IOM is partnering with the government of Haiti in an effort to
strengthen the capacity of local authorities in disaster
preparedness, camp management and communications.

Some 111 members of Haiti's Department of Civil Protection (DPC)
are being seconded to IOM and will be trained as camp managers next
week. In another project a further 15 to 20 members of DPC will be
trained by IOM as communications experts, specifically to deal with
people living in emergency shelters as a result of natural
disasters.

The aim is to create a durable camp management and information
sharing system for a country that is particularly prone to natural
disasters, whether earthquakes or hurricanes. The project will
boost the capacity of the Haitian government to take over some of
the roles being played by IOM and other humanitarian actors since
the 12 January earthquake, through training, technical support and
the integration of DPC team leaders in the Camp Management
Operations teams active in earthquake-affected communes.

The DPC has long experience in disaster preparedness, especially
for hurricanes. This year the situation is complicated by the fact
that more than 1.5 million displaced Haitians are still in tents
and shelters. Many are in low-lying areas highly vulnerable to
flooding or on hillsides where the land has been made unstable by
the earthquake and there are continual risks of flash flooding and
landslides.

"The aim is to collaborate closely with the Government of Haiti,
in particularly DPC, through the integration of 111 of their
personnel in our team, which will allow a daily exchange of
knowledge and experience, between well experienced camp manager
officers from the one side and DPC members who are bringing
knowledge of government operations and capacities on the other,"
said Fouad Diab who is managing the IOM-DPC partnership for camp
management.

"This project aims to reduce the vulnerability of those at risk
from natural disasters, by enhancing local-level disaster
preparedness capacities", he added.

IOM is also providing technical and financial support for DPC
information officers, an initiative that is aimed at sharing key
preparedness messages in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area and
elsewhere in the country.

DPC is the lead government agency in time of disasters and the
collaboration with IOM is aimed at creating a durable information
sharing system between the humanitarian organizations, the
government, the affected populations and local organizations and
government.

The IOM-DPC camp management programme is sponsored by the
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency.

For more information contact:

Pascale Verly

IOM Communications Haiti

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

Tel: +509 3702 7587

and

Fouad Diab

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

Te: +509 3702 3847