prince about the Haitian government's response to its third major disaster in two years

Haiti's government has learned important lessons about responding to natural disasters, say leading charities in the country, but there is still concern about how the Caribbean nation will cope with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.

Haiti has been hardest hit by the disaster so far, with at least 52 people killed and more than 200,000 left homeless as the storm passed by the country at the end of last week before it went on to hit the north-eastern United States last night.

There are fears of severe food shortages due to rotting crops, as well as infrastructure problems after roads were flooded and homes destroyed. The country was still coming to terms with the effects of a major earthquake in 2010 and last year's Hurricane Isaac.

Prime minister Laurent Lamothe has said: "It should not be normal that every time it rains, we have a catastrophe throughout the country." The Guardian spoke to three NGO workers in Haiti about the effects of the storm and the nation's prospects of dealing with the crisis.

Prospery Raymond, country manager for Haiti for Christian Aid Prospery Raymond of Christian Aid

Raymond said the areas most seriously affected by Hurricane Sandy were in the south-east of the country, in the Grand'Anse and Nippes departments.

"There I think it is still quite wet. The rivers are going down. In general the departments have put down the [threat level]; it was red, now it is normal. They are trying to repair the roads and bridges that collapsed."

He said the most serious impact of the storm had been on agriculture - the loss of crops and livestock. Christian Aid was going out at the moment to see what the state and other organisations would not be able to provide, "and to provide what is missing". They would be helping repair houses, replace livestock and provide seeds.

Asked about the government's response, Raymond said:

"To be honest I think this time they did what they could, because they managed to put more than 20,000 people in temporary shelter, but in total you have 200,000 people that were affected by Sandy. That means there is a huge gap. We think we could provide some support to complement what they are doing."

Asked what the government could do differently, he focused on altering the environment to allow nature to better combat extreme weather events.

"Christian Aid [is pushing] the government to take the environment situation more seriously, because if the country had the right trees, the right forests in place, I think that could help. It's really important for them to prioritise this in their future budget, for example. The Ministry of Environment in Haiti has 0.65% of the budget. I don't think it is normal. As a priority sector they need to receive more in order to help Haiti have better cover in terms of trees, and that could help us with all these hurricane storms that will come in here."

Lisa Laumann, Save the Children's country director for Haiti

Laumann explained what happened when the storm arrived last week.

The eye of the storm didn't even hit the country. It went through Cuba, and we were at quite a distance from it. So when it came through it was still quite strong, although it was just a tropical storm. [It was] followed by days of intensive, intensive rain; that Thursday and Friday of last week were just … I've hardly seen so much rain in a long time.

"It really led to a lot of damage in the country. There's been a substantial amount of damage to roads, a substantial amount of flooding in agricultural areas raising serious concerns about crops, and then of course with the standing water and the flow of water the increased concern about diarrhoea and disease, particularly cholera."

But she was reasonably optimistic about the government's ability to deal with these issues.

"What we saw during tropical storm Isaac and I think in tropical storm Sandy as well is a government that is challenged by the recurrent disasters that hit the country but also a government that is increasingly able to deal with this type of disaster. By that I mean that the government has a national system for the management of risks and disaster, and in the last two crises that have hit the country it has taken the lead."

Organisations such as her own had "played a role in preparation and response", but increasingly they were working under government leadership. "I don't want to sound like I think the government has infinite capacity to respond … but I think it's important to recognise that the government does have increasing ability to coordinate and manage disaster preparedness and response here."

Why did so many people die, despite the eye of the storm not hitting Haiti directly?

"People die because they are in the wrong place at the wrong time or because the infrastructure is not such that it protects them from incidents that occur. I think if the road infrastructure was stronger in this country, if there were better flood control, fewer people would die in emergencies like these."

Laumann was speaking from a high-up area of Port-au-Prince, where there was no standing water, and children were out and off to school. "There certainly has been damage to some buildings, but it looks from here like a fairly normal day."

But in the camps for those made homeless by the storm "it's different":

" People lost their few assets that they had. They were flooded out … Life is much more challenging for them. It's hard when you lose most of your possessions or have them destroyed by a storm."

In the south of the country there was a lot of road damage, she said.

"The last damage map that I took a look at showed damage in pretty much every department of the southern part of the country, much worse than the north. When you think about the fact that Haiti is already a road-challenged country, that's going to make problems for people who need to move around and for people who need to respond. Bridges have been broken, sections of road have been washed out, there's some land sliding over some of the roads.

Kristie van de Wetering, programme director, Tearfund

Van de Wetering explained why the situation in Haiti was so serious.

"Hurricane Sandy has really tipped the scale of an already fragile situation. We had tremendous amounts of water, tremendous amounts of flooding, severe winds, and we're seeing those effects across the country, with damaged homes, flooded homes, people displaced, crops and gardens destroyed and lives lost: 52 lives were lost, and it's extremely heartbreaking."

She had just got off the phone to a friend whose colleague lost his entire family in a landslide that destroyed their home with his family inside.

Van de Wetering said that since the earthquake of 2010 and Hurricane Isaac this year Tearfund had been helping repair homes and "to address some of the agriculture and livelihood issues", especially in the rural mountains. "Now Hurricane Sandy has created even more need and to be sure this response will also be addressing the needs of some of those people who now find themselves in a very difficult situation."

And she explained why Sandy had caused food shortages:

"We can look at the context prior to both tropical storm Isaac and Hurricane Sandy with increasing food prices and food insecurity throughout the last several months. With tropical storm Isaac and now Sandy a lot of the crops have been destroyed. There are numerous crops that were ready for harvesting that have now been destroyed. Plantain trees and plantations ripped down, gardens flooded, and so in a country that primarily supports itself agriculturally, this is an extreme hit to the country."

There would now be an increase in food prices and "food insecurity", with families finding it more difficult to harvest or sell their crops, she said. This would make it more difficult for them to send their children to school or repair their homes. Flooding and damaged homes were an immediate problem, "but in the coming months we're going to be looking at a real severe food security situation".

She was less optimistic than Laumann that the government was well-prepared to deal with this disaster, coming as it does so soon after the 2010 earthquake and Isaac.

"The government has been active from the very beginning. The national disaster management system has been mobilised early on, and this is a nationwide system. And the government has also been meeting with international organisations to coordinate the response, and has also allocated an additional $800,000 for initial response actions, so they have been very present and very active, but the reality is that they're stretched in terms of capacity and in terms of ability to respond …

The capacity for the government to respond even prior to these storms was starting to diminish. Funding is drying up for cholera response. So, big concern. There'll need to be a national joint effort with all key stakeholders to respond and to respond swiftly."

ARTICLE - HAITI EMERGENCY AID PLEA

HURRICANE SANDY: HAITI IN EMERGENCY AID PLEA AS DISASTER PILES UPON DISASTER
(Guardian.co.uk) - By Jonathan Watts

Haiti reeling from impact of Hurricane Sandy, as latest disaster leaves 54 people dead and more than 200,000 homeless

Haiti and the United Nations are planning an appeal for emergency aid after Hurricane Sandy killed 54 people and devastated crops last week before going on to hit the United States.

With hundreds of thousands of people still living in tents after the earthquake in 2010, Haiti was hardest hit by the storm. The call for donations follows a 96% drop in financial support for UN humanitarian programmes over the past two years, despite the continued vulnerability of the western hemisphere's poorest country.

Sandy has worsened the threats posed by cholera and food shortages, say senior aid officials evaluating the damage from the latest disaster before a meeting this week to draw up an appeal.

"Haiti is trying to get its house in order, but each time disaster strikes, the progress is interrupted," said Johan Peleman, head of the UN's office for the co-ordination of humanitarian affairs. "This country is exposed to devastating consequences by each storm. With every burst of rain, entire mountains are washed away." He said humanitarian funding had fallen from $2bn (£1.2bn) in 2010 to just $75m this year.

Following a huge storm earlier this year, Haiti was only skimmed by Sandy's tail, but its dire infrastructure and high levels of deforestation magnified the damage and number of casualties.

The government raised the death toll to 54 on Tuesday with 20 still missing. Tens of thousands have been left homeless. In just four days, the south and south-west of Haiti was soaked by 50cm of rain, equivalent to almost an average year's worth in London.

Some victims were washed away when rivers burst their banks. Others died in accidents caused by the storm. One family of five – a mother and her four children – were crushed when the roof of their home collapsed in Grand-Goâve.

But the greatest loss of life may still be to come as the country struggles to cope with the accumulated impacts of earthquakes and hurricanes which have devastated housing and crops.

The deluge compounded more than a year of misery for the 370,000 refugees who have been living in temporary camps since 2010. The winds scattered thousands of tents and ripped through the tarpaulins of countless others. Video images show residents trying to sleep on sodden bedding and wading through muddy water on flooded pathways.

