HAITI: Hurricane Matthew
Situation Report No. 19 (02 November 2016)
This report is produced by OCHA Haiti in collaboration with humanitarian partners. It was issued by OCHA Haiti
and covers the period from 31 October to 2 November 2016. The next report will be issued on 4 November.

Highlights
§ Of the 1.4 million people who
require humanitarian assistance,
806,000 need food assistance
urgently.

SUSPECTED CASES OF CHOLERA BY REGION (OCT 2016)

§ 894,000 of the 2.1 million people
affected by the hurricane are
children.
§ The official list of affected schools
shared by the Ministry of
Education has increased from the
initial 230 schools to 733.
§ More than 3,700 suspected cases
of cholera reported since the time
of the hurricane on 4 October
Source: Government. See
infographic.

2.1 million

1.4 million

806,000

140,000+

People affected

People need assistance

People need food urgently

People displaced

Source: UN and Government

Source: UN and Government

Source: UN and Government

Source: UN and Government

Situation Overview
On 4 October, Hurricane Matthew violently struck Haiti and resulted in the country’s largest humanitarian
emergency since the 2010 earthquake. It caused extensive flooding and mudslides, damage to road
infrastructure and buildings, as well as electricity and water shortages. The latest figures from the
governmental Directorate of Civil Protection (DPC) of Haiti have so far confirmed 546 deaths and 438
injured as a result of the hurricane.
Humanitarian needs are said to include access to a sufficient supply of quality water, education, shelter,
child protection, health, and nutrition. The people in urgent food insecurity are in areas where over 75
per cent of the population was affected by the hurricane. These include places where livelihood activities
related to agriculture, livestock and fishing have been almost completely destroyed, such as crops,
farming equipment, stocks, and trade.
Of the 1.4 million people who need humanitarian assistance, more than 40 per cent are children who are
mainly in the Grand’Anse and Sud Departments. Another estimated 40 per cent – approximately 546,000
people – are women of reproductive age.

Funding
The Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) in Haiti, in coordination with the Government and partners,
launched on 10 October 2016 a Flash Appeal seeking US$119.8 million in emergency funding to meet
the most urgent humanitarian needs of 750,000 people, including 315,000 children, for the following
three months. Member States and donor agencies are slowly responding to the appeal but the needs are
www.unocha.org/hurricane-matthew
The mission of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is to mobilize and coordinate effective and
principled humanitarian action in partnership with national and international actors.
Coordination Saves Lives

 Haiti: Hurricane Matthew, Situation Report No. 19   2

becoming increasingly urgent. Targeting vulnerable groups in identified priority sectors, the appeal takes
into account the capacities of the national level and humanitarian partners on the ground. Partners are
developing individual projects to support sector activities and financial requirements identified in the
appeal while adapting their response to the results of the most recent assessments undertaken.
In-kind contributions have also been made to extend support to the Government of Haiti in response to
the humanitarian emergency. These contributions have included the supply of helicopters to facilitate
assessment by air in hard-to-reach areas, and the provision of food and non-food items.
Almost immediately after Hurricane Matthew, the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF)
released $6.8 million to address the most urgent needs of the affected people. CERF also released a
loan of $8 million to UNICEF to scale up response to the worsening cholera epidemic. A limited number
of Member States, agencies, and institutions have so far contributed, or pledged to contribute, to the
collective response to the humanitarian crisis.

Flash Appeal: Required and funded
Source: FTS

$39.3M

$80.5M
Funding gap
(67.2%)

Funded

$119.8M

(32.8%)

required

Humanitarian partners, including donors and recipient agencies, are encouraged to inform OCHA’s
Financial Tracking Service (FTS) (http://fts.unocha.org) of cash and in-kind contributions by emailing
fts@un.org. Inquiries from the private sector for offers of in-kind and pro-bono services can be directed
to pss@un.org. Commercial offers are invited to visit http://www.ungm.org for more information.

