Hurricane Season. Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan Logistics Cluster

Transcription

1 Hurricane Season 2011 Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan Logistics Cluster Environmental degradation, natural disasters and political instability continue to take their toll on Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the world. Haiti ranks 145 out of 169 countries on the Human Development Index (HDI). The Logistics Cluster emergency preparedness and response plan is part of a series of preparedness measures which enable the Logistics Cluster to rapidly and effectively respond to the complex humanitarian challenges and needs in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Haiti is a corridor for major tropical storms and hurricanes and its topography, combining steep and deforested hillsides with flood-prone areas, make it particularly vulnerable to extreme weather events. These have a severe effect on Haiti s fragile infrastructure, including its poor network of roads, further isolating remote areas and populations from access to relief efforts as well as markets, health and educational services. In the aftermath of such events Haitians are forced to resort to negative coping mechanisms, resulting in high malnutrition and food insecurity. The highest periods of risk for frequent natural disasters are: Rainy Seasons From April/May through June and October through November Hurricane Season 1 June- 30 November Flooding, earthquakes and periodic droughts have over the years had devastating socio-economic effects on the people of Haiti. The hurricane season of 2008 was the most severe. Four hurricanes Fay, Gustav, Hanna, and Ike ravaged the country. 793 people lost their lives, 310 went missing and another 593 were injured. The back-to-back hurricanes destroyed 22,702 homes and damaged another 84,625. Some 800,000 people were affected, totalling 8% of Haiti's population. The flood wiped out 70% of Haiti's crops, resulting in dozens of deaths among children due to malnutrition in the months following the storms 1. However, 2008 was only one of many years in which hurricanes have brought untold misery to Haiti. Hurricane Jeanne in 2004 passed just north of the country, hitting Haiti s northern mountains. The resulting floods killed over 3,000 people, mostly in the town of Gonaives. 1 Source: Relief Web June

2 In 2010, Hurricane Tomas hit Haiti on November 5, and while the country still recovering from January s devastating earthquake - was largely spared from a direct hit, coastal towns flooded, and some 10,000 people were evacuated from their homes. Hurricane Tomas affected the agricultural sector the most severely. Fields were flooded, crops destroyed, and livestock were also affected. From a logistics perspective, Haiti s road and infrastructure network is extremely vulnerable to repeated and ongoing annual exposure to natural disasters. The 2011 Preparedness Plan focuses on: 1. Inter-Cluster coordination in preparation for the 2011 hurricane season as a critical element of an integrated humanitarian approach in Haiti. 2. Logistics Cluster 2011 hurricane season preparedness activities. 3. Liaison with MINUSTAH and other Military actors. 1. Inter-Cluster coordination in preparation for the 2011 hurricane season as a critical element of an integrated humanitarian approach in Haiti. The Logistics Cluster is a permanent member of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Working Group (EP&R WG). The EP&R WG was established by OCHA to meet the needs for early and qualified multi hazard contingency planning in support of the Government of Haiti. The Working Group meets weekly to ensure a better and more consistent liaison with the Secretariat Permanent Gestion de Risque et de Desastre (SPGRD), the Direction de la Protection Civile (DPC) and other relevant Government authorities in preparation for the 2011 hurricane season. As part of its task, the EP&R Working Group examined lessons learned for 2010 with a view towards implementing necessary changes in emergency preparedness and response for the forthcoming hurricane season, prepared a review of emergency stock currently available in country and drafted a gap analysis. In addition, the Working Group has prepared the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the Emergency Joint Operation Centre (EJOINT) and the Terms of Reference for the inter-agency assessment teams (composition, activation etc.) to be deployed after a major disaster. Inter-Agency Coordination Mechanisms The complexity and scale of any emergency response in Haiti requires close coordination among all actors present on the ground; optimizing and complementing the capabilities of the Humanitarian Community is key to be able to respond to the possibility of multiple natural disasters. Therefore, the Logistics Cluster will be part of a newly designed Government/Inter-Agency integrated coordination mechanisms that will be activated in case of emergency to face the challenges of the 2011 hurricane season. June

