UNifeed: HAITI / FOOD DISTRIBUTION

HAITI / FOOD DISTRIBUTION

The World Food Programme scales up its operations in Haiti using a better coordinated and coupon based system that promotes a more secure food distribution environment. MINUSTAH

Duration:02:36Date:01 February 2010

Categories:

FOOD AND NUTRITION, SPECIAL HUMANITARIAN OPERATIONS, HAITI, United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti

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Full Script

STORY: HAITI / FOOD DISTRIBUTION 
TRT: 2:36
SOURCE: MINUSTAH 
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 31 JANUARY 2010, PORT AU PRINCE, HAITI

SHOTLIST:

1. Wide shot, US soldier overlooks an orderly WFP food distribution line in Port-au-Prince
2. Med shot, women in line
3. Med shot, US and UN soldiers guarding the food distribution line
4. Med shot, women handing in their coupons to a World Vision aid worker 
5. Close up, coupons in the hand of an aid worker
6. Wide shot, women splitting up heavy bag of rice
7. Med shot, women splitting rice
8. Wide shot, aid workers help women divide the rice
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Natasha Scripture, Spokesperson for World Food Program:
"Now we are starting the second wave of our distribution. As you can see, we have many people who have come from all over the neighborhood to receive 25 kg of rice. They are dividing up the 50 kg bags of rice and taking them home. This will last them for about two to three weeks. We'll be doing this every day for the next 2 weeks. We are trying to target at least 10,000 people per day. Over the next two weeks that's about two million people."
10. Med shot, workers carrying a 50 kg bag of rice
11. Wide shot, aid worker helping to distribute rice
12. Med shot, splitting a bag of rice for two different beneficiaries
13. Med shot, woman lifts a bag of rice on her head
14. Wide shot, aid workers help women split rice
15. Med shot, pouring rice from a bucket to a bag
16. Med shot, women carrying out bags on their heads
17. Wide shot, women carrying out bags
18. Wide shot, women leaving the perimeter with rice
19. Wide shot, people on line for a Red Cross food distribution in Port-au-Prince
20. Med shot, crowds push up against the closed food truck
21. Med shot, Red Cross worker tries to negotiate with people to calm the crowd
22. SOUNDBITE (English) Steve McAndrew, Red Cross
"People are hungry. Basically that's the problem. We have some difficulty in some distributions but we're the Red Cross. We're not using any police, any military - nobody. We're counting on the people themselves to do this - to provide the security for us. It's a challenge. People have been through a lot. They've lost a lot, they've lost family members. They're hungry."
23. Wide shot, people mobbing the food distribution truck
24. Med shot, crowd pushing against each other
25. SOUNDBITE (English) Orichel Erce, Port-au-Prince resident:
"That's what makes me mad. Some people over there very hungry, looking for the food. They have a couple of kids, and they fight for food for them. That's why the food is going back with the Red Cross."
26. Wide shot, Red Cross cars leaving the site
27. Wide shot, crowd by the closed food truck
28. Med shot, crowd

STORYLINE:

The World Food Programme (WFP) scaled up its operations in Haiti yesterday (31 January) using a better coordinated and coupon based system that promotes a more secure food distribution environment.

As United Nations (UN) peacekeepers watched over the site, thousands of women formed orderly lines to collect food in exchange for coupons that were distributed to various families on Saturday (30 January).

In an effort to promote food stability, the 16 fixed sites are expected to facilitate the delivery of all kinds of humanitarian assistance in the weeks and months to come. The first phase of distribution will continue for the next 15 days.

According to WFP, each family received a 25 kilogram ration of rice but only women, with the exception of some men in need of assistance, were allowed to collect the food. It believes that food is more likely to be equitably shared in the household if it is given to women.

SOUNDBITE (English) Natasha Scripture, Spokesperson for World Food Program:
"Now we are starting the second wave of our distribution. As you can see, we have many people who have come from all over the neighborhood to receive 25 kg of rice. They are dividing up the 50 kg bags of rice and taking them home. This will last them for about two to three weeks. We'll be doing this every day for the next 2 weeks. We are trying to target at least 10,000 people per day. Over the next two weeks that's about two million people."

The new coupon-based system, at fixed sites and with better coordination with other humanitarian agencies and military forces on the ground, allows WFP to reach more people faster.

Destruction to the city’s infrastructure such as its road system and the huge scale of need in such a densely populated city had made it challenging for humanitarian agencies to distribute aid in a more systematic manner.

At another distribution center run by the International Red Cross, thousands of people gathered in a less orderly manner as Red Cross workers tried to calm the hungry crowd.

At this site, however, there were no UN or Haitian security personal to oversee and control the distribution and the Red Cross was reliant on the people themselves to somehow manage the chaotic situation.

SOUNDBITE (English) Steve McAndrew, Red Cross
"People are hungry. Basically that's the problem. We have some difficulty in some distributions but we're the Red Cross. We're not using any police, any military - nobody. We're counting on the people themselves to do this - to provide the security for us. It's a challenge. People have been through a lot. They've lost a lot, they've lost family members. They're hungry."
 
The crowd was not only hungry but also frustrated and angry that not everyone gathered at the site received food.

SOUNDBITE (English) Orichel Erce, Port-au-Prince resident:
"That's what makes me mad. Some people over there very hungry, looking for the food. They have a couple of kids, and they fight for food for them. That's why the food is going back with the Red Cross."

The UN reported that although the overall security situation in Port-au-Prince remained stable, crowd control at certain food distribution sites still remains a concern and called for security and a better distribution system to be in place at all major sites. The Haitian government has also started using local radio stations to discourage people from reselling humanitarian aid calling it illegal.

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