Humanitarian Needs/Response
Food Security
Needs:
• Around 806,000 of the 2.1 million affected people need food assistance urgently.
Response:
• Between 8 October and 1 November, WFP has so far reached 350,000 people in Sud, Grand’Anse
and Nippes departments with 3,250 metric tons of food delivered by land, air and sea. WFP has
initiated the blanket feeding programme in parallel with the general food distribution and has, until 1
November, assisted 1,100 people. The food assistance has also targeted children under the age of
five and pregnant or lactating women.
• WFP plans to reach a total of 800,000 people. It is prioritizing food insecure populations in the
geographical areas classified by the EFSA in urgent need of food assistance in Grand’Anse and Sud
departments, and in one commune in Nippes.
Gaps and Constraints:
• There still remain areas that are inaccessible by road for distributions, especially due to the weather
conditions and the damaged infrastructure. Due to tension in Les Cayes and Jérémie, and the overall
volatile security situation, WFP has been obliged to reduce distributions and decrease the dispatches
to places outside the urban areas. 

• With increasing needs, WFP has raised the $46 million of the humanitarian appeal to $48 million. So
far, it has received $13.5 million (or only 28 per cent) against the requirements for food aid.

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Coordination Saves Lives   www.unocha.org/hurricane-matthew

 Haiti: Hurricane Matthew, Situation Report No. 19   3

Health and Nutrition
Needs:
• Nearly 1 million people are expected to need Cholera vaccinations in the most affected areas.
• More than 3,500 suspected cholera cases were reported in October alone.
Response:
• First round of Cholera vaccination will take place from 8 to 15 November, targeting 900,000 people in
Grand’Anse and South Departments. The second round of vaccination is planned in February 2017.
• UNICEF is working closely with the Ministry of Health and Population, and with WHO/PAHO on
planning the vaccination and ensuring adequate cold-chain and social mobilization activities. 

• There are currently 17 Cholera Rapid Response teams active in the Grand’Anse, South, and Nippes.
• Thirteen mobile medical teams supported by UNICEF are providing cholera vaccination in addition to
providing primary health care services to affected communities in Grand’Anse. 

Gaps and Constraints:
• The Health Directorate of Grand’Anse is urgently appealing to partners to repair and rehabilitate their
health structures as fast as possible, and to those who can provide tents to temporarily receive the
patients to do so.
• Hospital waste management is a growing concern. This increases risks of disease due to unprotected
medical waste disposal. No partner has been identified to address this problem.
• Maternal health is critically underfunded. UNFPA has developed a response plan with $2.7 million to
cover the reproductive health needs of affected people in 6 months.
Education
Needs:
• More than 100,000 children are out of school.
Response:
• UNICEF has initiated repairs in 10 schools that sustained only roof damage so to ensure rapid
resumption of education activities in these schools.
• UNICEF is organizing distribution of school supplies to eight schools, reaching 1,096 children in Les
Cayes (Sud), including 10 Early Childhood Development kits for 400 pre-school children.
• The Ministry of Education has issued a new calendar for the current school year. It will revise the
accelerated learning program aiming that current out-of-school children do not fall behind schedule.
• The Ministry of Education reported that 215 schools in 4 out of 6 districts in Sud have resumed
classes with attendance of approximately 50,000.
• In the Grand’Anse, the official reopening of schools is planned for 7 November. Partners in the
Education sector, including UNICEF, World Bank, IADB, Save the Children, Care and Finn Aid
Church are planning to support repairs of at least 330 schools. The goal is to ensure rapid resumption
of education and learning for children and deployment of teachers. For this purpose, UNICEF is
providing supplies of School-in-a-Box and Early Childhood Development kits for immediate
distribution.
Gaps and Constraints:
• The official list of affected schools shared by the Ministry of Education has increased from the initial
230 schools to more than 700.
• Approximately 86 schools have been used as temporary shelters. UNICEF and partners are working
with national counterparts to find sustainable alternatives for people in the schools, while working to
ensure repairs of water and sanitation infrastructure in anticipation of resuming education.
• Around 144 schools in hurricane-affected areas are planned to be used as voting stations in the
upcoming elections, mounting further pressure on displaced people sheltering in those schools.
UNICEF and partners are advocating for finding appropriate alternative solutions for these people.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
Needs:
• As per the Flash Appeal, some 750,000 people will require WASH services for the next three months.
• Around 3,500 children in institutions require WASH and nutrition assistance.
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Coordination Saves Lives   www.unocha.org/hurricane-matthew

 Haiti: Hurricane Matthew, Situation Report No. 19   4

Response:
• UNICEF and its partners are reaching 100,000 people with safe water per day, organizing also
distributions of water purification tablets (Aquatabs) and hygiene kits. 

