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OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHPU #0098/01 0280449
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 280441Z JAN 10
FM AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0071
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0274
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA IMMEDIATE
INFO RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHDG/AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHPU/AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE

UNCLAS PORT AU PRINCE 000098 
 
AIDAC 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID ECON PGOV PINR PREL PREF HA
SUBJECT: USAID/DART ASSESSMENT OF EARTHQUAKE-AFFECTED TOWNS IN 
HAITI'S SOUTHERN PENINSULA - HUMANITARIAN UPDATE #4 
 
REF: PORT A 0054; PORT A 0058; PORT A 0060 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary. On January 25 and 26, assessment teams from 
USAID's Disaster Assistance Response Team (USAID/DART) visited 
earthquake-affected cities and towns along Haiti's southern 
peninsula.  The team confirmed that Leogane sustained heavy 
earthquake damage, with the majority of buildings rendered 
unusable.  Assessments conducted in two of Leogane's camps 
indicated that sanitation and hygiene remain major concerns, while 
water needs appeared to be met.  Families have constructed shelters 
with materials from damaged buildings and are preparing their own 
food in makeshift kitchen areas.  Coordination among organizations 
working in Leogane and surrounding areas remains poor, 
necessitating the establishment of a local U.N. cluster system. 
End summary. 
 
 
 
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DAMAGE ALONG HAITI'S SOUTHERN PENISULA 
 
--------------------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶2.  (U) On January 25 and 26, USAID/DART staff conducted 
assessments in earthquake-affected Leogane, Grand Goave, and Petit 
Goave towns in West Department.  The assessments substantiated 
recent U.N. estimates indicating that the earthquake heavily 
damaged or destroyed more than 80 percent of Leogane, while less 
than 20 percent of buildings in neighboring Grand Goave and Petit 
Goave were destroyed.  With the extent of the damage and 
displacement in the Leogane area, substantial relief and recovery 
efforts will be required. 
 
 
 
---------------------- 
 
SETTLEMENTS IN LEOGANE 
 
---------------------- 
 
 
 
¶3.  (U) According to the Government of Haiti and the International 
Organization for Migration (IOM), there are between 15 and 20 
spontaneous settlements in Leogane - the city most affected by the 
January 12 earthquake and subsequent aftershocks.  To determine 
humanitarian needs and gaps in assistance in Leogane, the 
USAID/DART conducted multiple assessments in two settlements, 
including the city's largest camp at the soccer stadium, which 
currently houses 4,000 to 5,000 people during the day and up to 
9,000 people at night. 
 
 
 
----------------------------- 
 
SHELTERS, FOOD, AND CAMP LIFE 
 
----------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶4.  (U) The majority of families at the stadium had constructed 
shelters with materials salvaged from damaged houses, primarily 
sheets of corrugated metal, boards, and bed linens.  Camp 
inhabitants indicated that families share living quarters, 
reporting that an average of three families slept in a 15 foot by 
20 foot space.  Although a number of manufactured tents were 
pitched throughout the camp, self-constructed structures comprised 
the vast majority of shelters.  A second USAID/DART assessment team 
noted that some camp residents have also benefited from a limited 
distribution of high-quality reinforced plastic sheeting of unknown 
origin. 
 
 
¶5.  (U) Both USAID/DART assessment teams observed ongoing cooking 
in settlements visited, noting that many families stored cooking 
materials in their tents - primarily pots used over an open flame. 
In addition, multiple families were observed eating self-prepared 
rice, accompanied by beans and other items.   The teams also noted 
significant commercial activity in the camp, including a barber 
shop, shoe salesmen, and a cell phone charging station. 
 
 
 
------------------------------ 
 
WATER, SANITATION, AND HYGIENE 
 
------------------------------ 
 
 
 
¶6.  (U) At the Leogane stadium settlement, the Spanish Red Cross 
has installed a water bladder on the roof of a building that forms 
the edge of the camp, complete with piping and two six-spigot taps. 
The team observed no queues forming at the well, indicating that 
the camp population is not experiencing a water shortage.  Spot 
tests indicated that the water was chlorinated at the recommended 
level.  When asked, camp residents indicated that their water needs 
had been met with the installation of the water bladder. 
 
