Rapid Response Payment No. 07/2007

Funds Sent To: Lutheran World Federation/ Caribbean Programme - Haiti

Amount Sent: US$ 43,000

Date: 18 April 2007

Details of Payment

Emergency: Assistance to flood victims in Haiti

Date of Emergency: April 4, 2007

Implementing Partner: Fondation Nouvelle Grande Anse (FNGA) - Jérémie, Fédération Protestante d'Haïti (FPH) - Béraca.

Details of the Emergency

Since March 17, 2007 heavy rains affected several regions in Haiti prompting the national authorities to activate moderated alert. The south-west and north-west regions registered the highest damages. The Civil Protection Direction reported 12 deaths, two missing person and fourteen injured. In addition , the population was hit by loss of cattle, damage to private housing, schools and hospitals. By April 5, 270 houses were destroyed and 1215 seriously damaged.

Some roads were blocked and large agriculture areas were flooded. Altogether, approximately 16,000 people were affected. Against this background, the LWF team has made an evaluation visit with the partner Fondation Nouvelle Grande Anse (FNGA) to Abricots in the Grande Anse Region and with Fédération Protestante d'Haïti (FPH) to Beraca in the North West region. In Abricots the visit found that 585 persons were directly affected of which 326 women, 32 babies. 150 houses were flooded, 5 houses destroyed and 150 people evacuated to temporary shelters. People suffer from loss of livestock and damages in large areas of agricultural land and reduced access to their homes due to destruction of roads and pedestrian tracks. Water and sanitation and health conditions have worsened. Water pipes were damaged which resulted in contaminated water. Health centres were flooded causing damage to medicines and interrupting the cooling chain. In Béraca, the hospital was affected with a considerable loss in medicines, damages to the refrigerator and office supplies and furniture and mattresses affected. damages to the refrigerator and office supplies and furniture and mattresses affected.

Purpose of response:

The response aims at mitigating the effects of loss of food stocks and damages to health centres and hospital to avoid human losses and epidemics.

Beneficiairies and location of response

The response will be divided between two communes in two different regions. One Commune is Abricots in the Department of Grande Anse, access to which is only possible by sea from Bonbon. The population numbers 27,000 people. The other commune is Béraca with a population totalling 25,000 people.

Implemention period

Implementation period will be three months from the day the funding is received, starting mid-April 2007.

Proposed assistance:

LWF made an evaluation visit with its implementing partners on March 26-27 and identified the immediate needs of the population in two locations. To assist the population, LWF will distribute the food and non-food items to local partners. A co-ordinator of LWF will be in charge of supervising the distribution activities by the local partners and carry out the reporting. In Abricots, FNGA identified about 250 households beneficiaries. Each household will receive 3 hygienic kits and food staples. In Beraca, medicines to be purchased will be directed to the Béraca hospital which consist of drugs against diarrhoea, typhoid and malaria, skin diseases, pain relief medicines, sterile and anti septic materials, antibiotics; hygienic kits, medical clinics accessories and materials, clothing and bedding and a purification unit. In Beraca also 75 families will be provided with food and hygienic kits. LWF has informed the ACT members in Haiti about the response.

TOTAL ESTIMATED EXPENDITURE: US$ 43,000

(For the detailed budget, kindly visit the ACT site. Thank you.)

Action

The ACT Co-ordinating Office has approved the use of US$ 43,000 towards the budget from its Rapid Response Fund and would be grateful to receive contributions to wholly or partially replenish this payment. Should there be an appeal for this emergency, the RRF payment will be considered as an advance.

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ACT is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies world-wide. The ACT Co-ordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.