The top UN official in Haiti traveled to UN headquarters for the first time in eight weeks and briefed the press on Haiti recovery efforts.  Here are some (paraphrased) highlights from the briefing.  You can watch for yourself via UN webcast

-Non-MINUSTAH troops (i.e. American, Jamaican, and Canadian troops that were invited by the Haitian government to help with post-earthquake efforts) are beginning to leave.  Mullet says that security in many IDP camps will, no doubt, be hard to maintain. Rape and violence against women are a particular concern.  The challenge, he says, is that there are around 900 different IDP camps in scattered all over Port au Prince and its been difficulty to provide security in all those places.  The idea is to consolidate many of the IDP camps so that security--and other services--can be better delivered.  He acknowledged, however, that there's a concern that by consolidating these camps the groundwork may be laid for creating vast new slums. This is something that the UN and the Haitian government are striving to avoid. 

-While there has been progress in areas like food and water distribution, shelter and sanitation remain a very dire concern.  They still lack sufficient number of tents--and the rainy season is fast approaching. 

-Mullet said the UN puts the total death count at 220,000 at the very least, but echoed that we may never know the full number.

Meanwhile, the United Nations held a memorial service today for 101 UN staffers who lost their lives during the Haiti earthquake.  Full biographies of the deceased UN workers were compiled by their colleagues and posted to this site. 

Here were Ban's remarks.

Excellencies,

Dear colleagues,

Dear friends,

Above all, dear families of those to whom we sadly bid farewell:

Let us begin by thanking the families and friends who have traveled far to be with us. To those who could not be here, please know that our hearts are with you.

We are joined by duty stations around the world — the men and women of our proud United Nations.

Among them are the members of our UN mission in Haiti, who have carried on despite their pain and hardship.

I thank Mr. Edmond Mulet and his courageous staff who are working tirelessly - day in, day out – in MINUSTAH [UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti]. I highly commend [you] and I am deeply grateful to all of you.

Today, we commemorate the single greatest loss the UN has suffered in its history.

We remember 101 lives of consequence.

We honor 101 unique paths that joined in Haiti to write the larger story of the United Nations.

These women and men were our own. They were family.

They came to Haiti from all corners of the world, from all walks of life.

Yet they shared a common conviction … a belief in a better future for the people of Haiti, and a common resolve to help them build it.

Now those 101 paths come together one final time, here in this chamber, through us … families and friends, colleagues and loved ones.

The world knew them as trusted diplomats, dedicated humanitarians and conscientious professionals.

They were doctors and drivers, police officers and policy advisers, soldiers and lawyers — each contributing to the mission, each in his or her own way.

To us they were even more.

We knew them, very personally. We knew their smiles, their songs, their dreams.

Now we cannot forget the last email, the last conversation, the last meal together, the last au revoir.

Their words echo: "Don't worry about me. This is where I need to be."

At the United Nations, we don't simply share office space; we share a passion for a better world.

So it is no surprise that many of these 101 paths criss-crossed the globe through the years.

In Cambodia and the DRC. Eritrea and East Timor. Kosovo and Sierra Leone.

Whether they came to Haiti … or came from Haiti … they knew that hope shines in even the darkest corners.

And so they chased the flame. Wherever they went, they carried the light of hope.

And as they fulfilled their mission in Haiti, they illuminated a profound truth:

Earthquakes are a force of nature, but people move the world.

Today, our hearts are heavy with a burden almost too difficult to bear.

Yet perhaps like you, it is gratitude that I feel most of all.

Gratitude to the international community for the spontaneous, whole-hearted and unstinting support in the face of this tragedy.

Gratitude to the rescue teams, aid workers, governments and NGOs [Non-Governmental Organizations] that rallied to our side, determined to help Haiti to recover and, in time, to “build back better.”

Gratitude to the people of Haiti, for their strength, resilience and faith … the faith of human spirit, the spirit that burns in all of us today.

I commend and appreciate the leadership of President [René] Preval and his Government and his people

Gratitude fills this chamber — profound thanks that our world and our lives were touched by the grace and nobility of these 101 UN heroes.

Ladies and gentlemen,

In life, we are measured by the company we keep.

To those here today, let us know that this is our measure. This is the company we keep.

To those we have lost, let us say: we will never forget you. We will carry on your work.

In a moment we will read out their names … the roll call of highest honor.

Look at their pictures. Look into their eyes. Remember their smiles and their dreams.

Together we stand … in honor of the victims … and in deepest sympathy for the bereaved.

May I now ask you to rise and join me in a minute of silence. Thank you.

At 8pm EST, Season 8 winner Kris Allen will perform "Let it Be" and present footage of his trip to Haiti with the UN Foundation.

Kris traveled with UN Foundation CEO Kathy Calvin to Haiti to raise funds and awareness last week. This episode is part of the show's Idol Gives Back series, intended to do exactly what the title suggests. Viewers will be able to donate online or by texting during the show.

For a primer on the UN's work in Haiti, check out our coverage.  Mark also posted some clips from the trip.

*Photo: American Idol

Six weeks after the earthquake, just how urgent is the need for emergency shelter in Haiti?  According to the latest UN figures, there are over 1.2 million people living in makeshift tent cities that have popped up in parks, public spaces, along the sides of the road, and even in a golf course by people made homeless by the earthquake.  According to the UN Office fo the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) only 22% of people living in these so-called "spontaneous settlements" have received basic tents or tarpaulins that can shield them from the elements.

So far, providing emergency shelter has been one of the more challenging aspects of the international humanitarian response to the Haiti earthquake.   For one, donations earmarked for the provision of emergency shelter have been low in comparison to other sectors of the humanitarian response.  For example, while the so-called "health cluster" reached 107% of its requested funding from the UN's initial $577 million appeal, the shelter cluster only received 47% of its requested funding.

