Port-au-Prince, 11 Feb 10

Haiti Brief: UN-HABITAT
February 4, 2010

Phase One: Emergency Response to Haiti Earthquake
On 14 January, UN-HABITAT (see institutional information below) together with other members of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee consolidated inputs from 12 International Organizations (IOs) and 24 international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) into the United Nations Flash Appeal. Specific proposals on shelter relief and recovery prepared by UN-HABITAT are incorporated in the Flash Appeal (see annex 1). On 15 January 2010, the Secretary-General established the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination Team (UNDAC) to undertake a rapid assessment of the needs in Haiti following the earthquake in Port au Prince. Shortly thereafter, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mr. John Holmes announced the formation of the IASC Cluster system to coordinate efforts of the humanitarian community responding in Haiti. Among the lead sectors, the United Nations formed the “Emergency Shelter and Non-Food Item Cluster.” Representatives of UN-HABITAT and 12 UNOs and NGOs under the leadership of the International Organization for Migration are in Haiti supporting this cluster, and as of February 4th, the International Federation of the Red Cross will be the lead Agency.

UN-HABITAT and other humanitarian actors are gathering information to adjust the Flash Appeal to realities on the ground. The agency is exploring coordination mechanisms and identifying opportunities for partnerships with Haitian officials, international organizations, as well as, citizen groups that have emerged to address basic needs. The process is challenging given the intense demand for the affected population estimated to be over 1,000,000, the collapse of ports, IT, and road infrastructure. The humanitarian community with the facilitation of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN-OCHA) will next month consolidate the outcomes of the rapid assessment into a revised Flash Appeal.

As of February 4th, many primary functions have been improved and in some cases restored, including telecommunications, food supply chain, and logistics capacity at the airport in Port au Prince. However, there is still massive need in terms of medical systems, potable water, rain resistant shelters, and sanitation systems.

On February 10th, the World Bank, the UN, and several regional banks will undertake the Post Disaster Needs Assessment which will articulate evidence based recovery and reconstruction needs, gaps, and resources required to assist Haiti’s recovery. This will also form the basis for a donor conference currently scheduled for the 22nd March in New York.
UN-HABITAT’s primary strategy will focus on support to government assisting in their efforts at multi-sector settlements recovery programming focusing in the early stages on coordinating humanitarian investments in shelter and critical services.

Phase Two (a): Shelter Recovery
The shelter recovery strategy advocated by UN-HABITAT is based on experience working in post-disaster situations in which 70% of affected population is living on less than $2/day. The organization seeks to ensure that the provision of safer housing is equitable, responds to the needs of those most vulnerable (informal settlements, displaced), and involves the affected communities in the rebuilding effort.

Focus on Non-Displaced Populations: The shelter strategy advocates for assistance services to be provided as close to the affected populations as possible thus avoiding further displacement and the avoiding the relocation of people into large scale camps. Efforts need to be made to address housing issues early on after a disaster. Experience worldwide shows that people affected by disasters are keen to return to their homes as soon as possible to regain a sense of place, adjust to the psychological trauma of the disaster, and reclaim their lives.

Self-Build and Use of salvaged building materials: Despite the extent of devastation in an earthquake there is a surprising amount of re-useable materials that can be salvaged for the purposes of Haitians re-building their homes. Using salvaged materials with earthquake-resistant technologies, the approach has proved highly effective when deployed elsewhere including by Pakistanis in the aftermath of the earthquake in 2005. The approach will provide a more durable solution that will resist rains and hurricane winds. It will avoid the logistical bottlenecks that Haitians may encounter if they rely solely on tents which may only arrive in great quantities at the beginning of the rainy season and won’t hold up.

Shelter Resource Centers: The establishment of shelter resources centers, also applied effectively in other post-disaster situations, including Pakistan, provide shelter and technical demonstrations, information, and technical assistance. They also double as community centers and can be used by shelter partners for the distribution of non-food items.

Cash-for-Work: Haitians are in desperate need for cash as most forms of employment have been destroyed, yet most Haitians are able and willing to work. Cash-for-Work systems can be put into place for the collection of rubble, both for relocating rubbish and for salvaging materials for housing reconstruction.

Building Material Support: Haitians can use salvaged materials but they will also need roofing and other select building materials and tools to re-construct housing. It will be important during the recovery period for the international community and Haitian organizations to purchase materials. Haitians can use the shelter resource centers to disburse the materials at a subsidized rate or on a “material-for-work” basis. A related challenge will be congestion at the ports. The United States could make this a priority and expedite the delivery of needed building materials, as it is doing to distribute food.

