Relief effort status update from Internews (#39) #Haiti

IDs – Haitians without ID cards can now have access to the office that issues the national identity cards. The National Office of Identification opened in Babiole this past Monday.

LATRINES – DINEPA is offering technical help to people who need help digging latrines the camps. People can get that help by either talking to the camp leaders, or by calling this number: 25-13-20-78.

HEALTH/MALARIA – Eleven cases of malaria have been identified, including six soldiers and three Haitians who live outside the country. Comes with tips people need to follow to avoid mosquitoes.  

IDP FIGURES – Last polling done in the camp behind the Petion Ville Club found that between 35 and 40 thousand people live in that camp. It's the largest camp among more than 300 in the metropolitan area.

HOTLINE/REPORT VIOLENCE – If someone knows someone who has been suffered violence at the hands of MINUSTAH soldiers or others working with the organization, call this number: 37-02-64-86.

HEALTH/VACCINATION – Health officials are taking their vaccination campaign to Leogane and Gressier, starting March 9.

HOUSING – The group, which works with the Catholic Church, will build 200 houses for displaced Haitians in towns such as Miragoane and St. Michel.

WEATHER – Light rain falling over the camps and over Port-au-Prince for the next few days.

AGRICULTURE - Around 50,000 farmers in the Artibonite Valley will benefit from aid from the FAO. The help will come in the form of rice, corn and vegetables.

MAILBOX – We answer listeners' questions: One of the questions today concerns distribution of tourist visas to the US; scholarships to study in Canada and traffic office.

DEBRIS – Truitter does not only get rubble. Families who scavenge there find food there, sometimes a body, among the rubble and the excrement from camp latrines that is being dumped there.

(A daily radio program for affected communities broadcast on 27 local radio stations and produced by Internews - Friday, March 05, 2010 - For more information and to pass us messages for affected communities: Alona Cherkassky, Humanitarian Coordinator (info-er-haiti@internews.org - +509 348 59387)