WHO /PAHO Special Report on Haiti quake

Special Report: Update on the Health Response to the Earthquake in Haiti 16 February 2010
Source: Pan American Health Organization (PAHO); World Health Organization (WHO)

Date: 16 Feb 2010




According to official statistics from Haiti's Civil Protection, the 12 January earthquake killed more than 200,000 people, caused approximately 300,000 injuries and displaced more than one million Haitians. At one point, more than 600 organizations were providing humanitarian aid to Haiti, and currently, 274 organizations are conducting health activities in at least 15 communities. Immediately following the quake, the most pressing need was to rescue people buried in the rubble and provide immediate emergency care for trauma patients. Needs have now changed and focus is on post-operative care and follow-up of patients who have already had surgery as well as basic primary health care services, such as maternal child health, rehabilitation services, and chronic diseases including diabetes, heart disease, HIV, and tuberculosis, among others. The Health Cluster liaises with other clusters, as many specialties have implications on the health of the population. Some of the major issues are as follows:

- The World Food Programme (WFP) reports that 16 food distribution sites have been activated across metropolitan Port reached 2 million people in and around Port-au-Prince since the earthquake struck. In a surge operation that began on 31 January, 1.4 million people received two weeks work of rice. The target population is two million.

- According to the CCCM Cluster, there are now ten organized settlements that are being managed by cluster partners with a total of 42,569 people. A list of all spontaneous temporary settlements contains 315 sites occupied by 468,075 people (91,112 families). Sanitation is becoming a major concern at many of the temporary sites

- The WASH Cluster continues to provide safe drinking water (5 litres per person per day) to over 780,000 people through 300 sites across Port au Prince, Leogane, and Jacmel. In Jacmel, over 260 temporary settlement sites are receiving water through the distribution efforts of cluster partners. The highest priority for the cluster remains sanitation and the strengthening of monitoring systems for sanitation activities.

- IOM is working with some 40 partners to provide mental health and psychosocial support to tens of thousands of earthquake survivors living in spontaneous settlements in Haiti; = provide comprehensive psychosocial first aid to some 150,000 individuals and follow-up counselling for up to 10,000 distressed individuals over the coming months. Six psychosocial mobile teams consisting of Haitian psychologists, social workers, educators, art therapists and cultural animators will deploy in settlements where needs have been identified

- Some 87 community outpatient care centers/mobile units for the treatment of severely acute malnutrition are open or have re-opened throughout Haiti. Nutrition Cluster partners have indicated plans to open 52 additional sites within the next 2-3 weeks. Within the 2 most affected Departments, OUEST and SUD'EST, there are an estimated 577,246 infants, children and pregnant and lactating women have been affected. Women in the informal settlements are also being trained as breastfeeding counselors.

- UNICEF says some 23 large-sized tents have been installed in Port-au-Prince to give children a place to seek refuge and play. Families are wary of sending children to school because they fear that another earthquake could strike. UNICEF is working with the Government to distribute messages to Haitians encouraging them to send their children back to school. Schools in unaffected regions opened on 1 February, while the Government of Haiti says the remaining will open by 1 March. Forty-percent of the population of Haiti is under 14 years of age and child protection is also an area of grave concern.

See full report (PDF format) here.