Haiti Libre:

Thursday, the Government of Haiti and the Humanitarian Country Team of the United Nations launched a call for funds of $193.8 million to meet the critical humanitarian needs of 1.3 million people. This humanitarian planning document aims at ensuring protection and access to basic services to the most vulnerable people, and also strengthening the resilience of the population and the Haitian institutions.

“We appreciate this effort to put together priorities and coordinate the response between national authorities and members of the humanitarian community. The plight of thousands affected by these multiple factors, especially by food insecurity, requires a rapid and effective response to prevent the deterioration of the humanitarian context in a moment where we are laying the foundations of a sustainable development of the country “said Aviol Fleurant, Minister of Planification and External Cooperation.

The ultimate goal of the plan is to reduce the vulnerability of 1.3 million targeted people. Although the priority concerns the most basic humanitarian needs, the plan also anticipates the implementation of structural measures to reduce the vulnerability of the population in need, as well as to advance towards the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
“Structural problems associated with multiple emergencies continue to increase the vulnerability of millions of Haitians. We must act together to allow them to recover, said Mourad Wahba, Humanitarian Coordinator and Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in Haiti.

To achieve this objective, the 2016 Humanitarian Response Plan identifies a number of humanitarian needs that must be addressed. Thus, it aims to address the severe food insecurity that affects more than 1 million (U$ 105.5 million in needs expressed) and to ensure the protection and basic services to more than 120,000 deportees / returnees from the Dominican Republic (U$ 21.2 million) and to 62,000 IDPs living in post-earthquake camps (U$ 38.2 million). Moreover, the plan envisages providing a rapid and effective response to cholera epidemics and to counteract the vulnerability to cholera in high-risk areas (U$ 20 million). Lastly, funds will be mobilized to support the preparation for natural disasters (U$ 4.1 million) and strengthen the humanitarian coordination (2.9 millions). As part of this response, 100,000 people amongst the 500,000 that may be affected by natural disasters in 2016 are also targeted.

In a global context with increasingly large humanitarian crises, funding for humanitarian aid in Haiti risks to diminish. Hence, the humanitarian community calls for the strengthening of the commitment of partners. “We urge Haiti’s partners to have a sustained commitment to the country. This deepened commitment will help to enhance the resilience of vulnerable communities and to maintain the progress achieved in the recent years. In addition, it will help to initiate a sustainable exit from the multiple humanitarian challenges while continuing the process of sustainable development for the country”, concluded Mr. Wahba.