How to get informed about UN, USAID rebuilding plans re Haiti

Hi all,

The UN agencies who are participating in the UN Cluster system for a coordinated humanitarian response to the Haiti quake and its aftermath have gotten a little more coordinated lately.

The key cluster contacts and emails are available for all to see, and groups working in particular SECTORS are encouraged to join these groups to share their ideas. They include Protection, Food, Health, Early Recovery, Transportation and Logistics, etc....

The general website is: Haiti.oneresponse.info. Go there for official press releases, information and daily situation reports, and meeting notes from the different clusters.

If you want to receive email updates on the Cluster rebuilding effort or invitations to the various conference calls that are regularly taking place, with USAIDS as a lead coordinator for the calls, email: rebuildhaiti@aid.gov and put ADD ME in the subject line.

That is also the email to share any ideas /frustrations/suggestions related to NGO or private sector initiatives or needs and how they can be linked into the Cluster system.

BELOW I HAVE POSTED LINKS TO RECENT OCHA CLUSTER SITUATION REPORTS FROM THE VARIOUS TEAMS. I WILL BEGIN DOING THAT REGULARLY.

Two small updates:

The UN Cluster system will begin its overall assessment of the disaster response effort tomorrow, and has teams across Haiti assessing this in different sectors.

The UN SHELTER Cluster will soon have more information available on what kind of transitional housing it will offer, but from today's call (Coordination Cluster for NGOs) it appears several types of structures will be offered/supported as different structures may be more suitable to different environments, but it's clear that all will need to be more quake-resistant that tents or tarps.

PERSONAL NOTE:

I am currently researching the above topic of 'field tested' Transitional Shelters that may be under consideration/are being introduced/were used in other disasters - in order to find out what type of housing is best option for Haiti, what SCALE of delivery is expected, given manufacturing limits of some producers, and most importantly, which shelters MIGHT be sourced locally or in the region, or be built by Haitian local groups, working in partnership with outside manufacturers.

Please contact me at: talktothefuture@gmail.com if you are engaged in this topic, or have field-tested TRANSITIONAL QUAKE-RESISTANT HOUSING MODELS to share, or new, planned projects you know about for Haiti. Thank you.

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LINKS TO FEB 12 CLUSTER REPORTS:

CAMP COORDINATION:

LINK TO SHELTER cluster:
SHELTER