Not Enough Housing Solutions to End Haiti's Displacement Crisis, IOM Warns
Under current plans, there will not be enough housing solutions by
the end of the year to resolve Haiti's displacement crisis, says
IOM.
The problem is particularly acute in the metropolitan area, with
limited space and uncertainty over land ownership.
"Hundreds of thousands of Haitians are likely still to be living
in displacement camps by the end of 2011," Luca Dall'Oglio, IOM
Haiti's Chief of Mission warned.
Numbers of displaced people living in camps had fallen from an
estimated high of 1.5 million in July 2010 to 810,000 in January
2011. However, after a year of storms, cholera and political
unrest, those remaining in camps are the most vulnerable of Haiti's
earthquake victims, with no alternative but to stay where they
are.
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"Furthermore, many of those who have already left camps may not
have found a lasting housing solution, living instead with friends
and family, or in tents in their neighbourhoods," Dall'Oglio
added.
The warning comes as many partner agencies of IOM working on
camp management are phasing out their operations. Facing increasing
cost constraints and funding shortfalls, their departure is leading
to a growing gap in capacity to provide services for those
remaining in camps.
"As Haiti will continue to face a significant homelessness
crisis for some time to come, IOM and partners are focusing efforts
on returning people from camps to communities and maintaining the
necessary systems to look after those left behind," says Giovanni
Cassani, IOM Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) cluster
coordinator.
Complicating the situation is a rising tide of camp evictions by
private landowners. More than half of the displaced are living in
camps established on private land with at least 99 of Haiti's 1,152
camps currently under threat of eviction.
Primary responsibility for managing the evictions process lies
with the Haitian government, but international agencies are being
asked to help mediate and manage disputes.
"If people are forced to move without a proper housing solution,
they often have no choice but to move to areas that are insecure or
unsafe – living in structurally unsound buildings or in areas
at risk of landslides and flooding," said Sara Ribeiro, IOM
protection officer in Haiti.
Speeding up the repair and rebuilding of neighbourhoods along
with finding more tailor-made solutions for individual families
could go a long way to mitigating the situation. However, shrinking
funds and waning interest means the plight of Haiti's displaced
will be long-term.
For further information please contact:
Leonard Doyle
IOM Haiti
Tel: +509 3702 5066
E-mail:
"mailto:ldoyle@iom.int">ldoyle@iom.int
or
go to
"http://www.cccmhaiti.org/" target="_blank" title=
"">http://www.cccmhaiti.org/