Oxfam and the International Federation of the Red Cross are distributing additional sanitation and water purification kits. The government and aid agencies are also preparing to provide food and seeds to try to offset the harvest-time loss of crops such as plantains, bananas, maize and sugar cane.

"It was a relatively small disaster, but it will have a big impact," said Amelie Gauthier, of Oxfam's office in Port-au-Prince. "These rains will have an impact for months to come. All it takes is the loss of one or two lemon trees and some families here will no longer be able to afford to send their children to school. As people lose more and more of their capital, the vulnerability increases with the accumulation of disasters."

The government has been praised for its response, but the series of disasters is taking its toll. "We have a lot of work ahead of us in terms of the aid that we will need to deliver in the days, weeks and months to come," prime minister Laurent Lamothe has said. "It won't be easy because there are many roads and bridges that have been cut off."

The government has warned the population that more extreme weather may be coming. "In November we may see more hurricanes. So if the government doesn't work hard to protect the people Haiti will know a very hard time by the end of this year," said a meteorological official quoted in a local newspaper.

ARTICLE - HAITI, JAMAICA REPORT LOSSES

HAITI, JAMAICA OFFICIALS REPORT LOSSES FROM SANDY
(AP) By Evens Sanon

PORT-AU-PRINCE - Hurricane Sandy destroyed 70 percent of the crops in southern Haiti and caused widespread deaths of livestock, while in neighboring Jamaica it left at least $16.5 million worth of damage in its wake, officials in the Caribbean nations announced Tuesday.

Haitian Ministry of Agriculture official Jean Debalio Jean-Jacques said the government has not yet put a dollar figure on the losses. But as the top agriculture ministry official in Haiti's Southern Department, he said many poor farmers will have no food because of the hurricane's extensive damage.

Damaged crops include avocados, bread fruit, corn and some vetiver, a grass that produces a fragrant oil used in perfumes.

The eye of Hurricane Sandy passed west of Haiti the night of Oct. 24. But its rain-heavy outer bands dumped more than 20 inches of rain in 24 hours on the southern coastal town of Les Cayes and the surrounding countryside, causing rivers to overflow. Haiti has reported 52 deaths, the most of any Caribbean country by far. Officials reported flooding across the country, where roughly 370,000 people are still living in flimsy shelters as a result of the devastating 2010 earthquake.

In Jamaica, where Sandy's center made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane and killed one man, the economic toll of the storm was at least $16.5 million, Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller announced Tuesday.

The preliminary assessment includes damage to livestock, peppers, coconuts, bananas, and the island's Blue Mountain coffee, one of the world's most valuable coffee brands. The country's tourist resorts were not badly impacted and Jamaica "remains open for business," Simpson Miller stressed.

Although teams were still assessing the damage left by Sandy, Simpson Miller told lawmakers in the island's Parliament that 71 houses have been found totally destroyed and 348 were severely damaged in eastern parishes raked by the hurricane.

Jamaica's prime minister said she is determined to fast-track legislation to revise building codes to prevent people from constructing houses in unsafe areas.

The island's recovery from Sandy comes as the heavily indebted country is trying to forge a new agreement with the International Monetary Fund. So far, Jamaica has had pledges of support for storm recovery from Germany, Japan, France, Trinidad & Tobago and the U.S. Agency for International Development, according to the prime minister.

"Even before the hurricane we faced serious economic challenges. This has been made worse by the passage of Hurricane Sandy," Simpson Miller said.

In Cuba, Sandy was the deadliest storm in seven years, killing 11 people and ripping rooftops from homes and toppling power lines. Much of the damage was in Santiago, the second-largest city. President Raul Castro, who toured hard-hit areas on Sunday, has warned of a long road to recovery.

Sandy also slammed the Bahamas, where two people were killed and numerous homes in Grand Bahama, Cat Island and Exuma were flooded by surge waters.

Associated Press writer David McFadden in Kingston, Jamaica, contributed to this story

ARTICLE - HAITI STORM TOLL NOW 54

HAITI STORM DEATH TOLL TO 54; UP TO 71 FOR REGION
(Boston.com) - AP

PORT-AU-PRINCE - The death toll in the Caribbean from Hurricane Sandy rose on Wednesday and estimates of damage and destruction it caused grew larger as more complete assessments emerged from throughout the region.

Two new deaths were recorded in Haiti, bringing the total for the country to 54, said Marie Alta Jean-Baptiste, director of the country’s Civil Protection agency. That means the toll for the Caribbean as a whole is now 71.

Haitian authorities were able to revise the death toll as rivers recede, allowing officials to travel through the storm-drenched southern peninsula. The death toll had been 52. Jean-Baptiste said Wednesday that one of the new deaths occurred during a mudslide and the other was a person who drowned trying to cross a rain-swollen river. There are still 21 people unaccounted for after the storm.

Hurricane Sandy drenched the country’s south with more than 20 inches (500 millimeters) of rain in 24 hours. President Michel Martelly has declared a monthlong state of emergency.

In the Bahamas, the total cost of damage to private property and public infrastructure is expected to reach as high as $300 million, according to a report from the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility, a risk pool for 16 governments in the Caribbean.

That total would be higher than last year’s Hurricane Irene, which caused about $250 million in damage to the island chain east of Florida.

The damage estimates do not include tourism losses, which are expected to be significant in the case of Sandy. Minister of Tourism Obediah Wilchcombe has said the country experienced thousands of cancellations some resorts were forced to compensate people who were stranded by the storm.

In Cuba, the government raised the number of homes damaged by Hurricane Sandy from 130,000 to 200,000.

State phone company Etecsa reported that some 1,400 telephone poles were knocked down by the storm, which blew across eastern Cuba. Phones and electricity were gradually being restored with the help of workers brought in from other regions

ARTICLE - DEATH COMES TO GRAND GOAVE

"DEATH COMES TO GRAND GOAVE" DUE TO HURRICANE SANDY
(www.theawkwardpose.com) -

Death comes to Haiti so arbitrary it shatters any illusion that we control our destiny. Hurricane Sandy is on her third day of delivering heavy rain to Grand Goave. Unlike Isaac, who quickly shuffled through his fierce gales and heavy rains, Sandy lacks bluster yet drenches us with swirling clouds that refuse to spin away. Perhaps she lingers to visit her little black namesake at the bottom of our hill. Perhaps she wants us to reconsider the wisdom of constructing a building so heavy it cannot move when an arc might serve us better. Perhaps she wants to demonstrate the destructive power of the slow moving tortoise over the quick fleeting hare. Sandy has already rendered more damage than Isaac, though her skies show no sign of clearing.

This morning five people in Grand Goave died from Hurricane Sandy; a landslide down the mountain next to Be Like Brit smothered a tent where a mother and her four children slept in one bed. They were buried alive. When Francky and Gilbert ran to the scene I considered joining, but thought better of it. Though I add value in areas of design, direction and analysis, I am useless at tasks requiring brute strength, like digging through muddy remains. The few corpses I have seen in my sheltered life have all been neatly composed in coffins. Corpses here are much more common, yet rarely so well preserved.

According to the World Bank, the average life expectancy for a baby born in Haiti in 2012 is 60.6 years, but that statistic does not jive with anyone's experience living here. Making it past sixty in Haiti is not the norm, it is a rare achievement. People who are thriving and vigorous one day are gone the next. Tragedy is the norm. People mourn untimely deaths with loud flamboyance, then quickly return to their daily rhythms. If people lingered in grief, their grief would be perpetual.

In a typical year in the United States I might hear of a few people who have died; most all of them after a full life. In my regular visits to Haiti I learn about someone who dies every month. Here is a representative list from 2012; I imagine anyone else in this fragile country could give a similar accounting.

Dieunison's mother died at the beginning of the year. She was reportedly a voodoo priestess, like her mother before her. I have never heard anyone mention her cause of death, though she could not have been very old.

In February an elderly woman was hit by a motorcycle near MoHI's gate. Gama, who is a paramedic, rushed to the scene and collected her to the hospital, but the woman did not survive.

In March Gama's cousin died, a thirty-three year old woman with a husband and three children. She had a short, fatal illness though I never heard a diagnosis.

Marieve's cousin died in child birth in April. She is survived by a husband, young son and twin daughters, one of whom was born blind.

In May Pepe's father-in-law died. He at least had a long life.

Three local youths died in a horrendous wreck when their small car was run into a ditch by an out of control truck in June. The truck's chassis ploughed right over the car, crushing and killing them on the spot.

In July Lex's sister-in-law died; age 42.

August was a month when horror visited children. A six year old Hands and Feet orphan drowned in the Caribbean Sea. After searching for hours, the matrons gave up when night fell. The girl?s body was discovered the next day, her extremities gone. The same month Kylene, a MoHI Sunday singer, lost her third baby in four pregnancies. The baby was full term, yet born dead.

