Lehrreiche Erfahrung

Antoine Peigney, Director of International Operations with the French Red Cross (FRC) visited Haiti from 18 to 21 May. He gives us his impressions about the work carried out there and talks about the challenges ahead.

What do you feel about the French Red Cross response to the emergency?

In the very first days after the disaster occurred, at the request of the Haitian Red Cross Society, we deployed our teams in coordination with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Very quickly, thanks to the dynamic efforts of our teams, the French Red Cross became the biggest water provider in Port-au-Prince, using water tankers to supply 66 sites in Port-au-Prince and Delmas over the four months.

Between 180,000 and 200,000 people in greater Port-au-Prince benefited from this operation. In keeping with our integrated approach, in the same location, we also built emergency latrines and showers, carried out activities to promote hygiene, met emergency shelter needs (tents and plastic sheets), provided basic necessities, deployed mobile clinics and set up emergency clinics in Delmas and Pétionville, where we also offered psychosocial support for children and adults in the area.

We successfully implemented an extensive operation, the quality of which was praised by our partners in the Movement and the Haitian Red Cross Society in particular.

Our emergency response units (ERUs) are now gradually pulling out and handing over to delegates on humanitarian mission, who are responsible for all post-emergency and long-term work in the areas of water and sanitation, health and distribution. A part of our activities has now been taken over by IFRC, and the rest by the French Red Cross delegation. We are now in a transitional phase and other projects are being set up.

How exactly is the French Red Cross approaching this transitional phase?

We have met needs in the area where we are working, but are still standing by to fill any gaps. It is now the rainy season and the cyclone season will soon be upon us. We are improving existing facilities by strengthening what we have constructed and by building other more permanent types of latrines that can be emptied.

Specifically, in all the activities that we are carrying out today, we are following the recommendations of the authorities, who want a return to normal and for humanitarian partners to support Haitian structures. This is what we are doing in water and sanitation, by connecting our tanks to the mains in Port-au-Prince. Likewise, in the area of health, we are supporting and strengthening the capacities of 11 centres: 8 in Port-au-Prince and 3 in Petit-Goâve.

In parallel, we are also engaged in building 2,500 temporary shelters in four districts in the capital and plan to rehabilitate damaged dwellings, so that people can return home. We have started projects in Petit-Goâve (in western Port-au-Prince), an area affected by the earthquake. There, we are in the process of rehabilitating the city’s water supply system, which serves 40,000 people. We have also initiated support for three health centres in Mornes (in western Haiti), which had shut down as a result of the disaster. We also intend to offer psychosocial support in Petit-Goâve.

Haiti is the largest operation in the history of the French Red Cross. How do you view this mission?

Thanks to the generosity of the French people and our public and private partners, we have raised 24.5 million euros over two years to fund our activities in the areas of health, water and sanitation, distribution, shelter and psychosocial support. At present, there are some 30 delegates deployed in the field and 280 national employees. It will be difficult to reduce the number of expatriates, because, unlike other countries, Haiti lacks expertise. Unfortunately, qualified people tend to go abroad, which means that training Haitian personnel poses a daunting challenge.

Haiti is a learning experience for the French Red Cross on more than one front: in view of the extent of the disaster, the configuration of the affected area, the scope of the mobilization and the sheer amount of material resources deployed. The consequences of the earthquake that occurred on 12 January exceeded anything that we have had to deal with in ten years of international operations. It is a great challenge, and this mission will be crucial in terms of capitalizing on experience.

What challenges lie ahead?

The French Red Cross has been present in Haiti for over ten years, with a strong focus on rural areas (Artibonite in particular), and is keen to continue working in the country to promote development. We are one of five National Societies, together with the American Red Cross, the Canadian Red Cross Society, the German Red Cross and the Spanish Red Cross, who plan to continue working with the HRC on a longer-term basis to strengthen its capacities, in accordance with our mandate. The level of vulnerability in the country is very high.

Apart from the problems caused by the earthquake, we also have expertise in the areas of rural water systems, health and disaster risk reduction, which must be brought into play to work with the HRC and the people of Haiti to address the challenges ahead.

Quelle: IFRC