Baseline Report: Haiti Earthquake Shelter, Settlement, and WASH Response

The project aimed to address the urgent needs of affected communities in Grand'Anse and Nippes, with a focus on health, food security, shelter, and WASH. The project's objectives were to distribute emergency shelter kits, engage in cash for work labor to support debris removal and shelter installation, rehabilitate water systems, increase community awareness on hygiene and COVID-19 mitigation, and provide urgent personal and family hygiene materials. The project was funded by the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) and implemented by Community Organized Relief Efforts (CORE) in partnership with World Concern Development Organization (WCDO). A baseline assessment was conducted to set baseline values for project indicators and gather data to inform project implementation. The assessment was conducted in two tranches, with the first tranche taking place in Beaumont, Pestel, and Corail, and the second tranche in Duchity, Moron, Chambellan, Les Irois, and Dame Marie. Data collection was coordinated by CORE's Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) department and a team of trained enumerators. The baseline assessment found that 46.5% of households targeted by the hygiene promotion activity store their drinking water safely in clean containers. However, when disaggregated by municipality, the percentage of households reporting storing water in clean containers varied, ranging from 32.71% in Beaumont to 62.16% in Pestel. The assessment also found that only 0.83% of individuals targeted by the hygiene promotion activity know at least three of the five critical times to wash their hands. In terms of water supply, the baseline assessment found that 34.75% of households targeted by the planned WASH activities collect all water for drinking, cooking, and hygiene from improved water sources. The assessment also found that the percentage of households collecting all water from improved sources varied by municipality, ranging from 25.51% in Moron to 45.45% in Les Irois. The project's methodology involved data collection through electronic questionnaires hosted on Kobo Toolbox using android mobile devices. The questionnaire was developed specifically for this purpose and took into account the three indicators gathered in this baseline. To avoid bias and ensure participant privacy, no personal information was collected from respondents. The sampling strategy used a stratified random sampling strategy to determine the sample size required to provide a 95% confidence level and 5% margin of error for the 9000 beneficiaries of the shelter/hygiene promotion component of the project. The data analysis was conducted using Microsoft Excel, and the findings were compiled and analyzed to inform project implementation. The baseline assessment identified several limitations, including the reliance on Direction Nationale de l'Eau Potable et de l'Assainissement (DINEPA) to identify and provide authorization to rehabilitate damaged water systems. As of December 14th, 2021, DINEPA had identified only 9 water systems in the previously stated municipalities. Overall, the baseline assessment provided valuable insights into the needs and challenges faced by affected communities in Grand'Anse and Nippes. The findings will inform project implementation and help ensure that the project's objectives are met.