Thousands of people displaced by gang violence in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, have gained access to drinking water, after several years in the hands of armed groups, which have paralyzed the metropolitan area with coordinated attacks.
Since then, UNICEF, together with the National Directorate of Water and Sanitation (DINEPA), has provided more than 2.6 million liters of drinking water to children and families in 20 sites hosting displaced people.
Terrible conditions and threat of disease
“Operating in such an insecure and volatile environment is akin to navigating a war zone every day.”
The recent escalation of violence has aggravated the situation for children and families, who were already lacking essential support and facilities.
The current rainy season has only aggravated their plight, causing severe flooding in low-lying areas of the capital and a resurgence of cholera cases in Cité Soleil, an extremely impoverished neighborhood.
“Without quality drinking water and adequate sanitation and hygiene facilities, displaced children are exposed to waterborne diseases, and more specifically a widespread outbreak of cholera,” said Ruben Um Bayiha, who heads the Water, Sanitation Program and Hygiene (WASH) from UNICEF.
Furthermore, he said that “operating in such an insecure and volatile environment is akin to navigating a war zone every day.”
Despite the challenges, UNICEF and its partners are stepping up their efforts to protect children and families and provide the life-saving support they desperately need, he stressed.
Support for displaced families
UNICEF leads the water, sanitation and hygiene response in Haiti, providing more than half of overall supportguaranteeing drinking water, sanitation and hygiene services in all places of displacement.
Initiatives include transporting water in tankers, treating tap water, repairing water supply and sanitation systems, constructing temporary latrines, providing essential hygiene items and disseminating hygiene messages.
The UN Agency stated that its water, sanitation and hygiene efforts “gave significant results” during the month of March, with the distribution of more than 2.66 million liters of chlorinated water to displaced families and children.
Collaborative efforts with allies such as aid organizations Solidarités International, Organization de Rapprochement Aide Humanitaire (ORRAH) and the Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED), have ensured that essential needs are met even in the most difficult circumstances, in addition to distributing hygiene packs to almost 11,000 internally displaced people in six locations.
The crisis will get worse
UNICEF has also prioritized improving sanitary conditions at high-risk IDP sites, including the removal and safe disposal of some 78 cubic meters of faecal sludge from three sites hosting around 7,000 people.
Um Bayiha reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to addressing evolving needs, especially now that the region prepares for the next hurricane season.
However, he warned that “this crisis will worsen unless the response is urgently scaled up”, underlining the need for funding.
UNICEF aims to help more than 884,000 people across Haiti this year to have access to quality water for drinking and household needs, as well as adequate sanitation services and more essential water, sanitation and hygiene supplies.
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