The 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, which ran from June to November, yielded 18 named storms. Haiti avoided direct impact from the most severe storms, though heavy rains associated with some weather systems led to localized flooding. USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) worked closely with the Government of Haiti (GoH) to prepare for and respond to related humanitarian needs. In addition, through implementing partner the International Organization for Migration (IOM), USAID/OFDA provided pre-positioned emergency commodities to populations affected by flooding.
As of early December, USAID/OFDA partners had reported the completion of more than 28,600 transitional shelters (t-shelters), house repairs for more than 7,800 households, and hosting support for approximately 26,500 households. Overall, USAID/OFDA has provided shelter solutions to approximately 63,000 households, roughly a fifth of Haiti’s displaced population. The emergency relief phase in Haiti continues to transition to longer-term recovery and development, with USAID/OFDA staff in Haiti monitoring humanitarian conditions and working with the humanitarian community to coordinate efforts and facilitate the transition.
In FY 2011, USAID/OFDA provided nearly $39 million in humanitarian assistance to Haiti in response to ongoing humanitarian needs resulting from the earthquake and more than $40 million in response to the cholera outbreak. Funding supported activities in various sectors, including economic recovery and market systems, health, humanitarian coordination and information management, logistics and relief commodities, natural and technological risks, protection, shelter and settlements, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH). In total, the U.S. Government (USG) provided nearly $200 million in humanitarian assistance to Haiti in FY 2011, including nearly $80 million from USAID/OFDA.
The earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, resulted in an estimated 316,000 deaths and affected approximately 3 million people. The U.S. Government provided more than $1.1 billion to meet humanitarian needs arising from the earthquake in FY 2010, including more than $683 million from USAID, and approximately $124 million in FY 2011, including more than $122 million from USAID. USAID continues to work closely with other USG agencies, the GoH, international organizations, the U.N., and non-governmental organizations to coordinate ongoing efforts and facilitate the transition from emergency relief to recovery while addressing identified humanitarian needs.
The cholera outbreak that began in Haiti in October 2010 resulted in a significant increase in caseloads, with 513,997 reported cases and 6,908 deaths as of early December 2011. USAID/OFDA’s emergency cholera response plan focused on preventing cholera cases, reducing the number of cases requiring hospitalization, and reducing the case fatality rate (CFR). The plan included four elements: provision of chlorine to increase the availability of safe drinking water, expansion of national hygiene education outreach, provision of medical supplies and sachets of oral rehydration salts, and an increase in the number of cholera treatment facilities (CTFs), particularly in underserved and rural areas. In response to the outbreak, the USG provided more than $73 million to meet humanitarian needs in FY 2011, including nearly $46 million from USAID.