The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has just completed, in collaboration with the Directorate of Prisons, the renovation of the kitchen of the civil prison of Port-au-Prince, the largest prison complex of the country.

"After the earthquake, the kitchen facilities were not only inadequate to meet the needs of the approximately 2,600 prison inmates, but they were also in a state of disrepair that was potentially dangerous for the safety and health of kitchen personnel and inmates alike," explaines Javier Cordoba, an ICRC water and sanitation specialist working in Haiti.

"In a prison of this size, where malnutrition poses a major risk to inmate health, a well-equipped kitchen is necessary to produce enough food of sufficient quality to prevent nutritional deficiencies," said François Jacot, who is in charge of the ICRC's detainee-health activities in the country. As a result of the renovation work, it will be possible to install 15 new stoves in addition to the 21 existing ones. Thanks to upgraded floors and countertops, meal preparation will benefit from stricter hygiene. In addition, the gas supply system, which had fallen into disrepair, has been rebuilt and the ventilation system improved.

Civilian prison, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The new ventilation system in the kitchen. - ©ICRC / G. McKenzy / v-p-ht-e-00678

The renovation of the kitchen is part of the ICRC's continuing support for the efforts of the prison administration to improve conditions for inmates. Over the past 12 months, the ICRC has repaired and refurbished the biggest wing in the prison, the sanitary facilities in three other wings and the water supply throughout the prison.

The kitchen of the civil prison of Port-au-Prince after the renovations - ©ICRC / Jean Jacob Charles

HL/ HaitiLibre