Port Au Prince - IOM is urgently appealing for USD 3,2 million to continue responding to the current Cholera outbreak in Haiti and to the dire situation of the displaced population. By the beginning of November, more than 6,800 suspected cases were reported across seven regions in the country and 144 people were killed. More than 96,000 people are displaced by recent gang violence in Port au Prince.

On October 2, Haiti reported its first case of Cholera in more than three years. The Cholera resurgence in Haiti comes on the heels of a complex operational context, amid a volatile socio-political environment marked by blockages, fuel shortages, violent gang activity, and rampant insecurity restricting the delivery of basic services such as clean water and health services.

Civil unrest and a lack of access to affected communities are deepening the multidimensional humanitarian crisis and hampering emergency response efforts for the population that becomes more vulnerable as violence increases and Cholera continues to spread across the country. “Urgent actions must be taken to save lives. Failing to respond in a timely manner could have devastating consequences for thousands of people already living in very difficult circumstances.,” said Philippe Branchat, IOM Chief of Mission in Haiti.

Through this appeal, IOM will continue working with the Ministry of Public Health, DINEPA (Direction Nationale de l'Eau Potable et de l'Assainissement) and other partners to ensure continued essential services including risk communication and community engagement (RCCE), strengthening its Early Warning System (EWS), providing Mental Health and Psychosocial support, and supplying clean and safe water to displacement sites.

IOM Haiti is one of the largest humanitarian actors in Haiti and has been active since 1995. It continues to work in close collaboration with the government of Haiti and with states and partners to coordinate intervention efforts in Haiti. The appeal is accessible at the following link: Haiti crisis cholera and displacement.

For more information, please contact Gema Cortes at IOM Haiti, email: marcortes@iom.int, Tel: + 507 6269-4574 ; or Jorge Gallo at IOM’s Regional Office for Central America, North America and the Caribbean, email: jgallo@iom.int, Tel: +506 72036536.