3 SPGRD HC/RC - HCT SRSG DPC Government Representatives COUN OCHA with the presence of key Clusters according to the type of emergency. Red Cross Movement E-JOINT OCHA Cluster Representatives MINUSTAH Liaison Officer MINUSTAH-EJOC MINUSTAH (Services): JLOC Military Engineering OCHA Log Cluster MINUSTAH Liaison DPC or COUN Representaives National Level Departmental Level DPC Police MSPP etc MINUSTAH Liaison COUD OCHA or Humanitarian Focal Point Red Cross Movement Haitian Red Cross IFRC Joint Assessment Missions MINUSTAH JLOC Military Police Sections MINUSTAH RJOC OCHA or Humanitarian Focal Point DPC Liaison Figure 1: Coordination Mechanism In the event of a natural disaster, the Centre d'opérations d'urgence National (COUN) will be activated at Central Level (Port-au-Prince) with the participation of the DPC, representatives from the Government of Haiti and key clusters (see Figure 1). At the same time, the Humanitarian Coordinator might decide to activate the Emergency Joint Operation Centre (EJOINT) in Port-au-Prince with the participation of OCHA and all the clusters to assist the COUN in meeting the needs for early and qualified information sharing, coordination and relief during an emergency. The counterpart of the COUN at the department level is the Centre d Opérations d'urgence Departmental (COUD). The COUD will oversee the participation of OCHA, the DPC and the clusters. Furthermore, liaison will take place with MINUSTAH s Operation Centres: the Expanded Joint Operations Centre (EJOC) to be activated in Portau-Prince and the Regional Joint Operations Centres (RJOC) to be activated at regional level (see civil military section). June

4 The Logistics Cluster is also working with ministries at the central and departmental levels. Partnerships with the DPC are being developed, especially in support of DPC s preparedness and crisis management capacity for emergency logistics and coordination. The Logistics Cluster will also assist the DPC with the identification of partners for the implementation of specific trainings in areas related to Logistics, Risk and Disaster Management, Disaster Response Capacity, Evacuation, Search and Rescue, Communication and Coordination. As part of its involvement in inter-agency preparation for the 2011 hurricane season, the Logistics Cluster participates in the Inter-Agency Assessment Team coordinated by OCHA. The objective of the Inter-Agency Assessment Team is to conduct an initial and rapid assessment on the ground in the aftermath of a natural disaster. 2. Logistics Cluster 2011 hurricane season preparedness activities The Logistics Cluster organized an Emergency Preparedness Survey to evaluate the effectiveness of the Logistics Cluster in relation to emergency preparedness and response for the 2010 hurricane season. As part of the survey, Logistics Cluster participants were asked to provide feedback on Logistics Cluster transport services (surface, air, sea) as well as to comment on inter-agency coordination, civil military liaison and prepositioning strategy. The questionnaire's findings were used to improve the understanding of any challenges faced by the Logistics Cluster participants, as well as to identify opportunities for improvements. Prepositioning Strategic pre-positioning of humanitarian response fleet The fleet is a fundamental logistics tool for the Haiti operation. Given the lack of transport capacity, off-road, all terrain trucks are deemed essential for UN Agencies and logistics cluster participants programmes. Unfortunately, the fragile road network is susceptible to road collapses, landslides, flooding, and supply route failure owing to collapsed / damaged / compromised bridges. All of these problems are expected in the hurricane season and in order to avoid having regions cut-off, WFP/Logistics Cluster is looking into the possibility of pre-positioning part of its truck fleet at key points. The trucks will be on stand-by with spare parts and fuel. Non-Food Items: WFP/Logistics Cluster will offer storage capacity in the departments where WFP or inter-agencies facilities are present in order to allow partners to implement their cyclonic season pre-positioning strategy. WFP/Logistics Cluster shall follow the 2010 model and preposition key NFI items in strategic locations across the country. Mobile Storage Units (MSUs), containers and prefab offices are already pre-positioned as a contingency in key areas where historical data and local assessments indicate potential June

