Heavy rain on Thursday in Haiti’s capital worsened squalid camps and highlighted the urgent need for shelter after last month’s quake, as the UN called for a record US$1.44 billion in aid.
More than a month after what some experts say could be the worst natural disaster in modern history, aid workers are racing against time to try to distribute enough tarpaulins to the more than 1 million left homeless.
Even those will provide only basic protection when the rainy season begins in May, aid officials said.
“Everything was wet,” said Joseph Jean-Luc, 30, as he helped a friend build a shelter by nailing together branches at a massive tent city that used to be a country club golf course overlooking Port-au-Prince.
Many spent Thursday washing mud-caked clothes, drying out mattresses and waiting in line for vaccinations. Others dug small trenches around makeshift tents in a bid to keep them from flooding again.
Reflecting the massive needs in what was already the poorest country in the Americas before the quake, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the world body’s largest ever appeal for humanitarian aid.
The request for US$1.44 billion to assist earthquake victims, a year-long appeal, includes a US$577 million request made in the aftermath of the devastating quake.
“As the rainy season is coming to Haiti, it will be extremely important to provide on a priority basis shelters, sanitation and other necessary humanitarian assistance,” Ban said in New York.
He spoke at a ceremony attended by his special envoy for Haiti, former US president Bill Clinton, and UN humanitarian chief John Holmes.
“We are with you,” Ban said to the people of Haiti. “We will help you to recover and rebuild.”
Clinton stressed the need for donors to follow through on their commitments.
“Pledge less and give it, and do it sooner than later,” Clinton said.
Clinton also promised transparency in the use of donated funds by posting how the money is spent on the haitispecialenvoy.org Web site.
Previously, the largest natural disaster appeal — US$1.41 billion — was issued in 2005 in the wake of the Indian Ocean tsunami.
Distribution of shelter material got off to a slow start following the massive earthquake, in part because of debate over the best strategy, and aid workers are now rushing to hand out tarpaulins ahead of the heavy rains.
UN officials say only about 272,000 people have received shelter materials so far following the disaster that killed more than 217,000 people.
Canadian Deputy Commanding General Nicolas Matern of the Haiti Joint Task Force said tarpaulin deliveries were being ramped up to try to reach all of the homeless with some form of shelter before the rainy season.
Officials are hoping to carry out a similar effort being done with food distribution, though the problem is vastly more complicated because of camp conditions, among other issues.
After a stumbling start, aid workers launched a major food distribution push at the end of last month and a total of more than 2 million people have now been reached with some kind of food, UN officials say.
Many Haitians, however, still say they have received nothing, while some of those that have benefited from distributions say they have only been given a limited supply of rice.
Matern acknowledged tarpaulins were only basic protection in the rainy season, but said it was the best strategy to try to reach everyone since the needs were so daunting.
“There is an impression out there that we will be able to turn around and build transitional shelter with framing and all that by the rainy season, forget it,” he said. “It ain’t going to happen. We don’t have the resources nor the time to do it.”
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