In Port-au-Prince, NGOs, UN agencies and the Haitian government work together to establish a more efficient food distribution methodology, building on previous similar experiences.

Four weeks after the earthquake, the people of Port-au-Prince remain irremediably dependent on humanitarian assistance to respond to their very first need: food. Lessons were drawn following the emergency of the early days; ACTED and the other diverse actors have succeeded in setting a new food distribution methodology through horizontal cooperation.

Above all, it is vital to ensure that the food supplies delivered by the WFP are actually provided to the ones who need them the most. The city was hence divided in 16 areas, respectively taken in charge by NGOs. ACTED’s allocated areas are the Stadium and Saint-Gérard Church neighbourhoods, two heavily affected places. Joining forces with the mayors of these areas, the ACTED teams walk around the streets, distributing vouchers to future beneficiaries through the participation of community leaders. “We are targeting people in charge of a household, to be sure that the food items will benefit the largest number of individuals” stresses Cyril Dupré, ACTED Emergency Response Manager.

Women are considered to be more capable of reaching this objective than men to receive food supplies and then spread it to their relatives. Two reasons explain such an assertion, justified by previous field experiences. First of all, the teams observed that women tend to be less disposed to sell the distributed items, a practice noticed early on after the disaster in Port-au-Prince. For Cyril, “although our practice is not discriminatory at all, we however need to comply with the reality on the ground. Our priority is first and foremost to be efficient”. For the moment being, our choice lays on women who are either widows or in charge of a family and whose house was destroyed during the earthquake. “To succeed we need to explore each corner of every street and spontaneous settlements; it is crucial that no one is left out” explains Cyril.

Once they are given their voucher, these female heads of family go to the secured distribution locations. According to UN estimates, it will still take ten days before the capital-city’s two million inhabitants are supplied.