Haiti aid: Priority sectors

Haiti remains in dire need of international assistance two years after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake ravaged the island nation. Infrastructure is poor, institutions are weak and cholera outbreaks have killed some 7,000 people in the past two years. Perhaps it’s no surprise, then, that aid agencies have lined up the most number of projects on health initiatives this year. But thousands of displaced Haitians still need permanent housing, making shelter the sector with the highest consolidated funding appeal for 2012. Here’s a list of top relief and development sectors in Haiti, based on the 2012 Consolidated Appeals Process, a service by the U.N. Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs that tracks data provided by donors and recipient organizations. Aid organizations use CAP to plan, coordinate, fund, implement and monitor their activities. Local nongovernmental organizations in the host country and international NGOs can request for funds through CAP, although not exclusively. Even with a standing appeal with CAP, aid agencies can still request funding via other venues. CAP usually includes projects of participating organizations and the funding appeals for each of their projects. Note that data presented here are purely appeals for the organizations’ projects for 2012, and do not include donors’ pledges or commitments. Click here to see the image in larger size. Camp coordination and management, and shelter Consolidated appeals for CCCM and shelter: $53.9 million Shelter remains one of the biggest challenges in Haiti. Damage in housing alone has been reported to cost around $2.3 billion. Government buildings, including the president’s palace, were destroyed. Also, some 500,000 Haitians continue to live in makeshift tents in affected regions in the country, especially in the capital, Port-au-Prince. The International Organization for Migration has the most projects listed under the 2012 CAP. As an organization dedicated to migration issues, it is no wonder IOM has projects for this sector, including on emergency preparedness and response in extremely vulnerable areas. Water, sanitation and hygiene Consolidated appeals for WASH: $35 million The earthquake made populations in Haiti more vulnerable to risks associated with poor sanitation, leading to the deadly cholera disease. CARE USA has the most projects for the sector in 2012, at least under CAP. Some of its projects include responses to cholera outbreaks, community mobilization on sanitation for vulnerable populations in shelter communities and cholera prevention. Health Consolidated appeals for the health sector: $33.5 million More than 50 hospitals and health centers in Haiti collapsed because of the quake. This has prevented health professionals and medical staff from responding to the needs of Haitians in the quake’s aftermath. The World Health Organization is one of the major organizations working in Haiti. For 2012, its projects are focused on responses to the cholera epidemic, such as providing essential medicines and supplies. Protection Consolidated appeals for protection: $26.6 million Violence, including sexual violence among women and children, has been a long-standing issue in Haiti, especially in camps. Projects of the International Rescue Committee, the U.N. Refugee Agency, UNICEF and World Vision International listed in the CAP focus on reducing sexual and gender-based violence in camps and communities, as well as strengthening child protection responses. Food aid Consolidated appeals for food: $19.4 million Food insecurity in the region increased up to 52 percent after the quake, and the inability to meet food needs became more pronounced among pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, and very young children. The World Food Program, which has been feeding 1.1 million children in Haiti, will continue its food program in 2012, with additional projects focused on vulnerable groups exposed to food insecurity. Agriculture Consolidated appeals for agriculture: $15.9 million Debris and landslides caused by the quake damaged irrigation systems in Haiti, adding to the already suffering agricultural sector. The Food and Agricultural Organization has two programs for this sector in the 2012 CAP. The organization seeks to address the needs of some 80,000 struggling families who want to recover their livelihood activities. Nutrition Consolidated appeals for nutrition: $12.9 million Even before the quake, 30 percent of children in Haiti already suffered from chronic malnutrition. WFP and UNICEF, organizations known to be working for the welfare of children, have emergency nutrition services projects lined up, according to the 2012 CAP. Other sectors Aid agencies have also requested funding for projects in the education, early recovery, logistics, coordination and support services, and emergency telecommunications sectors. Prior to the earthquake, 500,000 children in Haiti between 6 and 12 years old had no formal schooling. Seventy percent of those who did had a two-year learning gap, and 38 percent of the population over the age of 15 were illiterate, according to data from the Haiti Earthquake Post-Disaster Needs Assessment report. For 2012, UNICEF’s projects aim to provide quality basic education for vulnerable children in affected areas of the earthquake, as well as in host communities in Haiti. Most organizations that have made an appeal for early recovery efforts, including IOM, focus on projects providing livelihood support for IDPs and vulnerable families in 2012. OCHA also appealed for funding to strengthen humanitarian coordination and advocacy in Haiti. Find projects & tenders and jobs in Haiti. Read more Haiti development news.