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Photo: UN Photo/Logan Abassi

New York -  In response to the devastating hurricanes that displaced tens of thousands of families in Haiti in recent weeks, the United Nations Develoment Programme (UNDP) today called for $18.4 million to help affected communities get back on their feet. The appeal is part of the overall UN Flash Appeal for over $100 million, launched by John Holmes, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator. The magnitude of the damages calls for significant and urgent donor support as part of the continued commitment and solidarity of the international community with the people of Haiti.

UNDP is currently dispatching to Haiti a team of specialists that will strengthen its office in Port-au-Prince and several sub offices, including in the battered city of Gonaives. These experts will increase UNDP’s ability to address the critical gap in coverage between humanitarian relief and long-term recovery. While working within a humanitarian setting, the UNDP teams will have their eyes on the future – assessing damages to infrastructure, property, livelihoods, and societies. Their goal is to enable a smoother transition to long-term recovery: to restore livelihoods, government capacities, roads, and shelters. They will immediately start working on a disaster recovery plan to help put the country on the path to longer-term development.

“UNDP is leading the early recovery work that will be woven into our long-term commitment to Haiti,” said Rebeca Grynspan, Director of UNDP’s Bureau for Latin America and Caribbean. “Our commitment will address the fact that a staggering 78 percent of Haitians still live on less that $2 per day and 54 percent on less than $1 per day. We want to ensure that disaster risk reduction, job creation and the needs of the Haitian people are articulated in one effective strategy. ”

The Flash Appeal includes two UNDP projects to rehabilitate areas affected by recent floods and hurricanes. The first aims to reconstruct rural areas by putting in place anti-erosion mechanisms and rebuilding flood control infrastructure.

The second project will focus on restoring basic public safety by cleaning and repairing urban drainage channels, streets and public utilities and facilities. Both projects are labour-intensive and are expected to put 400 000 people to work.

These two early recovery activities are fully integrated into the wider UNDP country programme in Haiti which aims to  support the country’s recovery towards sustainable human development. Their implementation will be an inter-agency process led by the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Joel Boutroue, who serves also as the UN Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator.