Six months after Haiti was devastated by the earthquake, an estimated 1.5 million people are living in shelters, some of them in well organized camps, others in impromptu settlements.

The IOM Non-Food Item (NFI) team helps these communities by distributing essential items such as tarps, blankets, hygiene, kitchen and medical kits. The NFI team is often the first to respond to the needs of the displaced and frequently serves as a triage unit which refers individuals and communities to other departments and agencies for further assistance. 

"Many people know IOM because of our distribution among "hidden pockets" of the population. This programme serves as an entry point to the humanitarian system for these communities”, says Stéphane Trocher, NFI distribution programme manager. “Our teams were among the first on the ground immediately following the January 12 quake, distributing items to affected communities both in displaced camps and in neighbourhoods."

Since January 14, close to 2 million non food items have been distributed to nearly 300,000 families in cooperation with 178 NGO partners, in order to reach the broadest range possible amongst the disaster affected population.

IOM and partner aid organizations are trying to react as quickly  as possible to  requests from neighbourhood communities, small associations and agencies in the city as well as outside Port-au-Prince, in areas devastated by the quake, says Trocher, but gaps still remain.

Support for the programme comes from diverse sources including, the US Agency for International Development, the UK Department for International Development, the Government of Japan, and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation and for Humanitarian Assistance.