ReliefWeb

Main Points

• The HCT launched an action plan to prioritize assistance to the most vulnerable people in the most affected areas based on a severity ranking tool.

• Assisted departure of families sheltered in schools in Jeremie has resumed. More than 300 families are scheduled to receive assistance in three schools in the coming days.

• Multisector assessments in areas of returns are being piloted in Port-a-Piment, in the South region.

• The first humanitarian radio programme responding to questions from affected people was broadcast on 3 December on Radio Guinen. • UNICEF partners have secured water supply to an additional 19,000 people in Jeremie and surroundings through three mobile water treatment units.

715,000 People received food

200,000 People received NFIs

119,000 People received health care

8,000 Families received seeds

Situation Overview

On 30 November, the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) met in Les Cayes and agreed on a course correction that realigns the focus of humanitarian efforts on identifying and responding to critical needs. A seven step action plan was subsequently developed to ensure that the most vulnerable people in most affected areas receive assistance. Effective coordination with government as well as strong community engagement will be critical to the success of the operation.

Crucially, the plan is localized at the level of the hubs in Les Cayes and Jeremie. The inter sector coordination groups will coordinate the roll out of the plan together with the Centre d’Opération d’Urgence départemental in Grand’Anse and South regions and a wide range of national and In Jeremie, the Return Task Force decided on 2 December, in consultation with the Haitian National Police (PNH), to resume assisted departure of the remaining 101 families who had been sheltered in the Lycée Alexis but had been expelled peacefully before receiving aid kits. At the time of the initial response at the school on 30 November, the lack of food and hygiene kits had forced a suspension of the distribution, which left a sixth of families unserved. On 4 December, 200 families received food and NFIs at the Lycée des jeunes filles, which was emptied peacefully.

The return Task Force agreed to move forward with assisted departure in three other targeted schools. It was agreed that there would not be a police presence in the schools until all families had received the full package of assistance and they’d be ready to evacuate. In addition, the most vulnerable people will be allowed to remain at the schools after the distribution until a protection related solution is identified. Exceptionally, distribution will take place on site rather than in the communities of origin in order to minimize security risks. The process of evacuation of the schools is expected to be completed by next week to enable the resumption of schooling in the area.

In Les Cayes, efforts to assess numbers of people affected by school evictions continue. These include spontaneous visits of schools that have been used as collective centres, the review of data from the Ministry of Education and IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM). Meanwhile, on 2 December, ACTED started piloting a tool for multisector assessments in the areas of return for those who were in the collective centers in Port-a-Piment. international actors.