Six months on, the dramatic destruction caused by the 12 January 2010 earthquake in Haiti is still synonymous with unbelievable stress for over three million people, including 1.6 million living in 1,342 spontaneous settlements, of which 800,000 are estimated to be children. Over 220,000 people lost their lives, 300,000 were injured and 4,000 lost a limb after being caught in the rubble of what had once been a home, a school, a place for work, or a spot for the community to gather together.
Overall, the number of the displaced nearly matches the total population of Manhattan and people have been displaced in neighbourhoods that are as densely populated as Calcutta. In a country where nearly 46 per cent of the population is under eighteen, the earthquake also triggered an unprecedented emergency for children. The number of children who died in the earthquake will probably never be known and today some remain affected while many more are at risk.
Since day one, UNICEF mobilised its resources to deliver on its Core Commitments for Children, speed up provision of life-saving assistance and support the government in coordinating the response and initiating early recovery efforts. Today UNICEF is providing safe water to 333,000 people, 62,800 children are benefiting from recreational activities and psychosocial support, and more than 185,000 children have received educational materials.
While this report focuses on UNICEF’s efforts, partnerships under the Cluster Approach have also been instrumental to further build on these results, and UNICEF has worked in close collaboration with the Government of Haiti, with our sister UN agencies, and with numerous international and national NGOs and civil society partners that have all worked tirelessly to provide support in bringing services to children - by helping set-up schools, latrines, water-points and helping protect children and keep them healthy.
Despite the persistence of large scale internal displacement, there has not been a deterioration of the humanitarian situation, with no epidemics or disease outbreaks and no increase in malnutrition. There has also not been a high influx of population movements across the border to the Dominican Republic.
However, living conditions remain extremely precarious and challenges remain daunting. Sanitation is a major concern, with only one latrine for 145 people in spontaneous sites and potentially dire consequences for the spread of disease. Access to education is another concern as schools in affected areas have registered sharp drops in enrolment. Finally, the earthquake propelled a pre-existing and protracted protection crisis into a child protection emergency never before seen.
The six-month mark also coincides with the start of the hurricane season. Preparedness has been among the priorities and UNICEF has pre-positioned emergency supplies in high risk areas to prevent a second disaster. Part of the effort is also to help people exposed to floods and landslides to move to safer ground - but it has proven extremely difficult to find land and relocation will be a lengthy and complex process. A further cross-cutting priority is decentralising UNICEF’s presence. Today we are present in Léogane and Jacmel, and roving response teams are being deployed in Gonaïve, Jérémie, Les Cayes and Hinche.
While emergency operations will likely continue for the next eighteen months, UNICEF is simultaneously supporting the Government’s Action Plan for National Recovery and Development for the next three years, after having played an active role in the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA). The Government’s capacity, which was weak before the quake, has been dealt a crippling
blow - an estimated 18,000 civil servants were among the victims - and capacity development efforts will ensure a smooth transition from early recovery to development.
As we cross the six-months mark, immediate support for earthquake affected people remains the priority. Reaching the hardest to reach, the poorest of the poor, and the most vulnerable both in earthquake affected areas and in every district is the medium-term goal. UNICEF plans to deliver on its commitments and ensure children everywhere in Haiti can realise their rights to survival, education and protection, remain shielded against economic, environmental and social shocks, and grow up with dignity and hope in the future.