Support to Government: The casualties sustained and the damage to public buildings and services have significantly reduced the capacity of national and local authorities to effectively lead and coordinate the response. As a consequence of the earthquake, it is roughly estimated that over one million people (200,000 families) are in urgent need of shelter/infrastructure as many areas of the capital have been severely affected, with thousands of collapsed buildings and insecure neighbourhoods. The Government will need to identify reconstruction solutions for all of these families. The process of planning for reconstruction and engaging the broad range of reconstruction stakeholders and affected communities in this process needs to begin urgently. However, the central and local governments and municipal authorities are severely constrained in their ability to address the technical complexities of the reconstruction and will need support in their role to convene and coordinate all stakeholders to ensure Haitian cities are rebuilt without historic vulnerabilities, that antiquated and damaged infrastructure is brought up to global standards, and that spatial deficiencies – particularly in slums and informal settlements are not rebuilt. These are minimum requirements for ensuring better and more efficient cities emerge from this catastrophe.

UN-HABITAT proposes to assist the government to identify specific spatial areas for protection (such as cultural areas, or areas vulnerable to risk of earthquake, flooding, landslides, etc), social, economic and physical development, institutional constraints and capacity building needs, as well as develop a vision for the future of these cities. This would function as initial guidelines for those who will bring and spend millions of dollars in the coming few years reconstructing primary needs such as shelter, water, sanitation, healthcare, education facilities and infrastructure, and with building the platform for sustainable cities of the future.

Phase Two (b): Urban Systems Recovery
The earthquake, having devastated the city of Port au Prince, is perhaps the world’s largest urban humanitarian crisis. By its very nature it requires a comprehensive, urban systems management approach. This involves supporting simultaneously multiple delivery mechanisms including shelter, land, water, sanitation, urban safety, health and food. The challenge for recovery is coordination and identifying ways of managing expertise across various sectors in urban areas, and transferring capacity into local government. UN-HABITAT views the first weeks following a disaster as crucial for supporting government and urban stakeholders to respond to the enormous urban rehabilitation effort. In practice this implies supporting government to convene stakeholders to ensure that the planning process is consultative and participatory, to invest heavily in coordinating the process, and to provide technical assistance for policy development and implementation.

Phase Three: Reconstruction
UN-HABITAT welcomes efforts in the coming weeks to organize consultations that bring together Haitians and the international community to consider ways to design urban development to transform not just Port au Prince but, more importantly, the wider economy of Haiti. An important proposal is investment in Les Cayes and Cap Haitien as well as Port au Prince in seaports and free enterprise-zones that generate new manufacturing jobs. This would require substantial investment in infrastructure and housing, as well as job training and rapid skill development to support working people and their families. The development of multiple urban centers in Haiti will enable Haitians with support from the international community to reconstruct Port au Prince as a more efficient, sustainable, and better serviced municipality, thereby reducing precarious settlements on hillsides.

Institutional Overview
UN-HABITAT is the agency of the United Nations responsible for housing and urban development, and for assisting member States to achieve Millennium Development Goal Target 11 (on slum improvement), and Target 10 (on water and sanitation in cities). There are an estimated 1 billion people living in informal settlements and slums. The United Nations estimates that at current rates of growth, there will be 2 billion slum dwellers by the year 2030. Simply stated, one in three of humanity will be living in urban slums.

With headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, UN-HABITAT maintains field operations in 87 countries managed by regional offices in Japan (Asia and Pacific), Brazil (Latin America and the Caribbean), Poland (Eastern Europe), Kenya (Africa/Arab States), and Habitat Program Managers in 40 country offices through a cooperation agreement with its sister agency, UNDP. The organization is a member of the UN Chief Executive Board, United Nations Development Group, Commission for Africa, WHO Commission for Social Determinants of Health, and the Commission for the Legal Empowerment of the Poor, among others.

UN-HABITAT advances shelter and urban development strategies by providing policy advice, technical assistance, and credit enhancements to governments, municipal authorities, private companies, and NGO/CBO partners in a wide range of countries. These include emerging market economies such as Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, as well as low-income and very low-income countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. The organization also works with countries in conflict, post-conflict and post-disaster situation in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Liberia, Sudan, Somalia, Uganda, Colombia, Tsunami-affected Asian countries, West Bank and Gaza with a combined project portfolio of $800 million. The governments of Japan, Sweden, Norway, Spain, Bahrain, Italy, Canada and the United States provide annually both general and special purpose support.

Humanitarian Assistance
UN-HABITAT is principal member of the Executive Committee on Humanitarian Affairs (ECHA), and the Inter-Agency Standing Committee for humanitarian operations (IASC) chaired by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). It serves as the lead agency for the Housing, Land and Property (HLP) within the IASC Protection Cluster, and supports the efforts of the IASC partners in the Emergency Shelter, and Early Recovery Clusters. UN-HABITAT is currently supporting an IASC initiative developing a strategy for enhancing humanitarian assistance in urban settings. In emergency situations it supports the efforts of the international community to identify appropriate strategies for shelter and critical infrastructure recovery and urban land systems. The organization maintains an active network of experts from diverse backgrounds who it calls upon to support relief and recovery efforts in emergency disaster situations. Of particular relevance to the ongoing crisis in Haiti are the post-earthquake response strategies deployed by UN-HABITAT in Pakistan and Indonesia.

Summary Project Briefs:
The following table outlines specific projects under negotiation with government, the UN and donors for immediate measures programming in Haiti.