In coordination with the Government of the Dominican Republic (DR),
NGO and UN partners, IOM is providing support to communities
hosting displaced Haitians in border areas and return assistance to
Haitian earthquake victims in the country.

In coordination with its partners, IOM is providing support to
the emergency relief efforts on the Haitian side of the border,
through distribution of emergency hygiene and kitchen kits
(non-food items) and temporary shelter materials to communities
hosting displaced Haitians.  NGO partners in this effort
include Progressio, Hermanas Juanistas, Casa Caribe, Centro Puente
and Colectiva Mujer y Salud.

IOM's distributions have reached a total of 15,916 persons so
far.  Large scale distributions are planned for the coming
weeks throughout border communities, with special focus on the
southern region. 

These interventions are carried out with support from the UN
Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and the US Department of
State, Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM).

Following the earthquake, thousands of Haitian migrants crossed
into the Dominican Republic, including approximately 20,000 injured
Haitians and their accompanying family members seeking medical
attention, according to the Ministry of Health.  In the months
that followed, many have chosen to spontaneously return to their
country. To date, IOM has provided travel assistance and non-food
items to 261 returning migrants. 

Wherever possible, IOM links returning patients with follow-up
medical services provided by IOM Haiti and its partners.  IOM
efforts have been made possible by the Dominican General
Directorate of Migration, the Ministry of Interior and Police, and
the Haitian Embassy in the Dominican Republic, through funding from
the US Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and
Migration.

IOM is also part of the Protection Working Group in the
Dominican Republic and contributed to the Group's drafting of the
"Practical Humanitarian Protocol on Children and Adolescents Made
Vulnerable Through Disaster Situations" with the National Council
for Children and Adolescents (CONANI).  The protocol includes
provisions on the rights of migrant children and measures for safe
return to their country of origin.

The IOM office in the Dominican Republic has provided assisted
voluntary return and reintegration (AVRR) services to vulnerable
migrants and victims of trafficking since 2001, including
assistance to groups of up to 14 Haitian women who were victims of
sexual exploitation. 

When the earthquake struck, an IOM AVRR programme was already
underway, in cooperation with the General Directorate of Migration
and the Ministry of Interior and Police, with financial support
from the IOM 1035 facility, which provides support to IOM
Developing Member States and Member States with Economy in
Transition to develop projects to address particular areas of
migration management. 

Since its inception in 2001, the 1035 facility has supported
over 300 projects and has benefited over 85 Member States.

For more information, please contact:

Zoe Stopak-Behr

IOM Dominican Republic

Tel: +809.688.8174

E-mail: "mailto:zstopak-behr@iom.int">zstopak-behr@iom.int