IOM yesterday took delivery of a first consignment of 50 tons of
aid sent by the Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA).

The supplies, consisting of more than 10,000 ten-litre water
containers, 5,000 hygiene kits and enough plastic sheeting to
protect some 5,000 homeless families, were transported to a
warehouse in the capital Port-au-Prince.

"IOM is working with shelter sector partners to quickly allocate
the supplies to organizations that are best placed to handle
distribution and reach communities that are most in need of
assistance, as well as families already accommodated in temporary
sites," says Vincent Houver, IOM's Chief of mission in Haiti.

The aid is expected to reach affected communities in the South,
South West and North-Western departments, which have been battered
by three deadly storms in less than a month, with two others, Ike
and Josephine, now approaching. 

IOM has so far distributed some 3,000 pre-positioned hygiene
kits and cotton sheets to hurricane-affected families living in
Petit Goave, Grand Goave and in remote coastal areas west of Les
Cayes.

Shelter assessments carried out in coordination with the
Direction de la Protection Civile (DPC) and United Nations partners
are planned for Les Cayes, Petit Goave, St. Marc and Gonaives,
towns where IOM has established offices.

"Because flood waters in Gonaives have somewhat receded, more
people are now rushing to overcrowded shelters," says IOM's Vincent
Houver. "Right now, we estimate that 100,000 people are in
temporary shelters, with another 150,000 in need of humanitarian
and shelter assistance. We're aiming to distribute enough non-food
assistance to help some 2,000 families over the next 24 hours."

According to the DPC, nine out the ten departments in Haiti are
severely affected due to the combined impact of Fay, Gustav and
Hanna, which have destroyed crops in this desperately poor nation
which constantly struggles with food shortages. Initial estimates
from the DPC indicate that up to 250,000 families, or one million
people have been affected across the country. 

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