Cablegate: Usaid/Dart Assessment of Humanitarian Conditions In

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DE RUEHPU #0112/01 0331437
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O 021435Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE
TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0085
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0294
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA IMMEDIATE
INFO HAITI COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHDG/AMEMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RUEHPU/AMEMBASSY PORT AU PRINCE

UNCLAS PORT AU PRINCE 000112

AIDAC
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAID ECON PGOV PINR PREL PREF HA
SUBJECT: USAID/DART ASSESSMENT OF HUMANITARIAN CONDITIONS IN
CARREFOUR HOSPITAL AND CAMP

REF: PORT A 76; PORT A 100

1. (U) Summary. On January 28, staff from USAID/Haiti visited the
Seventh Day Adventist Diquini Hospital in Carrefour, noting that
although doctors continue to treat earthquake-related injuries, the
number of surgeries per day has gradually decreased from 30 to 15.
A recently donated surgical cache funded by USAID's Office of
Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) has improved the
hospital's ability to respond to post-earthquake medical needs. On
January 30, a water and sanitation specialist from USAID's Disaster
Assistance Response Team (USAID/DART) assessed conditions at the
Adventist Hospital and university campus, which houses 12,000
displaced persons during the day and approximately 20,000 at night.
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) continue to construct
latrines, hand-washing stations, showers, and refuse disposal pits
to meet sanitation and hygiene needs for the population. Lead NGO
Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) reports sufficient
water supplies at the site and ongoing efforts to expand on-site
water sources and water treatment capability. End Summary.

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HOSPITAL CONDITIONS

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2. (U) The Seventh Day Adventist Diquini Hospital, located the
Carrefour suburb of Port-au-Prince, is staffed by approximately 100
individuals. Following the January 12 earthquake, the Hospital was
one of the first hospitals to have surgical capability, augmented
by a number of international volunteer doctors and orthopedic
surgeons. Following the influx of patients with earthquake-related
injuries, the 71-bed hospital reported critically low medical
supplies, and requested surgical tools, sterilization equipment,
and disposable medical supplies.

3. (U) Following a January 28 visit, USAID/Haiti health program
staff reported that, although doctors continue to treat
earthquake-related injuries, the number of surgeries per day has
gradually decreased from 30 to 15 since January 24. USAID staff
also noted dozens of tents on hospital grounds, housing an
estimated 700 post-operative patients.

4. (U) On January 21, the Adventist Hospital received a
USAID/OFDA-funded International Medical Surgical Response Team
(IMSuRT) equipment and supply cache valued at $1 million.
According to doctors, the donation - containing surgical tools,
bandages, and orthopedic, thoracic, and amputation kits - has been
a vital component, allowing the hospital to respond to more than
twice the normal caseload.

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SETTLEMENT AT ADVENTIST UNIVERISTY

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5. (U) On January 30, the USAID/DART water, sanitation, and
hygiene (WASH) advisor conducted an assessment at the Adventist
Hospital and University in Carrefour. In addition to
post-operative tents at the hospital, displaced families formed a
settlement (camp) on the university grounds, hosting a daytime
population of approximately 12,000 people and a nighttime
population of approximately 20,000 people. The camp is divided
into 12 sections, which are currently serviced by three NGOs -
ADRA, Medical Teams International, and Save the Children (SC).

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WATER

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6. (U) ADRA staff report sufficient water supply at the Adventist
University settlement; however, the hospital's water supply is
irregular and requires improvements. A spring has been diverted to
fill a swimming pool on campus, where purification units treat the
water before distribution. The USAID/DART WASH advisor noted that
NGOs have distributed aquatabs and placed portable filtration units
throughout the campus to make safe drinking water easily accessible
to those collecting water from the university's untreated pipe
system.

8. (U) ADRA reports that the hospital's cistern is filled with
untreated spring water, which flows regularly during the morning,
but ceases in the afternoon. USAID/OFDA has facilitated delivery
of bottled water to the hospital through the International
Organization for Migration (IOM), in addition to bottled water
previously delivered by the U.S. military. ADRA indicated that the
hospital is working to improve access to on-site water sources to
eliminate the need for continued water delivery.

9. (U) As part of the effort to reduce the hospital's dependency
on bottled water, ADRA plans to service the hospital cistern with a
USAID/OFDA-funded water purification unit, valued at $55,000, which
can produce 15 liters of safe drinking water per person for
approximately 10,000 people per day. On January 30, the USAID/DART
WASH advisor also provided ADRA with a sufficient quantity of
chlorine to clean the cistern and treat unpurified water at the
settlement for several months.

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SANITATION AND HYGIENE

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10. (U) At the Adventist University settlement, ADRA and SC are
working to construct latrine blocks, showers, and trash collection
areas throughout the campus. NGOs report that a local official in
the camp helps coordinate volunteer laborers for latrine
construction and other activities. As of January 31, NGOs had
completed approximately 20 of 60 initially planned latrines on
campus, noting that ADRA recently rented a backhoe to hasten the
process. In the coming months, ADRA plans to increase the total
number of latrines to 200.

11. (U) Although the USAID/DART WASH advisor reported individuals
bathing with soap, no hand washing was observed. NGOs indicated
that hand washing stations were planned at each of the latrine
blocks, though the construction has not yet begun. In addition,
due to recent reports of harassment of women using sanitation
facilities at night, NGOs are installing lighting around latrine
and shower areas.

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FUTURE PLANS

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12. (U) ADRA expects the majority of camp residents to remain
displaced for three to six months. Following debris removal and
the onset of the early recovery phase, NGOs in the camp plan to
assist families with the construction of semi-permanent housing and
latrines at the sites of previous residences. ADRA also noted that
families have indicated a preference for constructing
semi-permanent housing with wood, rather than concrete, due to
widespread fear of future earthquakes and building collapse.

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