Interagency task force to oversee long-term Haiti support and rebuilding

The U.S. Agency for International Development has established an interagency task force to coordinate work in earthquake-ravaged Haiti, as the focus there shifts from short-term emergency response to long-term rebuilding.

The Haiti Task Team, announced late last week, will replace the initial Response Management Team and includes military service members, and representatives of the Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, and State departments. Paul Weisenfeld of USAID will lead the group.

Two months after the magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit, there are more than 900 expert civilians on the ground in Haiti, according to Chris Milligan, deputy to the Office of the U.S. Response Coordinator for USAID. The task force will help ensure projects are assigned according to agencies' specialties to take full advantage of resources. For example, the Federal Emergency Management Agency would be best-suited to focus on debris management. "This has led to a better capacity of assets," Milligan said.

As the transition to longer-term reconstruction gets under way, agencies are preparing for the rainy season. Changing weather poses new threats to health and means more stable shelter is needed. Workers are aiming to complete health care and shelter provisions by April 15. "What we do down here is to make sure there is a link between relief and reconstruction," Milligan said.

The relief effort already has accomplished a lot, Milligan said. "The six U.S.-based search-and-rescue teams led the most successful search and rescue to date, saving 136 lives," he said. In some cases, conditions in Haiti are better than before the earthquake, according to Milligan. More Haitians have access to clean water, hospitals have expanded surgical capabilities and sanitation has improved.

One of the greatest concerns now is the estimated 600,000 Haitians who left Port-au-Price. Many are living with host families in rural Haiti, so USAID is working to distribute food and medical supplies outside the capital city.

Milligan praised all the agencies involved in Haiti relief, and noted a joint effort of this scale was unprecedented. He added that investments in disaster situation relief training and preparation at USAID have paid off.

He also made note of the Haitian staff members who were aiding in the U.S. effort. "The Haitians who work through USAID and the embassy have had enormous challenges, but they come in every day and help us all work together to address our needs," he said.