I hoped that September would break the pattern; but all kinds of odd disease flourished. Toto had a wound on his arm that blistered and sent him to the hospital; he missed three weeks of work. Ble, the painter, got a cut on his leg that festered into an ugly infection. He limped around the site for days with his pants leg rolled up so fresh air could scab over the oozing pus, but with so much plaster dust in the air his leg healed slowly. Fanes came down with a stomach bug, the front end version of what plagued me, but in a more severe form. He could not keep any food down, lost sixty pounds and moved to Les Cayes where his family could care for him. Two days after I returned to the States Fanes died. Dysentery? Worms? Whatever took this healthy man in his middle forties was likely something that could have been diagnosed and treated in any industrial nation.

When I return this month a banner in the crew's lunch tent honors Boss Fanes, but in truth, I have not heard his name mentioned even once. Two weeks after passing, life without Fanes is the new normal; everyone has moved on.

There is no time to grieve for Fanes, or the drowned girl, or Pepe's father-in-law, or Dieunison's mother because today we have a new tragedy, five bodies lying together wrapped in a USAID tarp. Lex prays over them while a crowd of Haitians in ponchos and ripped garbage bags witness their passing before Hurricane Sandy even departs our shores. At least half these people who died this year could have been saved by elementary public health measures - clean water, safe houses, vehicle inspections, maternity care, life guards. We take these for granted in the United States and other developed countries. But for nine million Haitians, and a billion others around the planet, these simple safeguards do not exist. So people continue to die from landslides and labor; dysentery and drowning; and as long as we allow these conditions to prevail for our fellow humans, our society is less developed than we pretend.

 

ARTICLE - SANDY DESTROYS LIVES AND PROPERTY

DEVASTATING HURRICANE SANDY SLAMS INTO HAITI DESTROYING LIVES AND PROPERTY
(Guardian Express) -

 

Devastation slams into Haiti as life and property are destroyed by Hurricane Sandy. In the midst of the destruction, a nationwide damage assessment in Haiti authorities say 44 have died from Hurricane Sandy?s torrential winds.

As Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe of Haiti peered from the helicopter window he paused, as if needing time to process the ravaged landscape below: washed-out roads, rotting crops, flooded roads and raging rivers flowing with mud.

"We have a big job to do,?" Lamothe said to Sen. Steven Benoit, a member of the opposition party, who was along on a grim damage survey Saturday.

With the death toll rising to at least 44 and an estimated 200,000 homeless as a result of four days of relentless rain from Hurricane Sandy, Lamothe appealed for patience and called for investment in flood-control structures that are largely absent from the countryside. But he also expressed a weary frustration, one shared by many in this poor nation reeling from a string of natural disasters. With each one, he said, Haiti has taken a step backward.

"It should not be normal that every time it rains, we have a catastrophe throughout the country," Lamothe said.

As Haiti began what will be grueling months of cleanup from a powerful Category 2, 115-mph hurricane that left a trail of destruction and killed at least 57 people in the Caribbean, millions of people in the northeastern United States were bracing for what meteorologists and emergency managers fear could be a disaster of epic proportions.

Nine states called out the National Guard in preparation for the aftermath that Craig Fugate, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said Saturday could hammer an 800-mile swath of the country from North Carolina to Maine with a messy mix of intense rains, storm surge heightened by extreme tides, gale-force winds and up to two feet of snow in some states.

Fugate, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said it was too soon to say which states were going to get the worst weather but the storm could affect a huge swath of the Northeast ? and not just along the coast. West Virginia, for instance, could see two feet of snow and flooding rains, and damaging winds could reach Ohio, he said during a conference call Saturday.

"We need to make sure people understand that this is going to go well inland," Fugate said.

Rick Knabb, director of the National Hurricane Center in West Miami-Dade, said Sandy?s wind field is so massive that conditions will begin deteriorating this week along the Outer Banks of North Carolina, even though the center of the storm makes landfall possibly near the coast of Delaware and New Jersey late Monday or early Tuesday.

Hurricane Sandy was expected to mesh with two winter weather systems as it moves inland, creating a super-storm some experts fear could prove more costly than Hurricane Irene, which hit the same area last year and caused more than $15 billion in damage.

In Haiti, the United Nations and the Haitian government were trying to put a price on the loss, but it will be an arduous process with many areas isolated by impassable roads. Once again, it had not taken a direct hit from a tropical storm to wreck Haiti; the core of Sandy, like Isaac earlier this year, had skirted the country.

The Office of Civil Protection raised the total of known dead in Haiti on Saturday to 44, with at least 12 missing and 19 injured. More than 21,107 were in shelters and an estimated 200,000 were homeless after the storm in a country where more than 350,000 are still homeless after a devastating earthquake in 2010.

Along Haiti's hard-hit southern coast, no community seemed to have been spared. From the air, coconut trees looked like wet mops, large farms stood in pools of water and eroded soil from the denuded hillsides turned the sea the color of mocha.

Haitians were caught off guard by what some are calling ?the Caribbean storm? because it came from the sea to the south, not out of the Atlantic Ocean.

The storm, say Haitian and international aid officials, dumped more rain than Tropical Storm Isaac in August and Tomas in 2010 after the earthquake.

In the city of Les Cayes, among the hardest-hit areas, the storm dumped a stunning 27 inches of rain in a 24-hour period, said Johan Peleman, director of the United Nations humanitarian agency in Haiti.

In areas the government and aid agencies could reach, thousands of hot meals were to be distributed, Lamothe said.

"Given the situation we are living today, it will not be easy," he said. "We need the patience of everyone. We will not be able to get to everyone at the same time."

Lamothe said the government plans to launch a country-wide retaining wall project to protect villages built along rivers criss-crossing the mountainous nation.

In some communities like Leogane, rivers were still rising from flood water spilling down from the hills.

"People cannot think that everything is over. Things are not over yet," said Benoit, who invited himself on the helicopter tour. "This is a national problem."

The NHC said the hurricane will move parallel to the southeast coast of the United states during the weekend.

In Cuba, powerful winds and torrential rains associated with Sandy destroyed or damaged thousands of homes, stores, warehouses and plantations, mainly in Santiago de Cuba and Holguin.

From North Carolina to the coastal edges of Maine, public officials urged residents to fortify themselves against Hurricane Sandy, which is expected to unleash torrential rains and winds of up to 75 mph, even for those residing as far as 100 miles from the storm?s center.

State and federal officials are planning for several days of treacherous conditions throughout the Mid-Atlantic States. As much as 8 inches of rain is expected to hit those states. In addition, two feet of snow will perhaps bury mountain areas inn North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.

 

ARTICLE - UTAH MEDICAL TEAM TRIP TO HAITI

HUMANITARIAN TRIP TO HAITI IS BACK ON FOR A GROUP OF UTAH DOCTORS
(ABC4) - By Brian Carlson

SALT LAKE CITY - A group of Utah doctors thought Hurricane Sandy had canceled their humanitarian trip to Haiti, but Saturday night they decided they're not let Mother Nature get in their way.

Joel Porter's bags are packed and he's ready to go.. again.

"It's quite a relief that we're going to be able to go," said Joel Porter, M.D.

Dr. Porter is part of a group of 16 Utahns with the Haiti Health Initiative leaving Saturday night to Haiti. They're providing free medical care to some of the Caribbean country's most impoverished areas.

But it almost didn't happen.

"The reports came in that the clinic was pretty much destroyed," said Porter.

When Hurricane Sandy hit Haiti, it wiped out the group's medical facilities. Dr. Porter, Dr. Wood, their two daughters and others were forced to accept the trip was over.

"It was very disappointing," said Emily Porter, Joel Porter's daughter.

"We have some people there that we're their only health care they'll get, and the thought of not being able to be there for them was really difficult," said Tom Wood, M.D.

But just hours after canceling their plans, the group learned people in Haiti had worked feverishly to repair damage to the treatment center, and Haitians encouraged them to keep the trip alive.

"They worked really hard, and told us we could still make a difference," said Porter.

So with the threat of the storm gone and the promise they can still treat patients, the group the going again. And they're hoping this time a luck is on their side.

"Are you crossing your fingers this time?"asked Reporter Brian Carlson.

"Yup, I think it'll work out alright," said Sabrina Wood, Tom Wood's daughter

ARTICLE - HURRICANE'S DEATH TOLL RISES - 65

HURRICANE SANDY'S DEATH TOLL RISES TO 65 AS FLOODING CONTINUES IN HAITI
(Newser) - by Trenton Daniel (AP)

Hurricane's death toll rises to 65 in Caribbean

As Americans braced Sunday for Hurricane Sandy, Haiti was still suffering.

Officials raised the storm-related death toll across the Caribbean to 65, with 51 of those coming in Haiti, which was pelted by three days of constant rains that ended only on Friday.

As the rains stopped and rivers began to recede, authorities were getting a fuller idea of how much damage Sandy brought on Haiti. Bridges collapsed. Banana crops were ruined. Homes were underwater. Officials said the death toll might still rise.

"This is a disaster of major proportions," Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe told The Associated Press, adding with a touch of hyperbole, "The whole south is under water."

