Haiti earthquake: More than half a million children at risk of waterborne diseases

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PORT-AU-PRINCE / PANAMA CITY, 2 September 2021. – UNICEF today warned of a possible re-emergence of waterborne diseases for some 540,000 children in earthquake-stricken southwest Haiti.

The harsh conditions in southwest Haiti, where more than half a million children lack shelter, drinking water and sanitation facilities, are rapidly increasing the risk of acute respiratory infections, diarrheal diseases, cholera and malaria.

“The lives of thousands of earthquake-affected children and families are now at risk, simply because they do not have access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene,” said Bruno Maes, UNICEF Representative in Haiti. “Cholera has not been reported in Haiti since February 2019, but without urgent and stricter action, the re-emergence of cholera and other waterborne diseases is a real threat that is increasing day by day.”

Prior to the earthquake, more than half of health care facilities in the three most affected divisions had basic access to water services. In the aftermath of the earthquake, nearly 60 percent of people in the three hardest-hit counties do not have access to safe water. Thousands of people whose homes have collapsed lack sanitation facilities due to the damage caused by the earthquake.

In collaboration with the National Directorate of Water and Sanitation (DINEPA) and civil society partners, UNICEF is working to improve access to water, sanitation and hygiene for affected families:

About 73,600 people gain access to safe water through water trucking systems, six water treatment plants, and twenty-two bags More than 35,200 people have benefited from the distribution of about 7,000 hygiene kits, including water treatment products Household soap, water storage, hand washing equipment and hygiene. planks.

A week after the earthquake that devastated Haiti, UNICEF shipped more than 65,000 water purification tablets, 41 bottles, three water treatment units and family hygiene kits. UNICEF has already ordered an additional 31,200 hygiene kits. UNICEF is the only UN agency providing safe drinking water to the affected population, aiming to reach 500,000 people with WASH support.

“Our efforts to provide more safe drinking water are not commensurate with the dire needs in all affected areas,” Maes said. “Impatience and sometimes frustration is building in some Haitian communities, and that is understandable. But hindering relief operations will not help. In the past few days, many distributions of essential hygiene items have been temporarily suspended due to tensions on the ground. Combined with financial constraints, it is leading The current insecurity is slowing down our life-saving activities on Earth.”

UNICEF is calling on local authorities to ensure safe conditions for humanitarian organizations to operate and to expand relief assistance to earthquake-affected communities. The August 14 earthquake in Haiti has exacerbated an already difficult humanitarian situation shaped by ongoing political instability, socio-economic crisis, growing food insecurity and malnutrition, gang-related violence, internal displacement, the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the influx of Dominican migration.

In addition to an appeal of US$48.8 million for 2021, UNICEF is now requesting US$73.3 million in Humanitarian Appeal for Children (HAC) to scale up its interventions in response to the earthquake and IDPs. So far, less than 1 percent of this requested funding has been received.

UNICEF is calling on the international community to urgently provide additional funding for the humanitarian response and prevention of the emergence of waterborne diseases in Haiti after the earthquake.

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