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Haiti

Haiti: Humanitarian situation report Sep 2006

Attachments

I. OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT AND SECURITY SITUATION

1. According to MINUSTAH and UNDSS reports the security situation improved in the whole country, with only minor security incidents. Nevertheless in Port au Prince the violence intensified since July and, despite the joint efforts of the MINUSTAH and the Haitian National Police (HNP), the scene of routine murders in some areas of the capital along with kidnapping randomly occurring in different parts of the town, even during daily hours, continue to be high risk factors.

2. As per request of Haitian Government, MINUSTAH had to give priority to improve the security in the capital, deploying military staff from the different regions and concentrating them in some strategic areas. At the same time MINUSTAH and the HNP have increased their presence around Cite Soleil and other neighbourhoods of Port-au-Prince (Simon-Pele, Cite Militaire) as well as in other provincial cities, and a significant number of alleged criminals and weapons was arrested/seized.

3. The resources of MINUSTAH remain focused on securing the environment and increasingly participating in joint operations within the framework of the announced "campaign against criminality". Escorting humanitarian operations has been reduced / reviewed on a case by case basis depending on security environment, purpose of the mission and available MINUSTAH resources.

4. Concerning the electoral process, in September 2006, the President of Haiti officially announced the local elections, scheduled for the 3rd December 2006, for which it will be required a total budget of US$ 16, 9 million. Some donors have already confirmed their contributions: USAID - US$ 4 millions; EU - US$ 5 millions; Canada - US$ 4 millions; Japan - US$ 0.8 millions. Nevertheless, it is neither yet clear which will be the contribution of the Government of Haiti nor of other donors.

5. The Provisory Electoral Committee (CEP), the Organization of American States (OAS) and MINUSTAH work together to facilitate the electoral process. In this sense, the Electoral Assistance Section of the UN peace-keeping mission works, in coordination with the CEP, in order to give a technical, logistic and security support.

II. HUMANITARIAN COORDINATION

6. A two-day workshop (19 and 20 September) on the UN Humanitarian Reform was organized by the OCHA Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean area (RO-LAC), the OCHA Office in Haiti and the UNDP and attended by UN Agencies' representatives and focal points of the peace-keeping mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), as well as members of International Federation of the Red Cross (IFCR). The head of RO-LAC presented the main components of the reform, such as the cluster approach, the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and the strengthening of humanitarian coordinators' capacities. This workshop, lead by the OCHA RO-LAC, was the first at country level in the whole region. Afterwards on September 21st, during the bi-weekly Humanitarian Forum, OCHA shared the main goals of UN Humanitarian Reform with NGOs, donors and international organizations.

7. To start implementing the Humanitarian Reform in Haiti, the UN Technical Committee for the preparation and the response to natural disasters has submitted a proposal to the UNCT, concerning the cluster approach, that having to be validated. This draft proposes to give the leadership of the cluster on water and sanitation to PAHO/WHO, with the collaboration of UNICEF, in order to continue the current coordination structure in this sector. IOM have confirmed its close support to the clusters concerning shelter, early recovery and protection (emergency education).

8. Regarding the MINUSTAH Task Force on Martissant (a poor slum of Port-au-Prince), a meeting was held between community leaders and MINUSTAH representatives. The improving of security situation is mandatory in order to continue development activities in the zone.

9. Concerning the National Poverty Reduction Strategy (NPRS), a specific committee has to be set up in each department. In this sense, the Tables de Concertation, which currently exists in some departments, could be enlarged to form these committees. For those departments not currently having this coordination mechanism, Civil Affairs Section and HDCS, of MINUSTAH, have submitted a joint project proposal on the capacity-building under the UN Transitional Appeal.

10. A meeting organized by the Delegation and the Directorate of Planning and External Cooperation for the West Department met around the same table, for the first time in many years, the majority of departmental authorities in this Department. The aim of the meeting, supported by the Humanitarian and Development Coordination Section (HDCS) of MINUSTAH was to bring together the departmental authorities to discuss the implementation of two coordination mechanisms:

a) The Technical Council, as a monthly meeting for departmental directors chaired by the departmental delegate.

b) The Table de Concertation, as a monthly meeting to coordinate the provision of basic services and development activities which also includes UN agencies, NGOs and civil society organizations.

(pdf* format - 231 KB)

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