About 500,000 people still live in camps in Haiti after the earthquake

Half a million people still live in camps after the earthquake that destroyed much of the infrastructure of Haiti on January 12, 2010, said yesterday the humanitarian coordinator of the UN for this country, Nigel Fisher.

While this figure represents a third of the total number of people who came to deal with temporary facilities who are there are facing "a situation is not as good as it was a year ago", acknowledged.

In the connection, Fisher explained that the tents are a clear deterioration and referred to the risk of reduction in activities relating to the provision of basic sanitation, distribution of drinking water and waste management.

Indicated that this is because the entities dealing with these tasks are running out of funds and are putting an end to its operations or are going to do it.

This could also have an impact on the epidemic of cholera which is u000arecorded on the island, where about 500,000 cases have been recorded and more than 6,700 people have been killed since October 2010.

According to Fisher, experts say that "the epidemic will continue in 2012, probably with hundreds of thousands more cases", although its severity is far from alarming levels reached a year ago, when the mortality rate reached the 7 per cent.

, The level of mortality is currently located at 1 per cent, he specified.

However, hurricanes and flooding potential can cause new shoots the next year.

On the other hand, the head of the UN in Haiti humanitarian operations pointed out that one fifth of the half a million inhabitants of the camps is under threat of eviction because the owners of occupied lands them are claiming.

He indicated that the authorities try to negotiate with the owners and avoid that situation.

On the financing of the aid u000afor Haiti, Fisher argued that the $ 4.6 billion promised the international community for the reconstruction of the country, 88 percent have already invested or is committed for projects specific.

Only humanitarian assistance was assessed this year at 509 million dollars, of which 229 million corresponded to programmes under the coordination of the United Nations.

This organization will request 231 million in 2012 to continue its work for the development of Haiti, through 180 projects.

To assess the work done on the island, Fisher said that in the camps the two thirds of children receiving primary education, compared to a national of the 50 percent average

In addition, 100,000 transitional homes have been built in less than two years and have been repaired or rebuilt 21,000 houses were damaged or were virtually destroyed by the earthquake.

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