The country's ramshackle housing and denuded hillsides are especially vulnerable to flooding. The bulk of the deaths were in the southern part of the country and the area around Port-au-Prince, the capital, which holds most of the 370,000 Haitians who are still living in flimsy shelters as a result of the devastating 2010 earthquake.

Santos Alexis, mayor of the southern city of Leogane, said Sunday that the rivers were receding and that people were beginning to dry their belongings in the sun.

"Things are back to being a little quiet," Alexis said by telephone. "We have seen the end."

Sandy also killed 11 in Cuba, where officials said it destroyed or damaged tens of thousands of houses. Deaths were also reported in Jamaica, the Bahamas and Puerto Rico. Authorities in the Dominican Republic said the storm destroyed several bridges and isolated at least 130 communities while damaging an estimated 3,500 homes.

Jamaica's emergency management office on Sunday was airlifting supplies to marooned communities in remote areas of four badly impacted parishes.

In the Bahamas, Wolf Seyfert, operations director at local airline Western Air, said the domestic terminal of Grand Bahamas' airport received "substantial damage" from Sandy's battering storm surge and would need to be rebuilt.

 

ARTICLE - STORM DAMAGES CROPS IN HAITI

STORM DAMAGES CROPS IN HAITI, FUELING FOOD PRICE WOES
(Reuters) - By Susana Ferreira

PORT-AU-PRINCE - As Hurricane Sandy barreled toward the U.S. East Coast on Monday, the full extent of the storm's havoc on Haiti was just beginning to emerge.

Extensive damage to crops throughout the southern third of the country, as well as the high potential for a spike in cases of cholera and other water-borne diseases, could mean Haiti will see the deadliest effects of Sandy in the coming days and weeks.

Haiti reported the highest death toll in the Caribbean, as swollen rivers and landslides claimed at least 52 lives, according to the country's Civil Protection office. More than three days of constant rain left roads and bridges heavily damaged, cutting off access to several towns and a key border crossing with the Dominican Republic.

"The economy took a huge hit," Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe told Reuters. He also said Sandy's impact was devastating, "even by international standards," adding that Haiti was planning an appeal for emergency aid.

"Most of the agricultural crops that were left from Hurricane Isaac were destroyed during Sandy," he said, "so food security will be an issue."

Sandy also destroyed banana crops in eastern Jamaica as well as decimating the coffee crop in eastern Cuba.

But the widespread loss of crops and supplies in the south, both for commercial growers and subsistence farmers, is what has Haitian authorities and aid organizations had worried about most.

The past several months have seen a series of nationwide protests and general strikes over the rising cost of living. Even before Hurricane Sandy hit, residents complained that food prices were too high.

PEASANT CROP LOSSES

A rise in food prices in Haiti triggered violent demonstrations and political instability in April 2008. Jean Debalio Jean-Jacques, the Ministry of Agriculture's director for the southern department, said he worried that the massive crop loss "could aggravate the situation."

"The storm took everything away," said Jean-Jacques. "Everything the peasants had in reserve - corn, tubers - all of it was devastated. Some people had already prepared their fields for winter crops and those were devastated."

In Abricots on Haiti's southwestern tip, the community was still recovering from the effects of 2010's Hurricane Tomas and a recent dry spell when Sandy hit.

"We'll have famine in the coming days," said Abricots Mayor Kechner Toussaint. "It's an agricultural disaster."

The main staples of the local diet, bananas and breadfruit, were ripped out by winds and ruined by heavy rains.

In the southwestern Grand Anse department, a boat that regularly comes from Port-au-Prince to deliver supplies and pick up produce to sell in the capital had not come in more than a week because of the storm. The cost of basic things, like fuel, had already jumped.

In Camp-Perrin, a mountainous region in the southwest peninsula where Sandy's first fatality was recorded after a woman tried to cross a swollen river, coffee planters lamented the loss of a harvest they were weeks away from collecting.

"Coffee is the bank account of the peasants," said Maurice Jean-Louis, a planter and head of a coffee growers' cooperative in Camp-Perrin. Rain flooded many storage areas as well, soaking coffee beans that were set aside for export. He called the damage "incalculable."

CHOLERA IN THE CAPITAL

In the capital, Port-au-Prince, Sandy destroyed concrete homes and tent camps alike, where 370,000 victims of the 2010 earthquake are still living. Haitian authorities said 18,000 families were left homeless in the disaster.

Aid organizations began reporting a sharp rise in suspected cholera cases in several departments, with at least 86 new cases alone coming from Port-au-Prince's earthquake survivor camps, according to Dr. Juan Carlos Gustavo Alonso of the Pan American Health Organization. Many communities are still cut off and only accessible by helicopter, he said, so the broader rise in cholera was "still too early to tell."

Since October 2010, a cholera outbreak has sickened almost 600,000 people and killed more than 7,400 in Haiti.

Both the Haitian state and international aid organizations distributed food, water and other items to affected camps and communities throughout the weekend, including personal distributions by President Michel Martelly.

"These stocks are running dangerously low," said George Ngwa, spokesman for OCHA, a humanitarian coordinating body in Haiti. "After Tropical Storm Isaac in August, these stocks have not been replenished. What we're doing is scraping the bottom."

(Editing by David Adams, desking by G Crosse)

 

ARTICLE - EXECUTIVE MET WITH PARLIAMENT

MARTELLY AND LAMOTHE MET WITH PARLIAMENTARIANS YESTERDAY
(Haiti Libre) -

After his overflight assessment of the situation (by helicopter), the Prime Minister, Laurent Lamothe accompanied by President Michel Martelly, met Saturday the parliamentarians in Port-au-Prince, about the crisis that confronts Haiti after the passage of Sandy. After this meeting, the Prime Minister at a press conference explained "[...] As you know, this morning I appealed to national solidarity because it is important that the powers are harmonized, to be able to manage the current crisis we are experiencing, and that we continue to live, because we have a provisional toll of 200,000 victims affected and 44 casualties, and this is a record that will certainly increase.

We have several cities, which are cut off from the rest of the country, which are flooded, as Léogâne, Petit-Goâve and Grand-Goâve. There are many problems in Les Cayes where many gardens are lost. Côtes de Fer is under water, and we are facing a major crisis.

We made an encounter, an assessment, with parliamentarians, to see how the situation is in their community and what we can do together to move forward. The President of the Republic who also attended the meeting made ​​various proposals, which were very well received, such as for example decentralize the National Center for Equipment (CNE), to have a presence in the various departments and respond more quickly [...]

We do not yet have specific figures on the extent of damage, but there are several millions of dollars in losses and damage, so it is important to work together as Senator Benoît said this morning, 'time is for unity, for the union to deal with problems.'

There are big decisions that will be taken, because the state can not be continually on the defensive every time it rains or there is a flood [...] we must invest in prevention, we must protect our shores. It is necessary that we work on the issue of dredging and it will take big budgets, dredging of bays. We need to do it, nothing has been done for 25 years [...]

[...] This morning, I had an aerial view of the damage and there [with parliamentarians], we have taken all the grievances of what exactly happened in each municipality. We have this document; slso, we have different ministers who have visited several municipalities to assess the situation. I also ask to be patient, because the government can not give an answer everywhere at the same time. We will be forced to do it gradually, with the resources available to the Government.

I would also like to thank the various foreign governments who responded to the call that the Haitian Government has launched. Today we have seen that the U.S. government had an Air Force plane that made an overflight assessment, the Government of Venezuela has sent a ship with 240 tons of food [...] Monday they will also send a plane with humanitarian aid. Taiwan also responded, but we still do not know exactly what they are sending, as is the Government of Mexico, without taking into account other countries.

Yesterday morning [Friday] I had a meeting with all the NGOs to coordinate the response [...] Tomorrow [Sunday] I'll have a meeting with Mr. Nigel Fisher, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator on the response that the international community will give to Haiti.

[...] The situation is very complicated, but in the coordinated execution, we can successfully relieve populations.

Now we will go to the Council of Ministers to decide on the major decisions to manage the problem upstream and invest in prevention, to avoid being all the time on the defensive and respond to emergencies [...] we need to solve the problem once and for all [...]".

ARTICLE - HELICOPTER OVERFLY OF COUNTRY

THE PRIME MINISTER FLEW OVER THE COUNTRY BY HELICOPTER
(Haiti Libre) -

Saturday, the Prime Minister, Laurent Lamothe, joined by Senator Steven Benoît, performed an overflight of country to measure the extent of damage after the passage of Sandy.

Upon his return, the Prime Minister summarized the situation at a press conference at the airport "[...] ...we started our visit around 11:30 this morning. We made an overflight of virtually all of the South Coast. We also passed over the South East, and the Vallée of Jacmel very low, in order to see the damage. We flew over Les Cayes, Côtes-de-Fer, Cavaillons, Aquin. We also passed over Petit-Goâve, Grand-Goâve, Miragoâne [...] You know, there are 200,000 people affected who live in conditions very difficult due to flooding, and there are many gardens that are lost [...] we have a lot of work ahead of us in terms of aid, that we will be forced to bring in the coming, days, weeks and months to come. It will not be an easy thing, because there are many roads and bridges cut [...] We also noted a lot of erosion [...]

