Many residents of the homes classed as irreparable either never left them, living in the damaged sites or in courtyards, or reinhabitated them in spite of warnings that they wcould collapse. Water and sanitation Two girls carry water to their tent in Ancho camp, Port-au-Prince. © Katrijn Van Giel in this camp, we don’t have enough latrines, and we still need to go out to get water “Here due to the lack of distribution points. At the very beginning, it was easier, because there was not a lot of people, but now it’s like a village within a city.” 22-year-old woman in the – Carrefour Feuille IDP camp How can natural hazards influence the outbreak and spread of disease? Girls cross a polluted stream as they carry water back to their homes in Delmas, Port-au-Prince. © Corentin Fohlen MSF logisticians build latrines in a camp for displaced people in Port-au-Prince. © Nicola Vigilante Access to water and reliable sanitation facilities is essential for maintaining good health. Along with shelter, water and sanitation was one of the greatest challenges of the emergency and recovery phase. Sanitary and health emergencies were nothing new in Haiti, but after the earthquake the degree of the emergency was much greater. Damage reduced what was already limited access to water and sanitation. There was just one waste dump for the city, which was full to overflowing. Streets were filled with all sorts of refuse, including human waste, rotted food scraps, and empty water bottles. The rainy season was compounding the problems of pollution and access to basic water and sanitation. Large parts of the city are at sea level, so latrines needed to be emptied very regularly, but were not. In the camps, the inadequate provision added to the likelihood that heavy rains would wash sewage through the living areas. Access to water is a priority for MSF. MSF filled some of the large holes in the provision of water and sanitation following the earthquake. Main activities included distribution of chlorine tablets, cleaning or repairing water sources, installing water bladders, and assessing water quality.
Many residents of the homes classed as irreparable either never left them, living in the damaged sites or in courtyards, or reinhabitated them in spite of warnings that they wcould collapse. Water and sanitation Two girls carry water to their tent in Ancho camp, Port-au-Prince. © Katrijn Van Giel “Here in this camp, we don’t have enough latrines, and we still need to go out to get water due to the lack of distribution points. At the very beginning, it was easier, because there was not a lot of people, but now it’s like a village within a city.” – 22-year-old woman in the Carrefour Feuille IDP camp How can natural hazards influence the outbreak and spread of disease? Girls cross a polluted stream as they carry water back to their homes in Delmas, Port-au-Prince. © Corentin Fohlen MSF logisticians build latrines in a camp for displaced people in Port-au-Prince. © Nicola Vigilante Access to water and reliable sanitation facilities is essential for maintaining good health. Along with shelter, water and sanitation was one of the greatest challenges of the emergency and recovery phase. Sanitary and health emergencies were nothing new in Haiti, but after the earthquake the degree of the emergency was much greater. Damage reduced what was already limited access to water and sanitation. There was just one waste dump for the city, which was full to overflowing. Streets were filled with all sorts of refuse, including human waste, rotted food scraps, and empty water bottles. The rainy season was compounding the problems of pollution and access to basic water and sanitation. Large parts of the city are at sea level, so latrines needed to be emptied very regularly, but were not. In the camps, the inadequate provision added to the likelihood that heavy rains would wash sewage through the living areas. Access to water is a priority for MSF. MSF filled some of the large holes in the provision of water and sanitation following the earthquake. Main activities included distribution of chlorine tablets, cleaning or repairing water sources, installing water bladders, and assessing water quality.
msf-tectonics-haiti-03.docx