Haiti Humanitarian Information Service
Life-saving news and rehabilitation information for earthquake victims in Haiti
Context and Issue:
On 12 January 2010, a powerful earthquake of a magnitude of 7.0 on the Richter Scale devastated Haiti. The epicentre of the earthquake was 17 km south-west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. With communications crippled in the aftermath, a rapid response team from Internews, including media specialists and radio technicians, was deployed to assess the extent of damage to Haiti’s media infrastructure. Broadcast equipment that could quickly disseminate emergency information was brought in. Access to critical information is even more essential during emergencies to ensure humanitarian responses are effective, and to ensure that the affected population has the means to be helped and to help itself. During these most challenging times, information can save lives and transform communities: how to find food, shelter and water, how to connect to loved ones who survived, and now, how to rebuild. Internews works with partners and is leading, at field level, the coordination and humanitarian liaison of Communicating with Disaster Affected Communities (CDAC) in Haiti. CDAC Haiti represents the first operational response of CDAC Global, an initiative founded by a number of international relief organisations including Save the Children, International Federation of the Red Cross, the UN Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs, and media development agencies including the Thomson Reuters Foundation, BBC World Service Trust, International Media Support and Intern
Project's activities:
Internews produces 'Nouvelles Utiles', a 15-minute-long daily show in Creole. The show was launched on January 21st, 2010, at 11 stations. It has been reporting critical information on water distribution points, the status of displaced persons at camps, public health advisories, etc. Most stations air the programming as soon as it arrives via CDs distributed personally by the Internews team. Stations typically air 'Nouvelles Utiles' four to six times a day. Internews has hired local reporters and producers to gather news and produce the programming, and is also providing training on humanitarian reporting to the staff. Internews works across the country with a community of 40 RAMAK (Rasanbleman Medya pou Aksyon Kominoté) radio stations. The project, which was funded by the US Agency for International Development, focused on training radio production personnel in journalism and technical skills. With so many homes and property destroyed, many Haitians have either run out of batteries for their radios or they no longer have access to radios to listen to the news. In January, Internews distributed nearly 9,000 wind-up radios through 19 local radio station partners. The stations signed agreements to distribute the radios to those most in need, with an emphasis on getting radios into the hands of women-headed households and highly vulnerable people. These radios do not require batteries or electricity; they are powered through a built-in hand crank.
Participants and Beneficiaries:
Internews is striving to making sure Haitians are getting the information they need. The Internews team in Haiti is working with local media outlets to assess their requirements -- many of them have lost reporters, equipment and facilities to the earthquake. Internews is also speaking to the survivors to determine the reach and impact of its news, so that information can be best targeted to meet the needs of the local population. By serving as a communications link between the providers of aid and the local media, Internews ensures that Haitian reporters receive and distribute aid information -- such as the mobile short code 4636 launched by Ushahidi, which helps gather reports of local needs. The daily humanitarian radio programme produced by Internews in Creole, called Enfomasyon Nou Dwe Konnen (News You Can Use), broadcasts across 25 radio stations and reaches more than 60 per cent of the Haitian population.
Outcomes:
CDAC Haiti has become the key forum for the international community in Haiti and the Haitian government for dialogue, information exchange, joint analysis and planning on communications initiatives with the Haitian population. It is attended by representatives of all the key Haitian ministries. CDAC's chief services include coordination for disseminating humanitarian information coherently and accurately by explaining programs implemented by organisations such as CARE, OXFAM, WFP, MSF, UNDP, IFRC, MINUSTAH and the Haitian Ministry of Information. CDAC enables coordination of, and technical advice to, major humanitarian outreach and community mobilisation campaigns, weekly meetings with local media to exchange information on key areas of humanitarian intervention such as GBV or humanitarian accountability (HAP). It provides advice on working with local media, including audience research and contacts for local stations, journalist associations and telecoms providers, undertakes ongoing audience research and mapping, including that of non-mass media information channels and establishes feedback, public opinion and focus group mechanisms on issues relating to recovery and reconstruction, channelling findings back to humanitarian responders. Apart from this, CDAC supports development of longer term outreach and communications work including soap operas and on-air psycho-social work
"The radio station is the people’s life right now. Without the radio station, the country is dead. Without the radio station, we can’t communicate. We don’t have anything."
Roselaure Revil, 56, Haïti [Source: NYT/AP