We will now sit to look at the action plan [...] as I have already said, we have in terms of emergency vouchers 120,000 people that we will help in 5 departments. Yesterday, we decided to add 130 million Gourdes to the emergency program to assist the population. Today we will try to get the number of emergency voucher recipients to 200,000.

We will need a lot of solidarity from the entire society, civil society, the international community; really all sectors, faced with the situation that we live in today [...] I also ask the patience of everyone, because the Government can not get help to everyone at the same time.

Today we have two mobile canteens; one in Léogâne, and the other will go to Petit-Goâve, which will give 10,000 hot meals to the victims. There will be also many baskets of solidarity that will be distributed in these areas. We will ensure that the emergency vouchers are operational on Sunday.

So that's why I did an overflight, to be able to see the extent of the problem [...] from tomorrow [Sunday], the emergency plan will start [...] the U.S. Government also made an overflight to see how to help [...] we must invest in the causes, in the prevention and not only in emergency [...] we've already invested 351 million Gourdes in aid, but it is not enough compared to what we have seen [...] Overall I can tell you that we will make every possible efforts, to assist affected populations [...]"

ARTICLE - GOV'T ON THE GROUND WITH PEOPLE

THE GOVERNMENT ON THE GROUND, WITH THE POPULATION
(Haiti Libre) -

Friday, President Michel Martelly accompanied by his wife Sophia Martelly, the Prime Minister, Laurent Lamothe and Rosanne Auguste, the Minister responsible for human rights and the fight against extreme poverty, proceeded with a distribution of food aid to thousands of people affected by the passage of Sandy.

It was to Village de Dieu, near the neighborhood of Martissant, that started the caravan of social assistance of the Haitian State. Thousands of families have received food kits (Panye Solidarite) [rice, maize, peas, oil, salt, treated water], from a new program, "Ede Pep", designed to be implemented in disadvantaged areas and municipalities with areas of extreme poverty, according to the vulnerability map.

The population did not hide its satisfaction and showed their gratitude to the Government. For his part, the Head of State reiterated his commitment to support the Haitian people in every situation as difficult as may be, and promised to work on measures to provide sustainable solutions to the many problems confronted by the Haitian population.

Note : The Fund of Economic and Social Assistance (FAES) is the body that runs the majority of programs grouped under the label of "Ede Pep".

ARTICLE - RETURN OF NICE WEATHER

RETURN OF NICE WEATHER
(Haiti Libre) -

Following the passage of Sandy, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) in Haiti, informs that Sandy continues its path in the Atlantic along the U.S. East Coast.

The gradual improvement in the weather continues with the arrival of a mass of dry air in the Caribbean region. However, a few showers, sometimes stormy, are still possible locally in the afternoon or evening.

The CNM provides for this Sunday, a sky slightly cloudy with a slight chance of showers and isolated thunderstorms in the afternoon or evening.

For Monday, nice weather in general, possibility of some showers and isolated thunderstorms in the evening.

The CNM in concert with SPGRD and DPC, announces that the red alert, which was issued in the country in relation to the passage of Sandy is currently lifted

ARTICLE - SANDY'S DEATH TOLL RISES TO 39

HURRICANE SANDY'S DEATH TOLL RISES TO 39
(Bellingham Herald) - By Curtis Morgan and Jacqueline Charles (Miami Herald)

GRAND GOAVE, Haiti — Mud gushed down from mountains, boulders barreled into highways and bedraggled residents waded through chest-deep flooding to get to homes under water.

As Hurricane Sandy drenched Haiti for a fourth day, a weary country wondered when the rain would finally end.

"We weren't prepared. No one was prepared," said Rose-Marie Lapotose, 40, walking through the pelting rain in the rural Morne Ricodo section of a town stunned by the death of a mother and four children, crushed under an overnight landslide.

Sandy edged away from Florida on Friday toward a potentially paralyzing smash into the Northeast that many experts fear could dwarf the $15 billion-plus in damages racked up when Hurricane Irene slammed the same area last year. But another disaster was still unfolding hundreds of miles to the south in Haiti, where Sandy's long wet tail has draped itself over the island of Hispaniola and may not move into the weekend.

Haiti's Office of Civil Protection raised the death toll to 26, a number that could climb in a poor country with denuded terrain vulnerable to mudslides. That brought Sandy's death toll in the Caribbean to at least 39, including 11 in Cuba, one in Jamaica and one in the Bahamas.

"The situation is disastrous all over the country. It's a major disaster," said Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe, who issued an appeal to the international community for help. "We are doing our best, but we need help to deal with this."

At 5 p.m. EDT, the National Hurricane Center said Sandy was continuing to degrade, just hanging on to Category 1 hurricane strength with 75-mph sustained winds. But forecasters cautioned that the slight weakening won't make much of a difference if Sandy behaves as expected, hooking up in a few days with an approaching cold blast from Canada and morphing into a hybrid nor'easter that meteorologists have dubbed "Frankenstorm."

During a conference call Friday, experts with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Sandy had the potential to have an unprecedented impact across hundreds of miles from the Carolinas to New England.

"We are dealing with categories here that we don't normally see," said Louis Uccellini, NOAA's environmental prediction director.

The forecast was dismal: 10 inches of rain near Sandy's landfall and up to 8 inches in surrounding areas, along with coastal flooding from storm surge that could be timed with extreme high tides. West Virginia and surrounding areas could see more than a foot of snow. Winds across much of the area could top 50 mph.

James Franklin, chief of the National Hurricane Center's forecast division, said the slow-moving storm could take two or three days to pass over the Northeast, which would add to flooding, power outages and damage,

"We're looking at something bigger than Irene," he said.

In South Florida, the dreary weather began to clear by the afternoon and the hurricane center dropped the tropical storm watch for Miami-Dade, Broward and the Keys. Emergency managers in the three counties reported few problems, other than scattered and mostly minor power outages from downed lines. Water managers reported no flooding concerns from persistent but mostly light rains with sporadic stronger cells.

There were some more serious impacts. In Fort Lauderdale, storm surge and waves spilled over the dunes and left a section of highway in a calf-deep sluice of sea water and sand. Chuck Lanza, Broward County's emergency director, said the water had retreated and crews were clearing the road.

"That's the only thing we've seen," he said.

In Stuart, the Palm Beach Post reported that high surf had washed sand out from under the garage of a waterfront home, collapsing the building and leaving two cars, a 2006 Mercedes and a 2013 Mercedes, in a deep hole, sloshing with sea water.

With Sandy expected to crawl north with an expanding swath of gale-force winds, the hurricane center left up tropical storm watches and warnings for much of Florida and extended them to the coastlines of the Carolinas as well.

Sandy, which slammed in eastern Cuba near Santiago as a powerful Category 2 hurricane with 115 mph winds has left a trail of death and damage along its path. Cuba reported 11 deaths and Jamaica one, while in the Bahamas, one death was reported by the Associated Press. Police on Lyford Cay said a 66-year-old man died after falling from his roof Thursday while fixing a storm shutter. The Dominican Republic also reported flooding from the same stubborn outer bands parked over Hispaniola.

Dennis Feltgen, a spokesman for the hurricane center, said the band of thunderstorms hanging over Haiti hundreds of miles from Sandy's core was the typical outflow for a large hurricane pulling deep tropical moisture in its wake. Tropical Storm Isaac in August produced the same effect, training thunderstorms over Southeast Florida and flooding portions of Palm Beach County.

Haiti, he said, just happened to be in the worst place for it, on the east side of a storm that had slowed off South Florida before an anticipated turn. The rain, he said, could continue into Saturday, adding to mounting misery across the country.

Roosevelt Guerrier, a government representative in the city of Les Cayes, said the nonstop deluge has devastated his city. Several people called the hurricane, which struck Jamaica and only grazed Haiti, far worse than Isaac in August, which killed at least 24 people but did most of its damage in the southern portion of the country.

But unlike Isaac, which mostly affected the southeast, Sandy's damage could be seen everywhere in Haiti.

In neighboring Leogane, three overflowing rivers and rain had filled homes with water the color of chocolate.

Ricardo Toussaint, 26, stood on the roadside surveying the extensive flooding and said he was tired of enduring the same disasters year after years.

"We need dredging and retaining walls," he said. "From the time they announce hurricane season, we know this will be the case. This is all we know."

(Staff writer Jacqueline Charles reported from Port -au-Prince. Staff writer Curtis Morgan is based in Miami.)