5 needs. The Logistics Cluster shall complement existing NFI stocks with additional material/equipment (rubber boots, rain gear, jerry cans (5 litres), beds, inflatable staff tent) (see ANNEX I NFI pre-positioning map). Augmented Fuel Capacity: As the 2010 lessons learned indicated, fuel storage capacity was a critical gap in terms of emergency response. The WFP/Logistics Cluster has purchased eight 20,000 litre fuel storage tanks that will be prepositioned as follows: Jacmel (2), Gonaives (2), Cap Haitien (1), Hinche (1), Les Cayes (1) and PaP (1). This will enable the interagency fleet to continue delivery even in case of fuel supply chain rupture. Operations Road Operations: The Logistics Cluster inter-agency fleet can provide road transport from: Regional hubs to difficult to access delivery points (off-road transport), loading and offloading excluded (unless at Cluster/WFP warehouse). Air Operations: UNHAS discontinued its service on 1 April 2011 due to a steady decline of demands for airlifts, the high costs involved and lack of funding. However, the Logistics Cluster has consolidated and published on its website a list of commercial air transporters in Haiti for passenger and cargo flights ( In addition, contacts were established with key military actors (MINUSTAH and US Southcom) should air assets be needed during the first phase of an emergency response. Storage Facilities: Temporary storage (including handling in/out) in: Port-au-Prince (Tabarre area). Jacmel Gonaives Petit Goave Cap-Haïtien Les Cayes Jeremie and Port-de-Paix (see section on hurricane proof warehouses) June

6 How to request these services: Detailed information on how to request these services can be found at the Logistic Cluster website: HurricaneProof Warehouses: As part of its contingency preparedness measure, the Logistics Cluster has purchased six-hurricane proof, semi-permanent warehouses. The semipermanent warehouses are meant primarily to store WFP food. However part of the storage space will also be dedicated to Inter-Agency storage, especially in those remote locations where there is not sufficient storage capacity. The hurricane proof warehouses are being erected in Les Cayes, Jacme, Jermie and Port-de-Paix. GIS Capacity: The Haiti Logistic Cluster GIS unit provides logistical decision-making support tools to the Humanitarian Community through the acquisition, compilation and dissemination of timely and accurate geographic information on the status of logistical assets and infrastructure. The GIS team supports the Logistics Cluster s emergency preparedness planning with the production of detailed maps of disaster-prone areas. In addition, the Logistics Cluster GIS unit provides regular updates of Road Status Monitoring, Logistics Assets and Infrastructure, Warehouse capacities, etc. These maps are available for all relevant actors (Humanitarian Community, DPC, MINUSTAH etc.). Furthermore, during the month of July and August, Logistics Cluster and GIS Unit will conduct road assessment missions to verify the status of the Haitian primary road network and accessibility via secondary roads. Information gathered will be used for the continuous integration of new geographic data into Road Status Monitoring maps and into the Logistics Capacity Assessment (LCA). The Logistics Cluster GIS Unit, working with the Haitian Bureau of Meteorology and drawing on meteorological expertise from other regional bodies, will continue to provide Weather Pattern Monitoring to its participants through the established distribution lists. Furthermore, as web-based platforms have become more effective during emergency responses, particularly for disseminating critical logistics information in a timely manner, the Logistics Cluster Haiti GIS cell is making use of improvements in web-based mapping. Specifically, the Geoportal, the WFP version of an on-line cartographic platform, and United Nations Spatial Data Infrastructure (UNSDI), a database the Logistics Cluster has committed to update on a regular basis, will provide logistics related data for the entire Humanitarian Community on: Operational logistics LCAs) and other logistics assessment data Route Optimisation Model results Commodity tracking reports Geographical-oriented information for reporting purposes as well as for practical use in emergency preparedness is being rolled out to partners in Haiti to permit better visual and real time information on logistics infrastructure events/status. June

7 Capacity Building: A technical partnership has been implemented between WFP/Logistics Cluster and the National GIS Centre (CNIGS) to produce humanitarian/logistics maps and train CNIGS staff. Information Management Capacity The Logistics Cluster Information Management Unit (IMU) provides tools to support logistical decision-making and facilitate information sharing and communication. IMU supports the Logistics Cluster s work on contingency planning with the publication and dissemination of products related to Logistics Cluster preparedness activities and assets including situation reports, bulletins, in-depth snapshots on assets and operations. An information-sharing platform for the dissemination of logistics information to the Humanitarian Community is available at Information is also being shared through a moderated circulation list, which has more than 1,200 subscribers. What challenges is the Logistics Cluster facing? Overall challenges to logistics operations in Haiti include: i) weak port infrastructure and slow importation procedures; ii) an inadequate road network; during emergencies, bridges and roads are often badly damaged, making overland access difficult to most WFP-assisted areas; iii) treacherous mountain terrain; iv) old, worn-out equipment; v) limited storage facilities and poor conditions at final delivery points, requiring more frequent deliveries; vi) limited logistics and commercial transporter capacities of partners, requiring the humanitarian community to deploy an inter-agency fleet of all-wheel-drive trucks to reach isolated areas. In addition to these, the Logistics Cluster has identified some specific logistics challenges for the first phase of a potential emergency response for 2011, until when, funding allowing, humanitarian means will be contracted: Air/Sea Transport Capacity Helicopters: heavy-lift helicopter capacity. Landing Craft Units (LCUs): Depending on the scale of the disaster, a minimum of two LCU class mt capable LCUs would be required to deliver aid to shore areas with damaged or no port infrastructure. Light Boats. Engineering Capacity Ground Improvement Mats/Steel Gratings: MobiMat or "pierced steel plank" (PSP), one mile. In case of the need to rehabilitate roads that link to distribution networks, e.g. access to ports or warehouses. Bulldozers: To re-open roads, depending on the scale of the disaster. Bailey Bridges (60m span): For road rehabilitation. June

