Three months after a succession of tropical storms and hurricanes
hit Haiti, and the launching of its emergency relief operations,
IOM continues to provide assistance to communities affected by the
ensuing disaster.

Throughout November and December, IOM distributed repair and
reconstruction kits to some 5,500 affected families in hard-hit
areas.  The majority of families targeted are those still
accommodated in collective centres and in tent sites in Gonaives,
the area most affected by the floods.

To address the needs of families that are not homeowners, IOM,
together with other partners, is making arrangements to provide
cash that will enable rental of premises for a full year.

As part of its community stabilization programmes (PREPEP
– Programme de Revitalisation et de Promotion de l'Entente et
de la Paix and HIS – Haiti Stabilisation Initiative), IOM is
also implementing infrastructure repair activities aimed at
improving living conditions in the affected areas.

In Gonaives, 15 new projects were recently approved in support
of relief operations in favour of flood-affected populations. 
A major priority has been the rehabilitation of the city's main
public water lines in collaboration with the governmental water
distribution agency (SNEP).  Lack of water was a major issue
as well as a public health concern; the rehabilitation of the
public water system was instrumental in preventing the development
and propagation of diseases throughout the population.  Other
activities are focusing on the rehabilitation of the irrigation
canals system, which will allow farmers to grow their crops and
rebuild their agriculture-based economy.

The programme has also been collaborating with the Ministry of
Public Works, Transportation and Communications (TPTC) to build
drainage canals and facilitate street access for residents through
labour intensive cleanup activities.

The PREPEP and HSI Programmes work with local populations and
the Haitian national and municipal government bodies in an effort
to assist with the rehabilitation of key basic infrastructure in
vulnerable communities and to support the processes of political
stabilization, community recovery and development in
Haiti. 

PREPEP implements activities throughout the Port-au-Prince
metropolitan area (Bel Air, Delmas, La Saline and Martissant),
Petit Goâve, St. Marc, Cap Ha?tien, Les Cayes and Gona?ves.
The Haiti Stabilization Initiative (HSI) implements activities
throughout the 34 localities of Cite Soleil.  To date PREPEP
and HSI have implemented more than 1,750 community-led
projects.

IOM's community stabilization activities are funded by the
United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and its
post-disaster operations are covered by USAID/Office of US Foreign
Disaster Assistance (OFDA), the Canadian International Development
Agency, the European Commission, the United Kingdom's Department
for International Development, the Spanish Agency for International
Development Cooperation, the Swiss Agency for Development and
Cooperation, the Japanese and Greek Governments, the UN Office for
the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN Central
Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP).

IOM's Director General, William Lacy Swing, will visit Haiti in
early January to meet with Haitian authorities and IOM partners,
and will also visit key regions where IOM projects are being
implemented

For more information on IOM activities in Haiti, please visit:
"http://www.iomhaiti.org/" target="_blank" title=
"">http://www.iomhaiti.org/.

For further information please contact:

Frislain Isidor

IOM Haiti

Tel: +509 3605-6004

E-mail: "mailto:fisidor@iom.int">fisidor@iom.int