Haiti - Humanitarian : The WASH situation in the camps is deteriorating

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Haiti - Humanitarian : The WASH situation in the camps is deteriorating
20/10/2011 10:15:27

Access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services is increasingly deteriorating, according to the latest survey conducted in 626 sites hosting a total of 502,008 IDPs by the National Directorate for Water and Sanitation (DINEPA) and the WASH Cluster. Withdrawal of humanitarian actors and underfunding has resulted in a lack of drainage services, poor maintenance and repair of infrastructures and latrines.

Access to drinking water has also significantly decreased following the interruption of free water trucking between May and June. In August, only 7 per cent of the people had regular access to drinking water, compared to 48 per cent in March. The quality of water lost 14 points, from 62 percent in July to 48 percent in August. In urban areas, where most of the IDPs camps are located, water is provided either through water trucking system, water kiosks or the connexion to the city networks, as opposed to rural areas where people depend on rivers and hand pumps.

Out of a total of 12,000 latrines needed, 4,579 were reported to be functional in August, down from 5,864 in July. On the other hand, the number of non-functional latrines more than doubled, from 1,303 in July to 2,681 in August. A total of 1,017 latrines have been identified as "abandoned" (Not functional and cannot be repaired). This had led to increasing open air defecation, posing public health risks to camp population and surrounding areas.

Desludging activities conducted by United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) with DINEPA trucks stopped on 31 August due to a lack of funding. In the meantime, the WASH Cluster, in cooperation with DINEPA and UNOPS, are implementing minimal desludging activities in IDP camps and Cholera Treatment Centers (CTCs).

The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) started emergency drainage operations in 47 priority IDP sites and CTCs. IOM resumed drainage activities in 85 sites while UNICEF extended existing contracts with partners from the private sector for drainage activities in 105 other sites. However, existing needs are not totally covered. DINEPA, UNOPS, UNICEF and the WASH Cluster continue to look for funding to resume desludging programmes.

The percentage of camps with available hand washing stations is at its lowest, from 20% last March to 12 percent in August. Hygiene promotion activities are also declining. The percentage of sites with at least one partner conducting hygiene promotion activities for 500 people was at 29 percent in August, compared to 33 percent in July and 36 percent in May.

HL/ HaitiLibre