8 3. Civil-Military Liaison The United Nations Country Team (UNCT), under the UN Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General /Humanitarian Coordinator (DSRSG/HC), holds primary responsibility for the coordination and provision of humanitarian assistance by the UN System. In the context of the integrated mission, MINUSTAH s operational capacity may be drawn upon in order to support the UN s operational response to natural disasters. In case of a crisis or natural disaster at departmental level, the Chief of Regional Office - CRO (Civil Affairs) is authorised to activate the Regional Joint Operations Centre (RJOC) and is responsible, together with OCHA, for the coordination of MINUSTAH support to humanitarian operations at regional level. In case of a major natural disaster and other large-scale humanitarian emergencies, the internal coordination mechanism established by MINUSTAH to put its assets at the disposal of humanitarian relief efforts is the Expanded Joint Operations Centre (EJOC). The EJOC aims at supporting the coordination of the operational response, drawing personnel from various units, both military and civilian, in the form of a crisis management cell. Therefore, in case of extreme conditions caused by natural disasters and if the need for logistics assets surpasses the capacity of traditional humanitarian actors, the Logistics Cluster will be able to draw upon MINUSTAH assets to assist the humanitarian community. To achieve this, the Logistics Cluster will colocate a liaison officer within the MINUSTAH RJOC and EJOC for the duration of the emergency to facilitate coordination and information exchange, and serve as an entry point for humanitarian actors to request assistance. The Logistics Cluster is also liaising with the Joint Operations and Tasking Centre (JOTC) to strengthen coordination with other key military actors (i.e. Southcom New Horizons 2011 deployment and activities). A series of seminars on natural disaster were held in Port-au-Prince from 5 to 7 April 2011 with the participation of MINUSTAH (U9), OCHA and selected clusters. The Logistics Cluster was invited to deliver a module on its mandate, SOPs and 2011 emergency preparedness and response activities. A Joint Natural Disaster Simulation exercise involving the Cluster System, MINUSTAH and the DPC took place from 12 to 15 April 2011 in three different locations across Haiti (Port-au-Prince, Gonaives and Léogâne). The exercise was a hybrid tabletop conducted using injected scenario problems sent via Lotus Notes, cell phone, and radio to key regional and national players. During the exercise the following crucial points were tested: Information Flow: Lines of information sharing between reporting partners, operations centres, and key decision makers. Decision Triggers: Decision triggers for the activation of Regional and Central Department of Civil Protection Operation Centres (COUN, COUD), Regional Joint Operation Centre (RJOC), Expanded Joint Operation Centre (EJOC). June

9 Roles and Responsibilities: Verification of roles and responsibilities of the various partners. Scenarios shall try to identify which agency/organisation has the capacity to respond to a specific problem. The Simulation Exercise shall also include practical components: Loss of Primary Communications: MINUSTAH Communication Unit and the Emergency Telecommunication Cluster will develop this part of the exercise jointly. IDP Mass Casualty Event (in Port-au-Prince). Coordinated Maritime Search and Rescue. Deployment of Engineering Units. WFP/ Logistics Cluster took on the role of coordinating actor for the Gonaives based part of the exercise. Further information on the Simulation Exercise can be found on the Logistics Cluster website at the following link: Another simulation exercise is scheduled for 20 and 21 July The exercise will be led by the DPC and will see the participation of the Humanitarian Community and MINUSTAH. WFP/Logistics Cluster has been invited to be part of the working cell tasked to design the simulation exercise. June

10 ANNEX I NFI PREPOSITIONING MAP June