• The water treatment plant installed by UNICEF partners in Jérémie is providing 100,000 liters of water
a day, which benefits 12,500 people every day 

• UNICEF continues to assess water, sanitation and hygiene conditions in institutions of residential
care. Nearly 3,552 children in institutions have been identified to need WASH and nutrition aid.
• Three partners from the WASH sector are delivering between 100 and 200 cholera prevention kits per
day, which include Aquatabs for water purification (10L/tab), soap, and oral rehydration salts (ORS)
as part of the WASH interventions aimed at Cholera prevention.
Gaps and Constraints:
• Based on detailed needs assessments in the affected areas, UNICEF has revised its 2016 funding
requirements to $36.6 million, of which $23 million is needed to meet urgent needs in response to
Hurricane Matthew and worsened Cholera situation in Haiti. The current funding gap is 46 per cent.
• Anticipated rains in the affected areas are expected to further deteriorate the sanitation conditions.
Shelter and Non-Food Items (NFI)
Needs:
• More than 141,000 people are living in 204 temporary shelters, requiring emergency shelter and NFI.
• About 15 per cent of affected children in shelters are under the age of five.
Response:
• Between 17 and 26 October, close to 30,000 families received NFIs.
Gaps and Constraints:
• Response actors continue to express concern that the funding allocated for shelter activities by
international donors, as well as in the Flash Appeal, remain inadequate given the magnitude of
damage caused by Hurricane Matthew.
• Security issues remain a challenge during distributions and finding emergency safe shelter for the
displaced is a key priority.
Protection
Needs:
• Around 540,000 women of reproductive age in the affected areas need some type of protection.
• Nearly 125,000 children need protection from violence, exploitation and abuse, taking into account
findings of most recent assessments and expanded set of needs (Unicef).
• Around 3,500 children in institutions are in need of assistance according to latest assessments. Their
needs include nutrition, access to water, sanitation and hygiene, and reconnecting with families.
Response:
• In collaboration with the IBESR (Ministry of Social Affairs) UNICEF is reaching 3,552 children with
distribution of basic needs assistance including hygiene kits, blankets and food as well as assistance
for documents lost in the hurricane. 

• UNICEF continues to coordinate protection assistance with relevant partners, including IBESR and
BPM, aiming to prevent family separation amongst children affected by the hurricane. 

• Nearly 15 per cent of children in residential care affected are under 5 years old and UNICEF and its
partners continue with assessments and monitoring of nutritional status of children in shelters and
their other basic needs. 

• In collaboration with IBESR, and UNICEF partners, Terre des Hommes, IDETTE and AVSI, UNICEF
is establishing child-friendly spaces (CFS) in the South and in Grand’Anse. These spaces will provide
psycho-social assistance to vulnerable children and families as well as provide basic assistance and
referral to humanitarian actors.
• On 31 October, UNFPA began a 5-day mission to Grand’Anse jointly with the Ministry of Woman’s
Affairs to meet with 15 organizations working to enhance response to gender-based violence. Leading
the mission, the Ministry was provided technical assistance by UNFPA.
• At the GBV sub-sector, the following two main issues were addressed: women and girls who have
experienced violence, even before the hurricane, are not being accepted, and health facilities do not
preserve confidentiality, leading to stigmatization of SGBV survivors.
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Coordination Saves Lives   www.unocha.org/hurricane-matthew

 Haiti: Hurricane Matthew, Situation Report No. 19   5

Gaps and Constraints:
• UNFPA expresses serious concern about extremely limited numbers of protection and SGBV actors in
the affected area and limited GBV dedicated funds allocated by donors to the response.
• UNFPA has, so far, mobilized 31 per cent (or $374,500) of the $1.2 million it requires for protection in
the first three months.
• With no protection actors in worst affected areas, protection must be urgently strengthened to place
women’s needs at centre of humanitarian response.
Logistics
Gaps and Constraints:
• Since the beginning of October, the Hurricane Matthew webpage has published 80 Information
Management Products. Documents, updates and relevant information are also shared through a
dedicated mailing list. 

