Summary
Content
Highlights
- A Logistics Cluster representative was in Leogane today along with a member of UNHAS to establish a plan for helicopter deliveries to outlying areas which so far have received little assistance.
Customs / Border Crossings
- Efforts are continuing to establish clear customs procedures and facilitation for organizations bringing goods into Haiti.
- To qualify for a duty and tax exemption on the importation of goods into Haiti, NGOs must be registered in-country. However it has been reported that the Ministry of Planification is not fully operational and even under normal circumstances it can take a long time for an organization to register. As such, according to recent changes in the Customs procedures, organizations not currently registered in the country may be able to seek the assistance of the Direction de la Protection Civile (DPC) in clearing their goods.
- The LC in PAP has published an updated customs brief and is offering assistance to organizations facing customs-related difficulties. This is available at: http://www.logcluster.org/ops/hti10a/procedures-for-importation.
Civil Military Coordination
- The Logistics Cluster is has been requested to assist with incoming bilateral donations by the government of El Salvador. Similar facilitation has already been provided for the governments of Mexico and Taiwan.
Logistics Coordination
Port au Prince
- A Logistics Cluster representative was in Leogane today along with a member of UNHAS to coordinate with the Clusters in place and establish a plan for helicopter deliveries to outlying areas which so far have received little assistance. Visits are also planned to other areas including Jacmel to establish an overview of logistics gaps and ensure awareness of LC interagency services.
- Logistics Cluster meetings in PAP are held twice a week on Tuesdays and Fridays. The next Logistics Cluster meeting will be held on Friday, February 23 at 09:30.
Santo Domingo
- The Logistics Cluster will be facilitating cargo handling and storage in the Dominican Republic for MINUSTAH.
- The next Logistics Cluster meeting will be held at the UN House in Santo Domingo on Wednesday 24 February at 1400 hrs local time.
Air Operations
Port au Prince Toussaint L’Ouverture International Airport
- The transition phase is underway to hand management of PAP airport back to the Haitian authorities and commercial handlers. The offload of international humanitarian cargo by the US Military is scheduled to end as of March 1 and handling will be passed over to commercial entities.
- Once this is complete, goods left at the airport will be subject to charges and military security will no longer be provided for this cargo.
- There remain concerns about the deterioration of airport infrastructure, in particular the ramp and the apron. Some repairs will be required before the rainy season to ensure continued capacity.
- The Logistics Cluster is compiling a list of forwarding agents and capacity for dissemination to the humanitarian community.
Air Operations PAP
- Helicopter flights were carried out today for WHO to carry a total of 5 mt of medical equipment and supplies to Jacmel, Les Cayes, and Miragoane.
- Following reports of underserved locations in the mountain areas outside Leogane, assessment missions will take place this week to Parques, Beausejour, Citronnier, Fonds d’Oie, Oranger and Morne Chandelle (Gressier).
- Each assessment team will be comprised of 4 cluster representatives (Food, Shelter, Health and potentially Agriculture) and representatives from the local authorities (Casec). A medical team (2 doctors and 2 nurses) will also accompany the teams to provide immediate medical assistance to the populations.
- Helicopter deliveries and distributions will begin immediately following the assessments.
- As of February 19, 228 sorties have taken place to deliver goods to hard-to-reach locations.
- More than 3,000 passengers from over 230 UN agencies, NGOs, governments and media institutions have used the UNHAS passenger service between Santo Domingo and Port au Prince.
Surface Transport
PAP
- The Canadian JTF is continuing work on Route 204 to Jacmel with lane widening at critical points of the road.
- 32 trucks 10 – 15 mt capacity trucks donated by the Clinton Foundation will now be available for transport in urban areas. This will free up the all-terrain vehicles currently used for deliveries to rough road areas.
- To date the WFP-led Logistics Cluster in PAP has transported 923 mt (4,531 m3) of goods out of PAP for 49 different UN agencies and NGOs. 926 mt has been transported by Handicap International/Atlas Logistique out of Jacmel, Petit Goave, Cap Haitien and Gonaives.
Santo Domingo
- A reinforcement of customs procedures at the Jimani border crossing is complicating the passage of trucks from the Dominican Republic to Haiti, and vehicles are experiencing a longer wait. The Logistics Cluster is working to improve the process.
- An increasing number of transport requests received by the Logistics Cluster in Santo Domingo are for locally procured items.
- More than 11632 m³ of NFI have been transported from the Dominican Republic into Haiti for 52 different organisations.
Sea Transport
Port au Prince
- The transition phase of handing port management back to the APN is underway. The APOD pallet yard is scheduled to be cleared by February 28, and as of March 1 the handling of incoming humanitarian cargo will be provided by commercial operators.
- All three landings at Red Beach (between the south and north piers in the PAP Harbour) are fully operational and supporting lighterage offloads.
- Repairs to the South pier are ahead of schedule and may be finished by the second week of April.
- Many commercial vessels are applying for slots to enter the port.
- Humanitarian aid is usually discharged at the Varreaux terminal since the vessels are usually smaller in size and more suitable to that area.
- WFP began loading the British vessel RFA Largs Bay this morning to carry food to Gonaives. This ship can also be tasked for interagency deliveries on scheduled sailings.
Santo Domingo
- The Dominican navy ship which was offering cargo transport from Cabo Rojo and Pedernales directly to Jacmel has now been based in Barahona to begin shuttling goods from there.
Pipeline
- All organizations operating in the Haiti Earthquake response have been asked to provide their pipeline information to the Logistics Cluster so an overview of assistance can be made available to the humanitarian community, the government and donors. This should be forwarded to Global.LogisticsCluster@wfp.org.