Médecins Sans Frontières Press Release
Médecins Sans Frontières denounces the inefficiency of emergency response in Gonaïves
GONAÏVES, October 13, 2008 – Five weeks after a series of hurricanes struck Haiti, people in the city of Gonaïves still find themselves deprived of essential services. Since early October, families have been evicted from the schools and churches in which they sought refuge after the storms destroyed their homes. MSF urges international organizations and the Haitian government to immediately re-examine their emergency aid response, and to prioritize housing and nutritional support for the youngest of the flood victims.
With no alternative housing offered, we estimate that approximately 10,000 people - out of a total population of 200,000 - are living on roofs, in tents or in fragile shacks made of wooden debris and bed sheets. Other families are crammed into abandoned buildings by the dozen, or are staying with relatives in overcrowded conditions that increase the risk of poor sanitation and domestic violence. In addition to this, electricity and running water have yet to be reconnected.
Although it has not rained in more than ten days, many roads are still flooded. Mud is a metre deep in some parts of the city, making it extremely difficult to get around. “It’s as though a cyclone passed through here just a couple of days ago,” remarks Vikki Stienen, project coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Gonaïves. “The coordination of relief efforts is extremely chaotic.”
“Usually, after a natural disaster, MSF can reduce its activities after the first month,” Stienen continues. “Here, it’s the opposite: we’ve had to reinforce our teams and our intervention.”
So far in Gonaïves, MSF has distributed 3000 family kits (including plastic sheeting, soap and jerry cans) and is planning to distribute a further 7000 to cover the needs of as many people as possible in the city. We are also producing 1 million litres of drinkable water per day.
MSF has also seen an increase in the number of malnourished children admitted to its hospital. We expect this number to grow as more people hear about the service. Haitians already face chronic food crises and nutritional deficiencies. The recent hurricanes destroyed crops and killed significant numbers of livestock, making people all the more vulnerable.
International food aid reaching the community is clearly insufficient in quantity, unsuitable for the nutritional needs of young children, and is being distributed in a way that excludes single women with children. There is still no clear strategy to identify need, nor to implement a proper nutritional response.
Despite the significant presence of international organizations, the people of Gonaïves have yet to see much benefit. The hurricane season ends in late November. If another one were to strike the region with more heavy rains, inhabitants here would once again pay a heavy price.
For more information, to arrange interviews or acquire photos,
Contact:
Gregory Vandendaelen
MSF press officer in Gonaïves
1 509 361 032 64
gregory.vandendaelen@msf.org