ARTICLE - SANDY - MANY CITIES AFFECTED

SANDY - MANY CITIES AFFECTED
(Haiti Libre) - 25/10/2012 11:14:42

At 11 am, Sandy continues to move away from Haiti. It moves towards the North, at 26km/h, and it is currently at 22.4 degrees north latitude and 75.5 degrees west longitude, or 85km north of Cuba, 243 km North East of Haiti. Maximum winds blowing at 165km/h with gusts well above. The storm winds are blowing 220km from the center. We expect to receive a lot of rain today, because of the cloud mass at the rear of the system.

In the South Department, the town of Torbeck is totally flooded. Port Salut has heavy rain and strong wind gusts. At Rue Quai the population was surprised by the waters, the beach of pointe sable is heavily damaged, the hotel du village is practically destroyed (severely damaged), as well as several houses on Rue Quai. Plantations are destroyed and heads of cattle carried away. Part of the railing of the bridge of Port-Salut was swept away yesterday due to the flooding river. Les Cayes is under water; the water has reached up to 50 cm in some places. The hospital Immaculate Conception should be evacuated. The river Ilet is in flood. In Chantal, livestock have been washed away and 70 people have been placed in temporary shelters.

In the department of Nippes, the town of Anse-à-Veau is flooded. At Miragoâne since yesterday, the PNH evacuated all prisoners.

In the department of Grand Anse, to the Cayemites Islands, a rising tide was observed and several boats were crushed. In Dame Marie, about 14 houses and 3 boats destroyed. In Pestel many roofs were blown away.

In the department of Artibonite, Saint-Marc the rain falls since yesterday evening, strong winds are blowing on the lower Artibonite. In the fifth section of Saint-Marc roads are impassable.

In the department of the West, in Port-au-Prince and Petion-ville rain continues to fall; fog has been observed. In the area of ​​Tabarre, on Tabarre road, there are floods. The Damien area is flooded since last night. Gonaïves has heavy rains. At the level of the IDP camps in the metropolitan area, a precautionary evacuation this Wednesday, of 1,250 vulnerable people. At Laboule 12 trees have fallen, but the road is still passable. The DPC informs that all the rivers are in flood at the department level. In Arcahaie the bridge over the river Courjolle already damaged and closed to traffic, has collapsed. The city of Petit-Goâve is under water.

In the department of the Nord-Ouest, in Port-de-Paix a victim is reported.

771 and 133

The Institute of Social Welfare and Research (IBESR) has put in place an emergency number on the occasion of the passage of Sandy. 711 and the 133 can be used in case of difficulty 24/24 until Friday.

Flights and cabotage

Cabotage operations are prohibited in all coastal areas of the country until further notice. However, it is imperative that local flights to and from Terminals in departments of the South, Grande Anse, South-east and North-west exercise caution, faced with threats of gusts of wind that are more and more obvious.

ARTICLE - SANDY - SITUATION REPORT BY DEP'T

SANDY - LATEST SITUATION REPORT BY DEPARTMENT
(Haiti Libre) - 26-10-2012

In the last situation report dated Thursday, October 25, 2012, 2:00 p.m. the DPC informed that Haiti is no longer under the direct influence of Sandy; however, a wide cloud band is at the back of the system and continues to generate rain on Haiti. Sandy is currently off the Bahamas and begins an ascent on the American east coast. We present you the latest official report/assessment by department of the situation.

West: All municipalities, Wind variable intensities, Flood in the municipalities of Fond Verrettes, Cabaret, Cite Soleil, Tabarre, Leogane, Grand Goave and Croix-des-Bouquets among others; all rivers in flood.

Center: All municipalities; Cloudy - intermittent rain in the majority of municipalities - Boucan-Carré, Hinche and Cerca-Cavajal; Decline of the river in Mirebalais.

Grand'Anse: All municipalities; Cloudy weather - light rain, Stormy Sea, Rivers in spate. Pestel, Important landslide in Duchity.

South: All municipalities; Weather cloudy and windy, Flood in Camp-Perrin, Côteaux, Port-a-Piment, Charbonnières, Saint-Louis du Sud/Solon, Sucrerie Henry and Les Cayes (Downtown and seaside – Gelée), Cavaillon, All the rivers are in flood, Rough Sea.

Nippes: All municipalities; Rain on the municipalities of Paillant and Fond-des-Nègres, Downtown of Baradères flooded, All rivers are in flood, Rough Sea.

Southeast: All municipalities; Cloudy and windy throughout the department, All the rivers are in flood, Rough Sea throughout the department.

Artibonite: Upper Artibonite (All municipalities); Cloudy weather - light rain in Marmelade, Saint-Michel et Terre-Neuve, à Marmelade, Saint-Michel and Terre-Neuve. Lower-Artibonite (All municipalities), Intermittent rain, Floods in Verrettes and Grande Saline.

North: All municipalities; Rains intermittent, Flooding to Bord-de-mer of Limonade, Non flooded rivers. North East : All municipalities, Cloudy weather, fine rain intermittently in Ouanaminthe, Trou du Nord, Ferrier, Terrier Rouge, Caracol, Light rain intermittently in Ouanaminthe, Trou du Nord, Ferrier, Terrier Rouge, Caracol

Northwest: All municipalities; Cloudy weather - light rain in Mole Saint Nicolas and average rainfall intermittently in Port-de-Paix. River in flood: Trois-Rivières.

Impact of the passage of Sandy, summary of partial damage recorded on humanity and habitat

The overall is 9 victims, 3 missing, 4 injured, 10,946 people in shelters divided into 65 shelters. 863 houses flooded, 1,205 destroyed, 224 damaged and 2,862 affected families.

The new death toll for today 8:00 a.m. is 11 deaths (7 in the South, 3 in the West and 1 in the Grand Anse).

At 11 am the DPC indicates that the record now stands at 16 (7 in the South, 8 in the West and 1 in the Grand Anse).

At 1 pm the DPC indicates that the record now stands at 20 (7 in the South, 8 in the West, 4 in the Grand Anse and 1 in the Nippes) and missing.

At 4 pm the DPC indicates that the death toll now stands at 26 and 4 missing. 17,742 people in 131 shelters opened. Vigilance red is maintained.

Sectors: The partners involved in the preparation and response to emergencies with the Clusters are mobilized.

MINISTRY OF INTERIOR AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES

Mobilization of additional financial resources to the repositioned emergency funds to respond to the first emergency related to the passage of Tropical Storm Sandy

- Total amount disbursed : HTG 12,978,675,00.

West HTG 3,835,000.00
South HTG 1,6000,225.00
Nippes HTG 901,150.00
Grand Anse HTG 1,206,150.00
Southeast HTG 3,189,700.00
North HTG 1,136,400.00
Northwest HTG 1,110,050.00

MINISTRY OF FINANCE

Mobilization of emergency funds.

- Total amount disbursed: HTG 24,713,938.00.

West HTG 1,998,075.00
South HTG 6,234,220.00
Nippes HTG 1,898,075.00
Grand Anse HTG 1,262,800.00
Southeast HTG 2,812,436.00
North HTG 1,998,075.00
Northwest HTG 1,998,075.00
Northeast HTG 1,798,035.00
Artibonite HTG 2,716,072.00
Center HTG 1,998,075.00

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND WORSHIP

- Ensure the representation of MFA to COUN;

- Inform the diplomatic missions of Haiti and consular posts of the evolution of the situation and the measures taken by the Government;

- Transmit to missions the bilans and situation reports prepared by the COUN;

- Ask missions to remain mobilized pending instructions from the Government;

- Advising missions to remain proactive;

- Send diplomatic correspondence to embassies and consulates of Haiti to remind them to follow faithfully the instructions of the Government vis-à-vis bilateral and multilateral partners in Haiti.

A technical team is also mobilized to the Ministry to ensure the relay of information transmitted and the role of the Chancellor in the coordination of governmental action.

MINISTRY OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND POPULATOION

- Immaculate Conception Hospital in Les Cayes flooded - non functional hospital - all patients are evacuated.

- Resource mobilization and support for the management of patients with cholera given an increase in cases and attainment of some treatment centers.

- Strengthening of epidemiological surveillance.

- Hospital Baradère and UTC are flooded. 27 patients are in UTC, but there is not a health emergency. A departmental team is en route for an evaluation.

MINISTRY OF PUBLIC WORKS - TRANSPORT - ENERGY AND COMMUNICATION

- The MTPTEC remains in contact with all departmental heads for a good coordination - particularly in the South, Grande Anse, Nippes, South East and West.

- Mobilization of heavy equipment (bulldozers, Backhoes, trucks) for intervention: National Route # 2, Camp Perrin Road - Jérémie

- Assessment of damage and needs assessment in the affected areas.

- SEMANAH states that the cabotage traffic is prohibited on all coastal areas, and boats must remain in port until further notice.

- CNE is considering ways to close the flank at the level of the ravine du Sud which floods the lower of the town of Camp-Perin, in the South.

- DDS must intervene to clean the congested road by the rivers of Saint Louis du Sud and Solon.

