Hi All, Very briefly :

Please find OCHA and USAID strategy on http://haiti.oneresponse.info.

And for specific shelters on http://groups.google.com/group/shelterhaiti2010.

Dear All,

Here are the latest updates.

Shelter Cluster Context overview

On 25 January, the President of Haiti said that the priority needs are tents and food. He said that some 200,000 family tents are urgently needed for temporary shelter. The need for tents is especially urgent due to the upcoming rainy season, which begins in April. The Government is reporting that the movement of populations towards rural areas to the north and west of Port-au-Prince has slowed and has assessed the overall figure at 235,916 people. The largest influx, some 62,500 people, remains in Artibonite department. In response to these population movements, joint assessment teams (UNDAC/EU/CDC and US military) have been visiting cities in six departments, including North, North West, Centre, Artibonite, Grand Anse and Nippes. To date, the findings indicate that although people are travelling to these areas in large numbers, the majority are being accommodated by relatives or returning to family homes. Large-scale shelter support is unlikely to be needed. 900,000  people in urban areas and 100,000 in rural ones have lost their house. 200,000 out of the 900,000 have moved to other departments.

The United States Geological Service (USGS) has issued an assessment of aftershock hazards in Haiti. They report that the aftershock sequence of a magnitude-7 earthquake will continue for months if not years in the affected area. The frequency of events will diminish with time, but damaging earthquakes will remain possible in the coming months. The USGS estimates a 90 percent probability of one or more earthquakes of magnitude 5 or greater. They advise taking these findings into account during the rebuilding effort.

Shelter cluster is working on having more tents in the pipeline. The site planning working group is struggling with political, and geographical issues. The strategic working group is still trying to define how to qualify the homeless as they can’t be considered refugees, neither displaced etc… In addition they have to define the qualification of the settlements and re-groupments of population and agree on that with the GoH (see attached ESC Strat meet). The main challenge for the shelter cluster remains in increasing capacity to follow up and monitor shelter sites. In particular, data collection remains a challenge due to the extent of sites, fluctuating data quality, difficulties in communication and dynamic migration patterns.

La structure est évolutive : Rapide à installer, légère, et facile à déplacer même une fois montée, la structure dans sa forme primaire correspond aux armatures métalliques d’une tente. Le toit et les murs sont en toile de tente ou en « plastic sheeting ». Dans sa forme intermédiaire, la structure de bambou est couverte par de la paille, du bois, du bambou. En utilisant un torchis à base de terre ou en utilisant du ciment, on peut monter des cloisons qui en feront une structure permanente.

La structure peut être améliorée par un apport d’éléments fournis par le fabricant de la charpente de base.

La structure est écologique : elle est à base de bambou, avec un faible usinage, matériel de construction avec une des plus faible empreinte écologique, tout en ayant d’excellentes propriétés physiques.

The Emerge House is a bamboo pole and gusset plate building that is shipped completely disassembled and can be assembled in one day by 2-3 unskilled people. It comes with a canvas cover in a lightweight, compact package and is meant for use in the first stages of disaster relief. It can later be sheathed with permanent sheathing and used for long-term shelter if needed.

Haiti recovery……in the street

The rescue effort is slowly ending in Haiti, at the peak of the search-and-rescue effort, there were 52 teams on the ground with 1,820 rescue workers and 175 dogs. As of 19 January, they were 36 international search-and-rescue teams remaining. Teams have been asked to continue working past the immediate life-saving phase to assist with humanitarian activities should they have the capacity to do so.The frustration of the rescue teams is high with only 135 lives saved and an estimation of 75000 deaths. It is important to highlight the fact this latest figure is not based on a scientific evaluation neither on an individual identification of the victims.Electricity is not running and is totally cut for security reasons as many high voltage cables are hanging in the streets. Communications are functioning sporadically and quickly saturated.

PAP airport remains congested. UNHAS is running a passenger service from Santo Domingo to Port-au-Prince and back. Fuel shortage seems to be solved partially as fuel is trucked from Santo Domingo. Warehousing capacity is very limited. The southern pier of the Port-au-Prince port is expected to be operational during the week of 25 January. The damaged access road is being repaired. Other piers are damaged and not operational. The road from Santo Domingo, via Jimani, Dominican Republic, to Port-au-Prince (approx. 300 km) remains extremely congested. According to recent reports, the transit time for the first leg (Santo Domingo-Jimani) is 8 to 9 hrs. MINUSTAH escorts are provided for the second leg (Jimani-Port-au-Prince). Official requests for escort are not required, as formal procedures are not in place.

The International Humanitarian Partnership established a base camp to accommodate 200 humanitarian workers at the UN base beside the airport. Most of the equipment has now reached Port-au-Prince. There are concerns that this accommodation will not be sufficient for the humanitarian community and that more capacity will be needed as humanitarian teams are pouring in the country and the housing office capacity is not secured within the city. It is a massive deployment and as usual, at least at the beginning, the “humanitarian faire” is adding to the chaos. Hopefully by the end of next week, all this will be organised coordinated and delivery of assistance will be fully effective.Remaining hospitals of Port au Prince are totally congested with thousands of wounded persons sleeping and recovering on the ground. The level of amputations is very high and prosthesis are urgently needed.Provision of food and drinkable water is an issue as well as the sanitation of the displaced people. Almost all the population of PAP is sleeping outside and mainly in the street where security is not guaranteed.

