The IOM Mission in Haiti is working with Haitian authorities,
United Nations agencies and local partners to provide emergency
relief items to persons affected by Hurricane Gustav.

As part of the UN country team in Haiti, IOM will take the lead
in providing shelter and non-food items in the capital Port au
Prince and in Petit and Grand Goave, two of the hardest hit areas
located some 70 kilometres west of the capital. 

IOM Haiti has immediate access to 1,439 hygienic kits and 1,445
cotton sheets and is on standby to distribute these items as soon
as possible.

Emergency shelter to persons made homeless by the hurricane is
being provided in temporary collective centres set up in existing
buildings.  Some 70 per cent of these shelters are schools, 29
per cent are churches and the rest are located in community
centres.

The six to twelve inches of rain that fell over the island on
Wednesday resulted in flooding and mudslides, and strong rains
continued into Thursday.  According to the UN's Stabilization
Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), some 2,500 residents of Petit Goave
are severely affected.

Rapid assessments carried out on Wednesday and Thursday by the
local Risk and Disaster Committees (DPC), the Haitian Red Cross,
international organizations and NGOs reported 6,299 persons already
in public shelters, 107 homes destroyed and 212 damaged. 

In Petit Goave, the Government reported three deaths, one person
missing, 38 homes destroyed, dozens of homes damaged and flooded,
and extensive damage to power lines.  A group of 60 persons
who were rescued from a capsized boat were immediately taken to a
public shelter.

For more information, please contact:

Monique Van Hoof

IOM Port au Prince

Tel: +509 3702 38 47

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