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING

During the crisis, caused by the passage of Sandy:

- MENFP authorized the placement on availability of 7 educational establishments requested by the SNGRD via the Thematic Committee of Management of Temporary Shelters (CTGAP), and to serve as hosting sites to accommodate people living in camps considered very high risk.

- The representative of the MENFP to the COUN contacted 7 departmental directorates, which confirmed that all their institutions have been made available to the SNGRD. The other 3, Center, West and Grande-Anse, remained inaccessible until now despite repeated calls.

At the departmental level

DEPARTMENT OF THE SOUTH

- Flood alarms triggered in the following towns : Cayes (2), Camp Perrin (2), Cavaillon (1), Chantal(1), Arniquet (1)

- Search and Rescue conducted successfully by the CCPC:
- Response to people in difficulty in Ilet Aboue and Largon, St Louis du Sud.
- Intervention to Nan Roche, commune of les Cayes.

- Management of temporary shelters: 2,600 people in 26 shelters available in the department, including 4 in Les Cayes.

- Assessment of damage and needs assessment:
- Sailing accident in St Jean du Sud. Loss of goods.
- Road Sucrerie Henry – National 2, Zone Solon : impractical - flood.
- Plantations destroyed - loss of livestock.
- Rockfall in St Louis du Sud – Morne St Georges.

DEPARTMENT OF GRAND ANSE

- Assessment of damage in progress

- Alarms (flooding) triggered in the following towns: Moron (1), Jérémie (1), No response to the alarm of Chambellan.

- Evacuation - management of temporary shelters: 5 shelters open for 2,047 people.

- Among those in shelters, 95 seniors and three lactating women have been identified for specific support.

- Volunteer mobilization of civil protection for response activities.

- Anse d’Hainaut: a child victim of the collapse of a wall, taken to the hospital, prognosis unknown

- In Jérémie, the lower center is flooded and the walls of two houses collapsed.

- In Bercier, Jeremie, landslide with electrical pylons fallen.

- Evacuation to temporary shelters of the population at risk in Carcasse and to Divino, commune of Irois

- Commune of Dame Marie, Petite Rivière, voluntary movement of people to the church because of the rise of the sea; 11 houses damaged, 2 houses destroyed, lost 3 boats;

- Pestel: Loss of house roofs due to strong wind

DEPARTMENT OF NIPPES

- Alarms (flooding) triggered in the following towns : Baradères (2), Anse à Veau (2), Azile (1);

- Evacuation in all the municipalities at risk : - Miragoâne, Petite Rivière, l’Azile, Baradères, Anse à Veau, Petit-Trou, Fonds des Nègres.

- Baradères : - 31 people in shelters at the National School of Baradères.

- Prisoners of the municipality of Miragoâne evacuated by the PNH.

- Evaluation of the first damages in progress.

DEPARTMENT OF SOUTHEAST

- Preparation for the evacuation of the population in areas at risk in all municipalities of the department :
- 6 shelters open in Jacmel.
- 5 shelters open in Marigot.

- Strengthening outreach activities and of public awareness

- Loss of cabotage boats Marigot: 25 destroyed and 13 damaged.

- Assessment of damage in progress:
- System of potable water damaged in Belle-Anse.
- Falling trees in Cotes de Fer.
- House damaged in Savane Zombie.

DEPARTMENT OF THE WEST

- Evaluation of the first damage in progress.

- Evacuation of the most vulnerable people of 12 camps at risk to 8 shelters (including 6 schools) by IOM-CRH-DPC/CCPC. Coordinating Ministry of Social Affairs. 23 buses are available (Delegation of the West : 12 – IOM : 11) for the displacements. DINEPA has toilets for the 8 evacuation sites;

- Mobilization of resources of WFP for distribution in evacuation sites; Mobilization of heavy equipment by MTPTEC to maintain functional communication routes - axes north and south. Mobilization of contingent of the MINUSTAH in support to MTPTEC;

- Prepositioning of stock in La Gonave by Cluster Shelter Management (Concern and World Vision) ;

- In Anse a Galets, the Plaine Mapou is flooded (crops, houses, etc ...) and 6 houses and a church were damaged, and the gully La Source passing to Anse à Galets and celle de zetwa are in spate. Currently, communication is impossible between Cite Bourgeois and Bois Crédit

- At Pointe a Raquette, 3 boats are overturned. A boat sank with two people on board, for the moment operations are underway on the high seas. Latanier, Ti boukan, Boukan Lottore are completely under water. Difficult access to frequent one area to another.

- In the West, SEEUR intervened to restore the passage around the gully Juvénat at the level of Canapé Vert and thus allow the traffic.

DEPARTMENT OF NORTH

- Permanent contact with local elected officials and civil protection structures.

- Press Point of the situation this morning by the Departmental Delegate.

- Coordination meeting with the MTPTC, MARNDR the MPCE, MAST, EDH and MDE on the situation of the road at Grande rivière du Nord.

- Visit to Grande rivière du Nord by the MTPTC and the MARNDR.

- Interventions through various media of North and of the capital.

- Preventive evacuation of 40 families in Grande rivière du Nord.

- Enhanced mobilization of Brigadiers in high-risk areas and of firefighters.

DEPARTMENT OF NORTHEAST

- Landslide in Vallières: 4 houses damaged and one injured ;

- Road cut between Les Perche and Vallières.

DEPARTMENT OF NORTHWEST

- Evaluation of the first damage - identification of needs.

- Volunteer of civil protection and Red Cross were mobilized throughout the department for awareness activities against cholera and preventing people from crossing rivers in.

- Several community schools were destroyed (in Cadupin) or damaged (in Grand Fond and Mayette)

- 50 people in provisional shelters in Mole Saint Nicolas and in need of assistance

DEPARTMENT OF ARTIBONITE

- Damage assessment - identifying needs.

- Continuous information and public awareness.

 

ARTICLE - GOV'T RESPONSE TO SANDY

THE GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSE TO SANDY
(Haiti Libre) -

Following the passage of Sandy, the Government will spend $5 million (± 221 million gourdes) for : the immediate response on the next 48 hours ; the emergency budget for the delegations from affected departments ; the support to affected populations, from Sunday (emergency vouchers, emergency basket, hot meals and displacements of camps).

The immediate response in the next 48 hours, will concern the most affected departments, by the assessment of the affected areas and the distribution of 10,000 food kits (domestic and imported), 10,000 meals, 150,000 bottles of water.

The assistance to the population for 5 departments, that will receive 100,000 of emergency vouchers (1000 Gourdes/voucher), 50,000 baskets (food and hygiene kits). For the West, rehabilitation of camps, 1,000 families relocated. For the South and the West, mobile canteens will distribute 180,000 hot meals.

Concerning the support to delegations, the budget for the West remains to be determined, 3 million Gourdes for the South, 2.5 million Gourdes for the Southeast, 2.5 million Gourdes for Nippes, 3 million Gourdes for Grande Anse.

Assistance to the population

For the Department of the West there is a budget of $2,317,000 for 95,000 beneficiary families (20,000 baskets, 50,000 vouchers, 24,000 hot meals, 1,000 evacuees).

For the Southern Department there is a budget of $1,050,000 for 69,000 beneficiary families (15,000 baskets, 30,000 vouchers, 24,000 hot meals).

For the Southeast Department there is a budget of 475,000 dollars for 20,000 beneficiary families (5,000 baskets, 15,000 vouchers).

For the department of Nippes there is a budget of $ 350,000 for 15,000 beneficiary families (5,000 baskets, 10,000 vouchers).

For the department of Grande Anse there is a budget of 475,000 dollars for 20,000 beneficiary families (5,000 baskets, 15,000 vouchers).

For a grand total of 219,000 beneficiary families, U.S. $ 5 million and 1.095 million beneficiaries.

At the level of Accommodation center of Marassa: 14,403 families were evacuated, Marassa 10: 92 families, Ghiesko Campus, 472 families.

The methodology of distribution is made ​​on the basis of the needs expressed by the DPC on the basis of analyses of the impact in the departments, no distribution in the camps; people with disabilities will be favored (328 families in the camp in Delmas 2).

Relaunch of the local production through baskets (local products: rice, peas, corn ...) in coordination with the associations and the private sector possessing stocks of local products. This approach allows to invest to boost domestic production, especially in the Artibonite. The Government requires that all kits distributed be constituted of ​​product "lakay".

Distributions will be made ​​by the distribution network of the DPC and the delegations of the Ministries of Social Affairs and Labour. Supervision will be made by delegates and Vice Delegates and the DPC will ensure the coordination with the humanitarian community.

ARTICLE - LAMOTHE APPEALS FOR SOLIDARITY

LAURENT LAMOTHE APPEALS TO NATIONAL SOLIDARITY
(Haiti Libre) -

Friday, at a press conference, the Prime Minister, Laurent Lamothe expressed his condolences, appealed for national solidarity, announced a support from Venezuela and an addition of 130 million Gourdes to help the population "[...] I begin by presenting my condolences to the families and friends of the 29 people who lost their lives during the passage of Sandy, as well as for the 25 of Cuba, I also extend my condolences to the Cuban Government [...]

