UN Geneva - Multimedia Newsroom : Bi-Weekly Press Briefing: CERF Funding Haiti

The United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, has allocated $5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to help meet the humanitarian needs caused by gang violence in Haiti.

The funding injection comes amid the killing of hundreds of people in clashes between gangs in Haiti's Cité Soleil since July, the United Nations humanitarian agency (OCHA) spokesperson, Jens Laerke said on Friday. Many others have been trapped in the fighting, which has cut off their access to drinking water, food and health care.

“Overall, we estimate that nearly 280,000 people are affected by this situation” Mr. Laerke added.

Cité Soleil with a current estimated population of around 300,000 is one of the most deprived communes in Port-au-Prince and its humanitarian and development needs were huge even before the current upsurge in violence.

According to the UN, between 8 and 17 July over 471 people were killed, injured or unaccounted for. Serious incidents of sexual violence against women and girls, as well as boys being recruited by gangs, have also been reported.

Around 3,000 people have fled their homes, including hundreds of unaccompanied children, while at least 140 houses have been destroyed or burnt down.

Humanitarian Coordinator, Ulrika Richardson, called on all parties to end the deadly violence and ensure an open humanitarian corridor to Cité Soleil to allow unhindered access to emergency humanitarian and medical assistance, for all residents. She said needs there are “immense and are growing due to poverty, lack of basic services, including security, and a recent spike in violence.

The CERF allocation will help humanitarian agencies increase their response to the situation and funding through the UN Children's fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) will provide food, drinking water, health care, mental health and education support to more than 100,000 people in total, the OCHA spokesperson explained.

Mr. Laerke pointed out that while “it is a small amount,” it is “a critical amount of money right now”. With a high level of insecurity in Haiti, humanitarians’ access to affected people has been compromised, he said. In addition to food or cash distributions, “basic services such as health and education for between 1 million to 1.5 million people” have been “trapped in gang-controlled neighbourhoods in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area”.

According to Mr. Laerke, this year, an estimated 4.9 million Haitians, or about 43 per cent of the total population, need humanitarian assistance. However, “the Haiti humanitarian response plan, asking $373 million, is currently 14 per cent funded,” he warned.

Established by the UN General Assembly in 2005, CERF enables humanitarian responders to deliver life-saving assistance wherever crises strike. Since March 2006, CERF has received pledges and contributions from 126 UN Member States and public and private donors. This has made it possible for humanitarian partners to deliver over $5.5 billion in life-saving assistance in over 100 countries and territories. Mr. Laerke explained that following an injection of money from the CERF, “other donors follow because it comes with a message that this is critical lifesaving interventions we need now.”

The funding comes as UNICEF warn that more than 250,000 children in Haiti do not have access to adequate schools.

Reconstruction has been delayed by insecurity and lack of funds, the UN Agency said in a statement. Of the 1,250 schools that were destroyed or damaged by the earthquake on 14 August 2021, the majority still have not been rebuilt.

At the end of 2021, UNICEF requested $97 million through the 2022 Humanitarian Appeal for Children to reach 950,000 people, including 520,000 children in Haiti. To date, it has only received 30 per cent of the funding needed to meet the basic health, education, nutrition and protection of Haitian children. Without $64.6 million in urgent funding, UNICEF will be unable to aid the most vulnerable in Haiti, the Agency warned.

ENDS

Bi-Weekly Press Briefing: CERF Funding Haiti - OCHA

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