Haiti: Update on Oxfam's response
Louis Belanger, Oxfam spokesperson here in Port-au-Prince. So today we're continuing our water distribution in five sites - five sites in Port-au-Prince. By the end of this week we expect to be able to reach [around 80,000 people]... so that's good in terms of the increase of our distribution. We're continuing to assess and look at other sites to distribute water, but for now there's five main sites and work is going very well on that front. This morning we're going to be digging latrines, so basically trenches where people can go to the toilet so that human waste is not spread all over the place so that it's contained, and we've identified sites to do that so that's what we're doing. Ideally, I think two sites, that's what we have in mind. We're working with communities in order to manage these latrines properly, so that human waste is contained and that they're being taken care of. So there's two sites that we would provide toilets to 25,000 people. You know these things are also to give privacy to people. In times of crisis I think human dignity is also very important to keep in mind. Also what we're going to be looking at doing over the next couple of days is cash-for-work programmes. So basically organising with the local community on things that we can start doing, whether it's clearing rubbish, clearing rubble, clearing the market so that the local economy can start again - that's what we're looking at doing. So it's about 200 Gourdes per person, per day, which is more or less $5. So we're going to go and talk to the community, establish what are the needs, so whether it's rubble, whether it's clearing the markets, we're going to be busy doing that. So this is a quick summary of what our activities are - water, latrines, and establish cash-for-work programme. Overall, the aid delivery is continuing. The challenge remains a serious one. There's tens of thousands of people out there in sites that we're going - I'm going right now to a hospital which is completely overwhelmed - and in the five sites that I've mentioned in terms of distribution, there's tens of thousands of people that are currently without shelters. So that's one thing that I think the aid community will prioritise in the next couple of days. Not only water, medication, food, but I think shelter will be prioritised. So it remains a challenge, but as I said, we're doing all we can and Oxfam is boosting its aid effort so we're trying to stay positive and just work as hard as we can. Thank you
Louis Belanger, Oxfam spokesperson here in Port-au-Prince. So today we're continuing our water distribution in five sites - five sites in Port-au-Prince. By the end of this week we expect to be able to reach [around 80,000 people]... so that's good in terms of the increase of our distribution. We're continuing to assess and look at other sites to distribute water, but for now there's five main sites and work is going very well on that front. This morning we're going to be digging latrines, so basically trenches where people can go to the toilet so that human waste is not spread all over the place so that it's contained, and we've identified sites to do that so that's what we're doing. Ideally, I think two sites, that's what we have in mind. We're working with communities in order to manage these latrines properly, so that human waste is contained and that they're being taken care of. So there's two sites that we would provide toilets to 25,000 people. You know these things are also to give privacy to people. In times of crisis I think human dignity is also very important to keep in mind. Also what we're going to be looking at doing over the next couple of days is cash-for-work programmes. So basically organising with the local community on things that we can start doing, whether it's clearing rubbish, clearing rubble, clearing the market so that the local economy can start again - that's what we're looking at doing. So it's about 200 Gourdes per person, per day, which is more or less $5. So we're going to go and talk to the community, establish what are the needs, so whether it's rubble, whether it's clearing the markets, we're going to be busy doing that. So this is a quick summary of what our activities are - water, latrines, and establish cash-for-work programme. Overall, the aid delivery is continuing. The challenge remains a serious one. There's tens of thousands of people out there in sites that we're going - I'm going right now to a hospital which is completely overwhelmed - and in the five sites that I've mentioned in terms of distribution, there's tens of thousands of people that are currently without shelters. So that's one thing that I think the aid community will prioritise in the next couple of days. Not only water, medication, food, but I think shelter will be prioritised. So it remains a challenge, but as I said, we're doing all we can and Oxfam is boosting its aid effort so we're trying to stay positive and just work as hard as we can. Thank you
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