These last two days have brought much sadness and desolation throughout the country. With the passing of Sandy, there was a lot of rain, a lot of damage, several towns were flooded; houses, bridges and roads destroyed, gardens and livestock lost. We estimate at more than 200,000, the number of people affected in 5 departments, according to a preliminary assessment. Sandy has spilled more than 500 millimeters of rain on Haiti, which has caused flooding in almost the entire country [...]"

Appeal to national solidarity

"[...] I ask the Haitian people to remain mobilized, to stay alert, because the rain can still continue [...] the National Meteorological Centre, the DPC and the SPGRD, are asking all people to continueto be vigilant, to protect your life. I ask you more particularly, to pay close attention to the elderly, disabled, pregnant women, and children. We appeal to national solidarity, for each other [...] we must continue to walk hand in hand to cross these difficult times. The Government will be at your side, whatever the weather [...]"

Assistance of Venezuela

After having thanked all the individuals, organizations, institutions, embassies and foreign governments who have been involved during the passage of Sandy, Laurent Lamothe announced "[...] We talked with several foreign governments, Venezuela has sent a ship containing 240 tons of food and water, which will arrive in Haiti in 3 days. In addition, Venezuela will send Monday, a plane with several tons of food and water to support the population."

351 million Gourdes

The Prime Minister has announced an increase of 130 million gourdes (± 3 million U.S. dollars) to the budgetary envelope of support to the population"[...] Given the extent of damage and with the means at our disposal, the Government has added 130 million Gourdes to the 221 million Gourdes ($ 5 million) that it has already made ​​available to the various government agencies that provide assistance to the population; therefore the new amount is 351 million gourdes (± 8 million) [...] we will continue to mobilize ourselves in the 4 corners of the country, especially in the departments affected [...] we have heard the SOS from Tiburon to Léogâne, and the Government will take all measures to help these populations."

 

OCHA - SANDY SITUATION REPORT #2

TS SANDY (IMPACT) SITUATION REPORT #2 - (as of 26/10/2012)

This report is produced by OCHA Haiti in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It covers the period from 25 to 26/10/2012.

HIGHLIGHTS

- Red Alert (highest level) in force all over the country.

- Third day of heavy rains, predicted to continue until Saturday.

- Damage assessments ongoing, but hampered by bad weather and poor nature of roads.

- Flooding: All the rivers in southern Haiti have burst their banks resulting in damage to farms, homes and infrastructure.

- Casualty figures: 29 confirmed deaths; 08 wounded; and 04 missing

- Evacuations: 18,796 people evacuated to 136 emergency shelters

- 5,981 affected families

- Houses: 1,811 flooded; 1,885 destroyed; 2,089 damaged.

- GoH has disbursed 897,443 USD in emergency funds for response to TS Sandy

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Heavy rains: TS Sandy’s trail continued to batter Haiti today. In the past three days, the Sud department, for example, has received almost 300mm of rain. The hardest-hit areas could span anywhere from the coastal southern peninsula up to Artibonite and the northern departments. The Government of Haiti (GoH) is maintaining a red alert (highest level) on the whole country as continuing rains are expected over the today and tomorrow.

So far, the impact of the rains and strong winds earlier has been devastating. At least 29 storm-related deaths have been reported (Sud 12, Ouest 09, Grande-Anse 04, Nord-ouest 02, Nippes 02).

All rivers in the southern peninsula are swollen and most have burst their banks and flooded low lying areas. Reports from the field speak of significant flooding in the Ouest (metropolitan Port-au-Prince), Nord, Artibonite and the southern departments. Several roads, bridges have been affected and some communes (Gantier, Ouest) have been cut off due to lack of access.

The most affected departments include Ouest (Tabarre, Fond Verettes, Leogane, Anse-à-Galets, Gantier); Sud Port-Salut, Cayes, Tiburon, Port à Piments, St Louis du Sud, Cavaillon and Anglais), Grande-Anse (Dame Marie, Anse d’Hainaut, Roseau, lles Cayemithes, Pestel), Nippes (Baradères, Miragoane), Sud-est (Mapou); and Artibonite (Grande Saline, La Chapelle, Verettes). Gantier has been cut off from the rest of the country after the access bridge was swept away.

There are reports of extensive damage to agriculture, livestock and fisheries. Many fishing boats have either sunk or swept out to sea.

The government’s civil protection teams, supported by the humanitarian community (UN agencies, MINUSTAH, NGOs, IFRC) have been deployed at all levels and are providing support for evacuations in high risk areas while conducting damage assessments and evaluating urgent response needs. Some shelters (Fond Verettes, Ouest) have exceeded their holding capacities as a result of growing evacuations.

So far, 17,742 people have been evacuated to 131 shelters nationwide. Demand for shelters is growing.

HUMANITARIAN RESPONSE

CAMP COORDINATION AND CAMP MANAGEMENT

Preliminary damage assessments conducted in 209 camps, indicate that 84 of these, hosting 5697 families, suffered some damage. Verification of these findings is ongoing with cluster partners. Distribution of 900 tents in 3 camps is ongoing in collaboration with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs.

IOM conducted evacuation operations in support of the GoH and the Haitian Red Cross, with food assistance provided by the UN World Food Program.

During the evacuations, the IOM health team identified 343 vulnerable health cases, including pregnant and lactating mothers, children under five, elderly persons and handicapped individuals.

The Haitian Red Cross (CRH) mobilized volunteers to help Civil Protection authorities and IOM evacuate families across the country, especially from 12 highest risk camps in Port-au-Prince. Thirty eight 38 volunteers trained in psychosocial support have been deployed in emergency shelters to provide support to evacuees.

IFRC trucks with loudspeakers broadcast messages in the camps and sent SMS messages across the country. Their emergency phone “telefon kwawouj” has so far received more than 7,000 calls from the public, seeking advice and information on shelters.

Water treatment equipment and potable water are available to meet the needs of fifteen thousand (15, 000) families.

3,433 NFIs have been distributed to evacuation centers in Les Cayes and Port-au-Prince.

HEALTH

The cholera epidemic remains stable. However, there are reports of new cases in some camps in metropolitan Port-au-Prince. The situation in Gonaive appears stable. Cluster partners are concerned about the probability of an upsurge in the coming days.

Distribution of cholera prevention kits is planned in 30 camps. Pre-positioned cholera response stocks are available at thirteen (13) regional branches of the Haitian Red Cross. These include: Oral Rehydration Salts (260,000), gloves (13,000), soap (19,500 tablets), Aquatabs (2,260,000 for 15,000 families), 6,500 plastic buckets, 650 jerry cans and 650 body bags.

SHELTER

The Ministry of National Education has made available 17 school premises to serve as temporary shelters during the crisis. Several temporary shelters identified before the storm are also being used to accommodate evacuees.

LOGISTICS

WFF carried a total of 2.95 MT of food distribution via IOM in the Port-au-Prince Metropolitan area (2.74 MT) and via WFP in Jacmel/Sud-Est Department (0.21 MT). Under supervision of IOM and WF, high energy biscuits (HEBs) have been distributed in partnership with the Haitian Red Cross and the Direction de la protection civile.

Distribution is planned, after coordination with DPC and cooperating partners, to 1,025 people in Artibonite Department (temporary shelters in Verrettes, Grande Saline and Desdunes) and 5,000 people in Sud and Grand’Anse departments.

The distribution will continue in Gonaive on Saturday of 0.41 MT of biscuits/NFIs. 5MT have been earmarked for Les Cayes.

WFP has 20.253 MT (mixed), of which 75.31 MT are biscuits, in its warehouses.

For further information, please contact:

George Ngwa, Chief, Communication section, ngwaanuongong@un.org

Widlyn Dornevil, Public information officer, elien@un.org5182

Rachelle Elien, Public information officer

Guillaume Shneiter, reporting officer, shneiterg@un.org

OCHA humanitarian bulletins are available at http://haiti.humanitarianresponse.info/
www.nocha.org ;| www.reliefweb.int

General Coordination The US Coast Guard launched a HC-144 fixed wing aircraft today for a reconnaissance flight along the north coast and then south coast of Hispaniola. Along the south, they are focusing on the area from Les Cayes to Jacmel.

UNPOL ensured security during the evacuation of people in St Philomene at Cazeau, Partners on the ground included; PNH, Red Cross, Protection Civile, Pompiers de Tabarre. UNPOL is also supporting PNH at the DPC, where crowds of angry people gathered on Saturday.

UNOPS and UNEP are jointly carrying out assessments of the southern coast.

Coordination meetings are underway to discuss the deployment of assessment missions that will take place over the weekend, as soon as weather permits.

The ICC group met to assess its response to the impact of TS Sandy.