Haiti
Violence/Clashes, 28 Mar 2024
| Allocation | $12,000,000 |
|---|---|
| Emergency type | Violence/Clashes |
| Window | Rapid Response |
| Recipient UN Agencies | UNFPA, UNICEF, WFP, WHO |
| Group(s) of people targeted | Host communities, Internally displaced persons, Other affected persons |
| People reached | 395,046 |
| Status | Report Available |
| Due dates | | |
| Allocation code | 24-RR-HTI-64320 |
| Title | Haiti RR Application Apr 2024 (Gang violence) |
Overview of the humanitarian situation
The humanitarian, protection and human rights situation in Haiti, already very worrying since mid-2022, deteriorated significantly, especially since 29 February 2024, when the country experienced a sudden wave of violence. Coordinated attacks orchestrated by armed gangs targeted critical infrastructure in Port-au-Prince first, and later in Artibonite. It was estimated that the wave of violence has displaced 50,000 people since the beginning of the year, affecting an additional 50,000 as host families. This happened in a context where, according to recent IPC data (22 March 2024), 5 million people are in IPC 3+ (+600,000 compared to August 2023), including 1.6 million in IPC4 (+200,000). As attacks target medical facilities, amongst other infrastructure, access to medical services was severely compromised. Only 20-30% of hospitals and health facilities in Port-au-Prince and Artibonite were still functioning, while health care partners were facing a shortage of medicines, medical equipment and supplies. Funding requirements for the conflict escalation were not available.
CERF-funded assistance
In response to the crisis, CERF on 29 March allocated $12 million from its Rapid Response window for the immediate commencement of life-saving activities. The CERF-funded response aimed to address critical gaps in response created by the ongoing violence. This funding enabled UN agencies and partners to provide life-saving assistance to 395,046 people, including 80,617 men, 108,527 women, 203,902 children, and 24,503 people with disabilities. The allocation provided a multi-sectoral response (food security, water, sanitation and hygiene, protection and health care) to displaced people and host communities, treatment for acute malnutrition among children, and support to hospitals. It also provided logistics support to sustain the operations of the humanitarian community in Haiti at large. The areas of operations were limited to Port-au-Prince and Artibonite. The CERF funds enabled implementing agencies and partners to reach the hardest-hit people more quickly, including in hard-to-reach areas under the control or influence of armed gangs, and thus maintain people's access to services and humanitarians' access to populations.
CERFs Strategic Added Value
For some services, the response was able to be deployed quickly. For example, UNICEF and its partners implemented a "WASH Service Center" approach to provide hygiene kits and clean water within 24 to 48 hours after population movements, before handing over to other actors to ensure continuity of services. However, some delays have been recorded, in particular due to stocks blocked at the port of Port-au-Prince, slowing down the implementation of certain activities. Thanks to the CERF funding, agencies were able to be among the first to respond to the crisis in February 2024, providing integrated multisectoral assistance to the affected populations. Support for hospitals has ensured continued access to free emergency care and reduced cost caesarean sections for the most vulnerable. CERF funding has significantly strengthened coordination by fostering close collaboration between IOM and WFP to support the relocation of 2,390 displaced people, through a joint identification, referral and cash transfer mechanism. A strong synergy was established between PAHO/WHO and UNFPA to reduce the costs of caesarean sections. In addition, CERF funding enabled UNFPA to strengthen national and local coordination of the GBV response, by funding the deployment of key personnel and directly supporting the Ministry of Women's Affairs (MCFDF). This allocation helped mobilize significant additional resources, including US$101 million for WFP (including US$8.8 million mobilized for UNHAS), more than US$8.5 million for WHO, and additional funding of US$5.3 million for UNFPA, amplifying the impact of the response on the ground.
Projects included in this allocation
| Organization | Project title | Code | Amount in US$ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WHO | Increasing access to lifesaving health services for Haitians affected by insecurity caused by gang violence. | 24-RR-WHO-011 | US$2,830,000 | Read more |
| UNICEF | Apporter une réponse rapide et essentielle pour les enfants déplacés les plus vulnérables et leurs familles, les populations hôtes, ainsi que pour ceux qui se trouvent dans des zones touchées par la violence des groupes armés en assurant la disponibilité | 24-RR-CEF-019 | US$2,960,000 | Read more |
| UNFPA | La réponse d’urgence aux violences basées sur le genre et aux besoins en matière de santé reproductive en faveur des personnes déplacées et communautés affectées dans la Zone métropolitaine de Port-au-Prince suite aux violences des gangs armés. | 24-RR-FPA-005 | US$1,910,000 | Read more |
| WFP | Rapid Response to food insecurity crisis and support to UNHAS | 24-RR-WFP-017 | US$4,300,000 | Read more |