Thursday, February 4, 2010

Haiti updates

Hi all,

No particular updates from folks we know.   Just wanted to pass along the current 'status report' from the UN assessment (these are excerpts):


Shelter assistance remains an urgent priority. Plastic sheeting is preferred over tents due to the lack of
physical space and because it allows people to remain close to their homes. Four sites have been identified
as official planned settlements for over 5,000 people but more suitable sites are needed. An additional 56
assessed sites could, pending available resources and Government approval, host at least 65,000 people,
according to IOM. Sanitation is becoming a major concern at many of the temporary sites.

The removal of rubble from affected areas will help to expand the available land to accommodate displaced.
According to USAID/DART, preliminary estimates indicate the presence of up to 20 million cubic yards of
rubble to be removed from Port-au-Prince. Some 32,000 people have been hired through the UNDP cash-forwork
programme to help clear rubble and remove waste in tented settlements and communal washing areas.

Food prices are reportedly still rising and people are having difficulty
in the North and North-East departments in meeting their basic food needs, according to MINUSTAH offices
in those areas. There is a concern that, due to lack of rain, the harvest in February/March will yield less than
normal in the Gonaives area, which is considered the bread basket of the region.

Health Cluster partners have recorded over 1,000 amputations in Port-au-Prince. There are also reports that
some 50 people have been paralyzed from spinal cord injuries. Amputees and patients with severe injuries
need follow-up care after surgery to avoid complications or permanently disabling after-effects. Discharged
patients are currently being sent back to their community or temporary settlements without the necessary
essential basic care to avoid complications. Therapists are needed to provide post-surgery care.

Repairs to the Port-au-Prince port continue.  [the port had to be closed again due to structural issues]

As of 2 February, a total of 978,128 people have been reached with food

Pests, insects and especially flies and mosquitoes, in health care settings (including operating rooms) are
becoming a problem.

Agriculture.
The assessments suggest that poor families with little resilience are migrating away from earthquake-affected
urban and rural areas, often abandoning crops, and are being hosted by poor, vulnerable and food insecure
households in rural areas.


Ben




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My Blog
http://haitimedical.blogspot.com/

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