This is a matter of donor preference.  The UN sets what it thinks are the appropriate need levels based on its assessments on the ground, but it is up to donors (including governments, philanthropies, corporations and individuals) to decide where they want their money to go.  The provision of emergency shelter was somehow less attractive to donors in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake than other causes.. Fortunately, a special UN fund was used to fill the gap in the underfunded sectors. (Also, it should be noted that much of the money that did go toward emergency shelter early on, came from the Central Emergency Response Fund. Disclosure.) 

Another obstacle is the sheer logistical challenge. Gerhard Tauscher is coordinating the on-the-ground response from NGOs and international organizations that are helping to provide emergency shelter. In an email, he says that part of the problem is over-crowding in the spontaneous settlements.  "In many areas in town, where people live in tents, there isn´t simply the space to set up a tent," he writes.  On top of that, Tauscher says shipping capacity into the island of Hispaniola is still limited because of small or damaged harbor facilities.

Still, Tauscher warns that with the rainy season starting soon, "a solution needs to be in place quickly."  He says the most flexible, short term solution is to distribute emergency shelter tool kits and Tarpaulins."  Shelter kits cost about $30 and tarpaulins $15. Each are large enough to cover a family of five.   "That's the most flexible, most realistic option to help people to make it over the rainy season," says Tauscher. "All longer term solutions...need more time to become real."  

The pressure felt by aid workers on the ground on the ground is also being expressed by top UN officials. In an email to his staff on Friday, obtained by UN Dispatch, the UN's top Humanitarian Official John Holmes cited the lack of emergency shelter the greatest risk facing Haiti:

Overall, the humanitarian situation in Haiti is undoubtedly improving day-by-day. However, the situation will remain extremely complex with huge challenges to overcome for the next weeks and months. There are still serious needs to be addressed in the areas of shelter, sanitation, camp management and rubble removal (known now as "debris management"). The biggest immediate risk is that the rainy season will set in before enough people have the minimum emergency shelter provision, which will not only pose potentially life threatening risks to many people but could also have adverse political effects.  [Emphasis mine]

On Thursday, OCHA released a $1.4 billion appeal for emergency relief and reconstruction, of which $118,523,653 is allocated for shelter.  In practice, this means that the UN has a set a goal of providing 100,000 families with emergency waterproof shelters like the tarpaulin and shelter kit between now and May 1st. The next step is to provide so-called "transitional shelters" that are more sturdy and would last a few years until permanant housing is constructed.    

That's the plan at least.  But it is going to take money to make it happen. As of the launch of the appeal on Thursday, only 22% of that $118.5 million had been received by aid organizations that are procuring and distributing the emergency and transitional housing.  This number will grow as more pledges come in, but organizations on the ground need all the help they can get. 

How can we help?  The International Federation for the Red Cross/Crescent is coordinating emergency shelter efforts across Haiti along with a number of NGOs and international organizations. These include the International Organization for Migration, UN Habitat, Care International,  Save the Children, the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, and Action Against Hunger, among others. Individuals can take a look at any of those organizations. 

Alternatively, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs lists a couple of options for people wishing to donate to under-funded aspects of the Haiti relief effort.  The first is the Emergency Response Relief Fund for Haiti (EERF), which OCHA describes as "An easy way to give to the Flash Appeal...The ERRF is ideal for donors who prefer not to choose specific organizations in the appeal...The ERRF will distribute funds to fill funding gaps and ensure the most urgent actions have enough resources."  A second is the Central Emergency Response Fund (again, disclosure) which OCHA describes as, "a global standby fund to help victims of disasters and conflicts worldwide. CERF rapidly committed an immediate allocation of $25 million for Haiti. This contribution has been key to ensuring CERF can continue its worldwide role while also supporting large-scale immediate relief in Haiti. OCHA manages CERF and has an agreement with the United Nations Foundation, a 501C3, to receive tax-deductible donations from US tax payers."

Everyone is racing the clock ahead of the rainy season, which is set to beging in May.  If you want to help Haiti's where it needs help the most, consider donating to any one of these funds or organizations. 

Image: Flickr  Displaced Haitians living on the grounds of Port-au-Prince's Petionville Club, formerly a golf and tennis resort, unite in prayer as part of a three-day, citywide mourning for the thousands of lives lost in their country's violent earthquake one month ago, on 12 January. 12/Feb/2010. Port-au-Prince, Haiti. UN Photo/Sophia Paris

Time.com ran an article yesterday that addressed a tough question – what is going to happen to amputees in Haiti? What happens to a culture that has traditionally excluded amputees when suddenly 100,000 people lose limbs? And how do those amputees get the medical care that they need? One answer might be an affordable prosthetic foot developed in India.

Haiti has not historically offered many services for amputees. Prostheses were rare, and amputees tended to assume their productive lives were over. Now, as a result of earthquake injuries, approximately 100,000 people have now had limbs amputated.

Ordinary fundraising is unlikely to be able to meet this enormous need. Prosthetic limbs are expensive; even the most basic model costs a minimum of $1000. Charitable donations of prostheses will not be able to meet a need for a hundred million limbs. Haiti is going to need a new model if its amputees are going to be able to lead fulfilling lives. Time magazine supports the suggestion of a UN official that Haiti manufacture its own prosthetic limbs, developing a large-scale prosthetic industry.  

I agree with the unnamed UN official. This is a great opportunity for Haiti to take care of its own people, create jobs, and develop industry. I also have a suggestion for how to get started. The Jaipur Foot was developed in India. It is durable, highly functional, and low cost. The limb is manufactured using technology easily available in India; I am sure that it would also be available in Haiti. The organization behind it has already done trainings for technicians around the world. They would be an excellent fit for Haiti.