UN Agencies Scale up Haiti Efforts

The World Health Organization urgently needs additional personnel to wrap up an ongoing vaccination program that has so far reached some 62,000 Haitians. The agency said this is just 10 percent of the target population they aim to vaccinate against tetanus, diphtheria and similar diseases. Local health workers and nongovernmental organizations are helping WHO administer the program.

Meanwhile, UNICEF reported that it will start building some 10,000 latrines in April and another 20,000 in the next sixth months. The U.N. agency identified sanitation as one of its priorities. UNICEF is partnering with a local NGO to construct 1,000 sanitation centers with latrines, hand washing areas and showers.