Death toll rises in Haiti

IHA/949
NEW YORK, 23 September (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) -- In Gonaives, Haitian Civil Protection estimates the total deaths currently at 1,013 and 1,200 missing. United Nations staff estimate that this could rise quite dramatically in the coming days as there are still two areas of town which are under water and inaccessible. The International Committee of the Red Cross/Red Crescent (ICRC) has taken on the task of listing the dead and missing and attempting to organize reunions. They report a number of unaccompanied children wandering in the town of Gonaives, abandoned or orphaned. There are still no electricity or landline telephones in Gonaives.

Food and water distribution began yesterday at three places with some mobile distributions. In general the distributions were successful and passed off without major incident. Some 40 tons of food were distributed to an estimated 20,000 people. More food has been transported to the area, and food and water distributions will continue today. While the atmosphere is reported to be tense, there have been no reports of violence. However, the security situation will be constantly monitored.

Three members of the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination team (UNDAC) out of seven arrived in Port-au-Prince yesterday, and a fourth member will arrive in Haiti today. United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) has scheduled a special helicopter flight to take the team and equipment to Gonaives. The team will also identify affected areas north of Gonaives, where there have also been reports of deaths and damage to agriculture and infrastructure.

The health situation is under control, but the danger of epidemics cannot be ruled out. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Médecins Du Monde (MDM), 14 Cuban doctors and the Argentinean military medical team continue to run four small field hospitals. The Argentineans alone have carried out over 800 consultations since Sunday including amputations and deliveries. The World Health Organisation today delivered to 10,000 basic health kits. The Haitian Ministry of Health has sent four Haitian doctors to Gonaives, ten health officers and chemicals to deal with the corpses.

For further information, please call:

Stephanie Bunker, OCHA New York, tel.: 1 917 367 5126, mobile: 1 917 892 1679;
Elizabeth Byrs, OCHA Geneva, tel.: 41 22 917 2653, mobile: 41 0 79 473 4570.