• The Logistics Working Group has supported 123 organisations with coordination and information
management (94 NGOs, 4 intergovernmental organisations, 10 UN agencies, 12 government
agencies, and 3 other entities including foundations) and over 50 of these have been using common
logistics services.
• A regular sea transport service has been established using landing crafts. As at 2 November, more
than 200MT of food have been transported to the coastal areas between Corail and Chardonnieres. A
new voyage calling at Tiburon is scheduled for 4 November.
• WFP has augmented its trucking fleet by hiring 12 additional trucks of 12 MT capacity each. The
trucks have been sent to Les Cayes and Jérémie to complement the already deployed fleet of 17
WFP trucks of 8MT per truck, increasing the total truck fleet capacity from 136MT to 280MT.
Emergency Telecommunications
• The ETC in Jérémie and Les Cayes has been providing connectivity to more than 400 registered
users from over 100 entities (COUD, UN, and NGOs). While local service providers are reestablishing their services in these areas, the ETC continues to provide connectivity services to
complement the existing infrastructure, and to support agencies operations until connectivity is
completely restored. 

• An average of 22 GB of Internet traffic per site is consumed daily by the ETC-provided services. 

• The ETC is in consultations regarding several requests, where it may support Communication with
Communities (CwC) for the hurricane response. 

• An estimated $10 million is needed for coordinating logistics and augmenting telecommunication.

General Coordination
In support of national authorities and humanitarian partners and through the UN Disaster Assessment
Team (UNDAC), OCHA has enhanced cooperation with the National Emergency Operations Centre
(COUN), and the DPC, both at the national level in Port-au-Prince and at the department level in Les
Cayes and Jérémie.
Relief is reaching the affected population and several distributions of relief items have been carried out
the last couple of days. UN agencies and NGOs continue to conduct assessments in the field to identify
the needs and the resources in place to provide the best coordinated response possible.
Agreed procedures for requests for escorts and security for transportation and distributions are put in
place. The site haiti.humanitarianresponse.info is being used by humanitarian partners to share
information about the response activities, sector meetings and all other relevant information. Regular
coordination meetings are being scheduled in a number of sectors to facilitate humanitarian response,
both in the capital and at the field level in Sud and Grand’Anse. Sectors have started to track response
activities, and all incoming and some of the previously present humanitarian responders are asked to
register on www.humanitarian.id and check into ‘Haiti’ on the website.

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Coordination Saves Lives   www.unocha.org/hurricane-matthew

 Haiti: Hurricane Matthew, Situation Report No. 19   6

Background on the crisis
Hurricane Matthew, a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 235 km/h, violently struck Haiti on 4
October at 07h00 local time, causing widespread damage, flooding, and displacement. Causing the
largest humanitarian crisis in Haiti since the 2010 earthquake, Hurricane Matthew coincides with the
already increasing number of cholera cases, severe food insecurity and malnutrition in the
country. Affecting more than two million people throughout the country, the most affected
departments are Grand’Anse, Sud, Nippes and Sud-Est. The Ouest and Nord-Ouest departments
were also affected.
The Government has so far confirmed 546 people dead and 128 missing.

Contact Details
Enzo di Taranto
Rébar Jaff
Jake Morland

OCHA Head of Office, Haiti
Public Information Officer
Desk Officer (New York)

ditaranto@un.org
jaffr@un.org
morland@un.org

T: +509 3702 8746
T: +509 3702 5766
T: +1 212 963 2066

For more information, please visit: www.unocha.org/hurricane-matthew, www.reliefweb.int,
haiti.humanitarianresponse.info.
To be added to the OCHA Haiti Situation Report mailing list, please email: ocha.haiti.IM@gmail.com.
UNDP has established an online donation platform where private contributions to Haiti can be made:
bit.ly/supportundphaiti.
Donations will be directed to quick-start recovery efforts to support poor families in disaster-affected
communities.

United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Coordination Saves Lives   www.unocha.org/hurricane-matthew