Summary:
The Sandy emergency operation team continued with the distributions of relief items during the month of December 2012 though to a lesser extent, with focus on reducing the impact of cholera outbreaks which were reported mainly in Grand'Anse, Sud, Nord-est, Haut Artibonite departments as well as La Gonave in the Ouest department. The team carried out sensitization awareness activities and distributed cholera prevention items. Since the start of the operation, the IFRC/HRCS has distributed 971,210 aquatabs, 2,163 bars of soap, 4,490 sachets of oral rehydration salts (ORS), 521 buckets and 4,016 hygiene kits in communities targeted by the appeal and others not targeted but where cases of cholera were reported after heavy rainfall in November 2012. The operation has also distributed a cumulative 2,287 kitchen kits and 4,072 blankets.
The IFRC/HRCS shelter team has identified and registered 765 households whose houses were either completely destroyed or partially damaged in four communities in Grand’Anse department. The operation is finalizing cash transfer assistance to the registered households to support them in meeting their immediate needs. The team has also finalized a plan for the identification and registration of target beneficiary households in two other communities in the department.
The IFRC/HRCS has also signed a memorandum of understanding with the German Red Cross (GRC) for the implementation of the livelihoods/food security component of the operation. The German Red Cross has commenced the recruitment process of national staff to support in the implementation. GRC has also started the process of procuring agricultural tools including seeds to be distributed to target beneficiaries ahead of the forthcoming planting season.
A second Field Assessment Coordination Team (FACT) was deployed during this reporting. The team supported the finalization of the revised plan of action of the operation and coordinated implementation of other planned activities. In addition, a water and sanitation Mass Sanitation Module-Emergency Response Unit (MSM-ERU) was deployed in Grand'Anse to implement the water, sanitation and hygiene promotion component of the response specifically, assessment of the cholera treatment centres (CTCs) and cholera treatment units (CTUs). A recruitment process is also underway to put in place an operational team, which will be on ground by end of January 2013.
