UN / HAITI

STORY: UN / HAITI
TRT: 02:05
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 04 MARCH 2020, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

SHOTLIST:

FILE - NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior UN headquarters

04 MARCH 2020, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, dais
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Bruno Lemarquis, Deputy SRSG of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti and UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti:
“The situation in Haiti has seriously deteriorated with a very serious political crisis, combined with socio-economic crisis and that culminated with what is called ‘pays lock’ in creole which is the country was in lockdown for several months in 2019, and this led – because of the political crisis and its consequences – led to very serious deterioration of the security situation, very difficult to access social services, schools were closed, hospitals run out of supplies and medicines, the movements of people and goods were basically frozen, and the market had difficulties to function.”
4. Wide shot, dais
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Bruno Lemarquis, Deputy SRSG of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti and UN Resident Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti:
“The launch of today is about 4.6 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, which is 40 percent of the Haitian population, which is a stunning number. Out of those 4.6, 4.1 are in what we call, they fall under IPCs 3 and 4. IPC is the food security, the integrated food security phase classifications, and above 4 is 5, and 5 is declaration of famine, which is extremely rare. We have 1.2 million people in category 4, which is the highest before famine.”
6. Wide shot, dais
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Bruno Lemarquis, Deputy SRSG of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti and UN Resident Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti:
“The plan as such is targeting the most vulnerable, which is 2.1 million people, which is about one fifth of the Haitian population. It will have four objectives, to save lives, respond to urgent needs, to continue strengthening the country preparedness to disasters, to protect the most vulnerable, and to contribute to the elimination of diseases with epidemic potential.”
8. Wide shot, end of presser

STORYLINE:

A humanitarian response plan for Haiti for the year 2020 was launched today (4 Mar) in New York as “the situation in Haiti has seriously deteriorated with very serious political crisis, combined with socio-economic crisis” in 2019, according to Resident Humanitarian Coordinator Bruno Lemarquis.

Lemarquis noted the country was under ‘pays lock’ (country lockdown in creole) for several months in 2019, and this led, he said, to a “very serious deterioration of the security situation, very difficult to access social services, schools were closed, hospitals run out of supplies and medicines, the movements of people and goods were basically frozen, and the market had difficulties to function.”

The humanitarian official said today’s launch “is about 4.6 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, which is 40 percent of the Haitian population, which is a stunning number.” Out of those 4.6 million, he added, 1.2 million people fall under food security category 4, “which is the highest before famine.”

The humanitarian response plan, Lemarquis said, targets “the most vulnerable, which is 2.1 million people, which is about one fifth of the Haitian population,” and added that it will have
four objectives: “to respond to urgent needs, to continue strengthening the country preparedness to disasters, to protect the most vulnerable, and to contribute to the elimination of diseases with epidemic potential.”

The United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH) completed its mandate on 15 October 2019, putting an end to 15 consecutive years of peacekeeping operations in the country. The United Nations continues supporting Haiti with a new configuration, through the 19 agencies, funds and programmes present in the country and the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), established by the Security Council resolution 2476 (2019).