Haiti: UN appeals for $108 million to aid storm survivors

(New York, 10 September 2008): Under the leadership of the Government of Haiti, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), together with UN agencies and their partners, today issued an appeal for $107,714,621 to provide humanitarian and early recovery assistance over the next six months to survivors of a series of storms that hit the country over the last three weeks.

Within one week, Haiti, already struggling with the impact of heavy rains during Hurricane Fay in mid August, was struck by Hurricane Gustav and Tropical Storm Hanna. Gustav, which hit Haiti on 26 August, devastated five regions in the west and southwest, while Hanna, which made landfall on 2 September, has impacted all ten regions in Haiti. Subsequently, the country was also affected by Hurricane Ike.

Needs assessments to date have estimated that up to 800,000 people-- almost 10% of the total population of the country--are in dire need of humanitarian and rehabilitation assistance. Over 70,000 people are currently estimated to be housed in temporary shelters throughout the country. As of 9 September, the official death toll had reached 328, while 37 persons are missing and 136 are injured. Thousands of houses have also been destroyed or damaged. Significant damage has been done to agriculture, and the entire harvest of the current agricultural season has been either lost or severely damaged. Nearly all agricultural land has been flooded, resulting in the loss of the current corn, bean and banana harvest, particularly in the south and southeast. Even before this series of storms, a large majority of the country's population was already facing extreme hardship, with 53 percent living on less than one USD per day, while prices of staples have increased by over 40 percent since the beginning of the year.

The appeal specifically seeks the following aid funding: food assistance--$34 million; early recovery-- $19 million; logistics $18 million; shelter and non-food items--$14 million; agriculture--$11 million; health--$4 million; water and sanitation--$3 million; coordination--$2 million; protection--$1 million; and education--$1 million.

"I hope donors will respond generously to help the survivors of these devastating storms, which have affected such a broad swathe of a country and population already struggling with the effects of poverty and price rises," said John Holmes, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. "As the longer-term economic impact is also bound to be grave, support for the recovery effort that follows will also be crucial," he added.

For further information, please call: Stephanie Bunker, OCHA-New York, +1 917 367 5126, mobile +1 917 892 1679; Elisabeth Byrs, OCHA-Geneva, +41 22 917 2653, mobile, +41 79 473 4570. OCHA press releases are available at http://ochaonline.un.org or www.reliefweb.int.