One of the main concerns of the Government is the revitalisation of economic activities. Bank activities are now planned to come into effect on 21January. The local civil society organization and the private sector are being mobilized to join the relief operation. In the street, informal market is active again but official businesses are slow to reopen for security issues (resistance of the buildings to additional replicas and looting).

Population main concern, in parallel to access to food, water and health, is safe and secure shelter. In fact almost all the population of PAP is sleeping outside and mainly in the street where security is not guaranteed. We have those who lost totally their houses, but also people who are afraid to enter in their house. Some architects team are assessing now the resistance of hospitals and public services, but assessing all the remained houses of PAP will take ages.

Tent distribution has not started as the emphasis has been on emergency NFI items (jerricans, aquatabs, plastic sheeting, etc.). IOM reports that a decision was made with the government to organise a temporary settlement for 100,000 people in “La Plaine” north of PAP in rural areas. IOM aims to have the site ready within one week, mobilising resources from all cluster partners, and beyond. The overall aim is to cover the needs for 200,000 families (one million people) within the next few weeks. For now, IOM confirms it has 1,200 tents in country in addition to 1,800 UNHCR tents. IOM is in discussion with the donor governments to send more. The Shelter Cluster asked partner organisations to provide information on additional possible sites where camps can be established.

This camp policy might face the rejection of the homeless and displaced population as well as the opposition of the hosting communities. In fact people want to stay close to their family, land, belongings, work and not sent in rural areas. The hosting communities are already rejecting the arrival of urban invaders and property issues are rising.

Life is back in Haiti and the country is recovering very slowly but in the street for the time being. I hope that a solution will be found before the next rainy season and cyclone season.

Kasra Mofarah, Génération Bambou, Port au Prince, 2010/01/21

  Photo à J+3

January 20, 2010Bambou Generation’s Director of Field Operations, Kasra Mofarah arrived in Port au Prince Tuesday night. With the goal of assessing January 12th’s earthquake damage both at the epicenter and surrounding areas, he found scenes of pending calm, and chaos.

The border of Haiti and the Dominican Republic was a contrast in extremes. On one side peace and silence. The other, crowds, tension and misery. As bodies were collected from the street in hard-hit areas, shops were closed in less affected parts and people brought their things roadside to sell.

This morning Kasra woke at 6am to the sound of villager’s screams as they reacted to an aftershock with a magnitude of 6.1. The tremors shook already crumbling buildings and roads, and terrified survivors.

In evaluating the earthquake’s damage, Kasra can determine the need for implementation of Bamboo Evolution Shelter Technology (BEST). This sustainable, economical bamboo framework creates an emergency structure that is fast to assemble and can be easily covered by any fabric like a tent, thus creating urgently needed temporary shelter. As needs evolve the structure can be moved and rebuilt, expanded, or covered in a harder material to make long-term housing, school or medical clinic.

For Kasra the coming week includes meetings with the United Nations, NGOs, local authorities and bamboo producers in an effort to integrate bamboo technology into humanitarian missions.
Written by Danielle Kunitz

Explo HAITI Services de logement en PAP / HAI pour la population vulnérable touchée par le tremblement de terre janvier / Février 2010 

Contexte

La technologie de l’abri évolutif en bambou (TAEB  - BEST en anglais) de Génération Bambou est durable, économique, plus sûre et plus résistante en présence d’activités sismiques ou d’ouragans que les autres structures faites avec d’autres matériaux. L’assemblage du squelette / cadre de la structure est un processus simple et rapide. En outre, cette structure peut être couverte par tous types de matériaux disponibles localement. En fait, dans le contexte actuel d’urgence, la structure peut être couverte comme une tente ou avec une toile en plastique ou tous types de matériaux distribués par la communauté humanitaire internationale. Plus tard, au cours de la reconstruction et durant la phase de développement durable, la structure peut être démontée et reconstruite dans un autre emplacement et recouverte avec des matériaux plus solides pour un usage à long terme du bénéficiaire du logement ou pour une utilisation en tant qu’école, clinique de santé, centre communautaire ou logement d’expatriés.

Objectifs Opérationnels 

 1^ère phase: Faisabilité du projet  

Evaluer et estimer les besoins pour :             

•    Abris provisoires d’urgence (phase d’urgence). Pour la communauté humanitaire ainsi que pour les bénéficiaires directs.            

•    Abris temporaires en mi-parcours (phase de reconstruction), le développement communautaire économique et social en lien avec l’économie du bambou (renforcement des capacités).            

•    Logement à long terme (phase de développement durable). La durabilité de l’économie du bambou et le développement du réseau social ainsi créé.  

•    Évaluation de la disponibilité et la production locale de bambou et d’autres matériaux nécessaires pour l’abri. Rencontrer les divers spécialistes locaux du bambou.  

