Earthquake Haiti: Press Release 14
Thursday, January 28, 2010
By: Tom Gamull

28 January 2010 Earthquake Haiti: Rainy season on the way Malteser International fears worsening of humanitarian situation

Leogane/Port-au-Prince/Cologne.  Malteser International is concerned about the forthcoming rainy season that will again worsen the humanitarian situation in the crisis region. Dr. Georg Nothelle, head of the Malteser International assessment team, upon his return after two weeks in Haiti points out: “The people are in urgent need of plastic sheets to protect themselves.” Furthermore, hygiene promotion is essential in addition to public health care: “The construction of latrines as well as some kind of waste management have to be combined with health care measures in order to prevent a possible outbreak of epidemics”. Moreover, many more houses, slums and ruins are on the verge of sliding away and collapsing due to the impending and intense tropical rains.

 

The emergency relief expert also raises concerns over the planned resettlement of homeless people from Port-au-Prince to 16 new camps outside the capital. “Of course, it will be much easier and more efficient to provide food and basic health care in 16 camps than in 283 so-called gathering points in the midst of the debris.” Nevertheless, people have been settling together in these gathering points as close as possible to their former houses and homes. Here they try to cope with their daily life, to pursue their businesses, to do their small trades – as they did before the earthquake. “In these gathering points people have set up their social structures and protect each other. These social structures, however, will get lost in the wake of a close-down of these gathering points and the planned resettlement of the people on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince”, says Nothelle.

 

 

Malteser International is the worldwide relief agency of the Sovereign Order of Malta for humanitarian aid. The organisation provides aid in about 200 projects in more than 20 countries without distinction of religion, race or political persuasion. Christian values and the humanitarian principles of impartiality and independence are the foundation of its work. For further information: www.malteser-international.org and www.orderofmalta.org 

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