“Deeply alarming situation” as 700,000 people in Haiti cut off from aid says UN

The situation in Haiti is alarming, says the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Haiti, while access and humanitarian assistance to some 700,000 people are reduced to a minimum.

Port-au-Prince, Haiti—Some 700,000 people in need of humanitarian aid in Haiti can almost no longer be reached by the United Nations due to a fuel shortage, according to the top humanitarian official of organization in the country.

Bruno Lemarquis, United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, said that "the current blockage of fuel supplies in the seaports of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, means that humanitarian partners, including United Nations, are encountering enormous difficulties in continuing to provide assistance to approximately 700,000 people in the country, and in particular to those affected by the earthquake that struck the great south of Haiti on August 14. This is in addition to humanitarian access problems due to the security situation. The situation worsens every day, has multiple consequences on the daily life of people, on transport, communications, services, in particular health services, economic activities , etc., and it is deeply alarming. "

According to the United Nations, around 4.4 million people out of a population of around 11.4 million need some form of humanitarian assistance.

For example, the shortage of fuel could compromise the supply of drinking water in certain neighborhoods, particularly in the metropolitan area of Port-au-Prince, with among other consequences of health risks for the populations. Dr. Maureen Birmingham, PAHO / WHO Representative in Haiti adds that “the fuel shortage is catastrophic for the health of the population. Its impact on care and prevention activities (such as vaccination), with the drastic reduction in the supply of services in certain hospitals and health centers, risks translating directly into an increase in deaths in the country”. Another consequence, the rehousing of some 7,000 people displaced by the violence of last June in Port-au-Prince has also been slowed down by the current situation.

The United Nations and its partners in Haiti remain committed to helping those in need, but to do so, they must be able to access them. The UN reiterates its urgent appeal to all actors in Haiti who have influence on the current situation to ensure that fuel can be delivered so that vital services, such as hospitals and drinking water supply services. , may be able to meet the needs.
 

For more information, contact

Jonathan Boulet-Groulx, Office of the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Port-au-Prince, Haiti. jonathan.boulet-groulx@one.un.org  +509 3685 8610

Website: https://haiti.un.org/en