Haiti - Emergency Health Water Sanitation and Hygiene Assistance in Cité Soleil- Oxfam-Québec 2016

March 2016 – Haiti continues to make significant progress in recovering from the devastating earthquake of January 2010. However critical needs and acute vulnerabilities remain for 1.6 million who require humanitarian assistance in 2016. An estimated 3 million people are suffering from food insecurity including 2 million people experiencing severe food insecurity. Although the overall incidence of cholera has been reduced it remains one of the largest epidemics in the world. Life-saving activities remain necessary to cut the transmission of the disease and ensure that adequate care is provided to the most vulnerable of the affected population. Haiti also ranks as one of the countries with the highest exposure to natural disasters with an estimated 60% of the population vulnerable to natural hazards. With GAC’s support and other donors Oxfam-Québec in collaboration with Médecins du Monde is improving access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities public health conditions and protection for up to 44 500 internally displaced relocated and vulnerable people in Cité Soleil. Project activities include: (1) constructing and rehabilitating latrines and hand washing stations in schools; (2) implementing a solid waste disposal system; (3) training and deploying community health officers; (4) provision of medical supplies and equipment for treatment of waterborne diseases; and (5) providing education sessions on maternal and child health transmission of waterborne diseases and sexual and gender-based violence.

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) improved access to safe drinking water and sanitary installations; (2) increased access to health care and treatment of waterborne diseases; and (3) improved knowledge of hygiene practices and gender-based violence. The expected intermediate outcome is the reduced vulnerability of crisis-affected people especially women and children.