 
 
¶7.  (U) However, the USAID/DART determined that stadium camp lacked 
adequate sanitation facilities, with only one pre-existing latrine 
on site.  Residents continue to use the grassy area outside the 
stadium's main playing surface for defecation, as well as for 
garbage disposal.  The solid waste is attracting large number of 
flies; proliferation of other vectors is likely as well.  The 
USAID/DART assessment team noted several open areas on the 
perimeter of the stadium suitable for latrine blocks.  Due to 
potential hazards associated with poor sanitation practices and 
concentrated population, construction of latrines and establishment 
of a system for garbage disposal remain high priority interventions 
which should be pursued urgently by the U.N. Water, Sanitation, and 
Hygiene (WASH) Cluster. 
 
 
 
¶8.  (U) In one of Leogane's smaller camps, located in front of the 
mayor's office, the USAID/DART observed similar water and 
sanitation conditions.  The displaced population currently collects 
water from one pre-existing artesian well, where water flow is 
moderate, but continuous.  In addition, households reported 
receiving water purification tablets and collapsible water 
containers in a recent distribution.  However, like the larger 
camp, the USAID/DART observed no latrines at the site.  Camp 
residents indicated that families continued to use latrines in 
damaged houses, or had resorted to open defecation. 
 
 
 
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HEALTH SERVICES 
 
--------------- 
 
 
 
¶9.  (U) USAID/DART assessment teams spoke with multiple 
non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Leogane, many of which 
were providing basic health and medical services.  In discussion 
with NGO and volunteer staff, the USAID/DART discovered that, 
because NGOs have not participated in the U.N. cluster system, 
coordination of activities remains poor.  In many cases, NGO staff 
members were unaware of the services offered by organizations in 
the same area.  This became particularly apparent when staff at the 
stadium health clinic indicated that they did not know where to 
refer patients that required more advanced medical treatment. 
(Note: at least four field hospitals are located within a ten-mile 
radius of Leogane's stadium, including two with surgical 
capabilities. End note.)  The USAID/DART encouraged NGOs to send a 
representative to local cluster meetings, when scheduled, to better 
coordinate the medical response in Leogane and establish a pipeline 
to restock medical supplies. 
 
 
--------------------------- 
 
PETIT GOAVE AND GRAND GOAVE 
 
--------------------------- 
 
 
 
¶10.  (U) Although Petit Goave and Grand Goave experienced some 
heavy earthquake-related damage, destruction was sporadic - 
affecting an estimated 15 to 20 percent of both towns.  According 
to a representative from IOM in Petit Goave, many families still 
sleep outside, fearing an aftershock during the night.  The 
USAID/DART observed that many displaced families had erected 
shelters beside damaged homes, incorporating the remaining walls or 
rubble into a structure located on the same property.  A limited 
number of families had erected tents in the middle of the street, 
while others used locally-made screens woven from palm fronds as 
walls. 
 
 
 
¶11.  (U) In Petit Goave, the USAID/DART observed a neighborhood 
with approximately 15 houses partially visible in the water. 
According to local residents, the earthquake resulted in a dramatic 
shift of the shore line, illustrated by now-submerged houses and 
standing palm trees once located 20 feet or more from the water's 
edge.  At the same site, locals indicated that the ocean floor no 
longer sloped gradually as it had before, but "dropped off" 
abruptly after approximately 30 feet.  Although it remains unclear 
exactly how the earthquake altered the ocean floor, the permanent 
change in the shore line is apparent. 
 
 
 
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COORDINATION 
 
------------ 
 
 
 
¶12.  (U) The USAID/DART learned that a large number of NGOs are 
present in and around Leogane, including Samaritan's Purse, Save 
the Children, Diakonie, Crisis International, Action Contre la 
Faim, Heart to Heart, United Methodist Committee on Relief, and 
Partners in Health.  For successful relief and recovery programs, a 
local cluster system must be established to coordinate NGO and U.N. 
activities.  The USAID/DART understands that the U.N. Office for 
the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) plans to promote 
further development of the cluster system in areas outside 
Port-au-Prince, particularly along the southern peninsula, and 
strongly encourages the initiative. 
MERTEN