‘Entire social fabric’ unravelling in Haiti as displacement continues

The entire social fabric of families is unraveling in Haiti as displacement in the country reaches record numbers due largely to insecurity and gang-related violence, according to Abdoulaye Sawadogo, head of the UN’s humanitarian coordination office, OCHA, in the Caribbean island nation.

The number of people forced to flee their homes has jumped from 362,000 in early March when violence spiked in the capital Port-au-Prince to over 578,000 in June, a 60 per cent increase in just three months.

So, what happens in Haiti when people are displaced and how is the UN responding?

The first step of any crisis response is assessing the extent of the displacement and responding to the immediate humanitarian needs of the people forced to flee their homes, often at short notice and with few possessions.

No aid in the middle of a gunfight

OCHA coordinates the response mechanism with the Haitian Government, local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and international partners, but it is not a straightforward task in Haiti, according to Mr. Sawadogo.

“The violence which has displaced people is the same violence that poses a challenge in responding,” he told UN News. “Aid cannot be delivered in the middle of gunfight.”

The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) works with Haitian NGO partners who have teams on the ground to reach out to people and to find out more about their individual situations.

Protecting individuals

People, especially women and children, are at their most vulnerable when their lives are upended by an event such as fleeing for their lives. They risk violence, sexual assault, exploitation, abuse and family separation. There is also evidence of children being coerced into working for gangs.

The UN works to make sure they are protected by supporting the Haitian Government in providing legal documentation and social protection to these people, helping them access services and protection from exploitation and abuse.

IOM, the UN sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and such Haitian NGOs as Fondation Toya and Kay Fanm are among the organizations providing psychosocial support to traumatised people, including children.

Preparing for displacement

One of the key elements of any response to displacement is being prepared to respond at short notice in often unstable and dangerous environments.

Having “financial resources, sufficient staff, access to the places to which people have fled as well as government support” are also crucial, according to Mr. Sawadogo.

The logistics of supplying relief aid plays an important part. In June, the World Food Programme (WFP) airlifted more than 55 tonnes of medicines and shelter materials for displaced people as well as for the prepositioning of stock for the hurricane season.

The international NGO Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), known as Doctors Without Borders, also airlifted 80 tonnes of medicine to sustain its operations in the capital Port-au-Prince.

The assistance provided is situation-specific, but broadly speaking it focuses on health, shelter, food, water and sanitation alongside psychosocial support.

Tag team assistance

Since March, the UN has distributed over 21 million litres of water to displaced people in Port-au-Prince, more than 60,000 people had been transferred from WFP’s hot meal programme to its cash-based transfer initiative and thousands of Haitians have received medical aid and psychosocial support.

IOM, UNICEF and their local implementing partners have supplied emergency shelter materials and such essential non-food items as blankets, cooking utensils and hygiene kits. They have also ensured access to clean water, sanitation facilities and hygiene promotion to prevent the outbreak of diseases.

The UN’s Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/World Health Organization (WHO) and other health agencies have established temporary health facilities, provided medical care and conducted vaccination campaigns.

Last month, UNICEF also bolstered its presence in Léogâne to the west of Port-au-Prince where some 33,000 people fled following an outbreak of gang violence in May. The agency reported that two thirds of these displaced people were women and children. The influx of people has put immense pressure on local education, health and other essential services.

“We could do more if we had more resources,” said Mr. Sawadogo. “However, this year’s humanitarian appeal for $674 million, seven months into the year, is less than 25 per cent funded, which poses a challenge.”

Unravelling social fabric

According to IOM, nationally, 80 per cent of displaced people are living with host families while the remaining are sheltering in makeshift sites, many in gang-controlled or high-risk areas. In the south of the country, the agency estimates that 99 per cent of those displaced live with host families.

Many people are unable or unwilling to go home and may stay in temporary sites for extended periods.

As a result, “the entire social fabric of families is unravelling as family members become separated, jobs are lost, schools are closed and health services collapse,” said OCHA’s Mr. Sawadogo.

In these situations, the UN has focused on providing longer term support to ensure that, for example, children go to school. In some cases, livelihood programmes to help displaced people regain their self-sufficiency are provided. These can include vocational training and income-generating activities as well as seeds, tools and training for farmers.

Returning home

The ultimate goal is to facilitate the return of displaced people to their homes as long it is safe and they are willing.

In cases where return is not possible, the UN assists those displaced in the new locations where they have settled.

“Each crisis comes with its own specificities, its own trauma,” Mr. Sawadogo said. “Regardless of the crisis, we aim to be as fast as possible to provide aid and assistance to those who need it and help them to return to their normal lives.”

Find out more about how the UN is helping here.

This article first appeared in UN News.