•    Évaluer les fournisseurs potentiels de bambou et d’autres matériaux nécessaires pour les abris en Haïti et au niveau régional.  

•    Évaluer les itinéraires de transport pour l’approvisionnement de bambou et d’autres matériaux nécessaires pour l’abri, de la région à Haïti.  

•    Évaluer la reconstruction politique du gouvernement haïtien et l’aide communautaire (donateurs, ONU, la Banque mondiale). 

2^ème Phase: Positionnement de Génération Bambou  

•    Positionnement de Génération Bambou dans le contexte d’urgence comme un intervenant majeur pour la fourniture de logements: le concept de Génération Bambou est une option viable pour un abri sûr qui participe au redressement et au développement local et qui est sympathique du point de vue environnemental.

•    Positionnement de Génération Bambou comme un partenaire dans la communauté humanitaire internationale pour la fourniture de logements aux organisations qui participent au processus de récupération, de réadaptation et de reconstruction.

•    Positionnement et présentation de Génération Bambou aux principaux donateurs appuyant Haïti.  

•    Proposer immédiatement la structure TAEB (BEST en anglais) aux ONG pour la livraison de leur propre aide. L’abri peut accueillir un centre de santé, un centre de distribution, une salle de classe ou un logement pour expatriés. 

3^ème phase: Programmation  

•    Définir la communauté bénéficiaire

•    Définir les activités et le plan d’application

•    Définir les outils opérationnels et la méthodologie pour chaque activité

•    Définir les ressources humaines, techniques et financières et les délais nécessaires

•    Définir l’approche participative (communautaire, bénéficiaires les plus marginalisés).

Évaluation des Besoins des Parties prenantes

L’évaluation des intervenants est la suivante :

•    Bambou Habitat (BH), Bambou Technologies Hawaï (BT) et Génération Bambou (BG).

•    Les bénéficiaires du projet (directs et indirects)

•    Organismes partenaires internationaux et locaux

•    Autorités locales et centrales du gouvernement

•    Les architectes locaux, ingénieurs et techniciens

•    Dirigeants locaux et dirigeants communautaires

•    Donateurs

•    Producteurs locaux et régionaux de bambou. 

Explo HAITI Shelter Services in PAP / HAI for the vulnerable population affected by the earthquakeJanuary / February 2010 

Background 

The Bamboo Generation Bamboo Evolution Shelter Technology (BEST) is sustainable, economical, safer and more resistant in case of seismic activities or hurricanes than structures made from other materials.  Assembling the skeleton / frame of the structure is a quick and easy process.  In addition, this structure can be covered by any type of fabric available locally.  In fact, in the current context of emergency the structure can be covered like a tent or with plastic sheeting or any other type of fabric distributed by the International Humanitarian Community. Later, during the reconstruction and sustainable development phases, the structure can be dismantled and rebuilt in another location and recovered with harder material for long-term beneficiary housing or use as a school, health clinic, community center or expat housing. 

Operational Objectives 

1^st Phase: Feasibility of the project 

Assess and estimate the need for:

·         Urgent temporary shelter (emergency phase). For the humanitarian community as well as for direct beneficiaries.

·         Midterm temporary shelter (reconstruction phase), economical and social community development link to the bamboo economy (capacity building).

·         Long-term housing (sustainable development phase). Sustainability of the bamboo economy and development of the social network thus created.  

·         Assess availability and local production of bamboo and other material needed for the shelter. Meet the various local specialists of bamboo.   

·         Assess the potential suppliers of bamboo and other materials needed for the shelters in Haiti and at a regional level. 

·         Assess transportation routes for the supply of bamboo and other materials needed for the shelter from the region to Haiti. 

·         Assess the reconstruction policy of the Haitian Government and of the Aid Community (Donors, UN, World Bank). 

2^nd Phase: Positioning Bamboo Generation 

·         Positioning Bamboo Generation in the emergency context as a major stakeholder for the provision of shelter: the Bamboo Generation concept is a sustainable option for safe shelter which participates in local recovery and development and is environmentally-friendly. 

·         Positioning Bamboo Generation as a partner in the International Humanitarian Community for provision of shelter to Organizations involved in the recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction process. 

·         Positioning and presenting Bamboo Generation to the major donors supporting Haiti. 

·         Proposing the BEST structure to NGOs immediately for the delivery of their own aid.   The shelter can host of health center, a distribution center, a classroom, or expat housing. 

3rd Phase: Programming 

·         Define the recipient community

·         Define activities and implementation plan

·         Define the operational tools and methodology for each activity

·         Define the human, technical and financial resources and the time-frame needed

·         Define the participatory approach (community, beneficiary most marginalized).  

Needs-Assessment Stakeholders  

The Evaluation stakeholders include the following:

·         Bambou Habitat (BH), Bamboo Technologies Hawaii (BT) and Bamboo Generation (BG).

·         The project beneficiaries (direct and indirect)

·         International and local partner agencies

·         Local and Central Government Authorities

·         Local architects, engineers and technicians  

·         Local leaders and community leaders

·         Donors

·         Local and regional producers of Bamboo.