Architectes de l'urgence/ Emmerrgency Architech

Emergency response

- Evaluation of buildings

Emergency Architects were present in the first days after the earthquake and used their expertise to evaluate the most important buildings in Port-au-Prince and to allow there reopening so they could be used for basic activities. This first phase of the evaluation included 22 hospitals, 25 NGO headquarters to enable the re-starting of aid activities, 12 service infrastructures such as electricity generation, 27 schools and 42 other buildings serving for example for the reception of victims.

As a result of this action:

◦Hundreds of patients could be operated on in operating theatres instead of in the street,
◦Dozens of schools were able to re-open their doors in safe conditions,
◦Numerous NGOs found places to pilot their actions of humanitarian aid,
◦Several basic services were re-established which enabled workers to return to their jobs,
◦New victims were avoided by the installation of a security perimeter.

- Training in evaluation

In order to transfer our knowledge and to intensify the evaluation activity of which the country had an enormous need, we gave training to Haitian building professionals. Several of whom were already working with us.

- The distribution of shelters

A programme for the distribution of 700 shelters to victimised families is on going in Gressier, a commune to the south-west of Port-au Prince, near to the epicentre. The evaluation of buildings is essential for this type of project.
There is a need to distinguish between the families who really need a shelter because their house is no longer viable, from those who could return to their houses but stay outside because of a psychological block and who can be convinced to return to their houses to reduce the numbers in the camps.

The necessary systematic evaluations to do this are being carried out. Our provisional estimation in the Gressier area shows that 3 families in 4 really need a shelter. Moreover, half of the rare houses that are still standing have not been re-integrated for the reason given above.

An evaluation project on a larger scale, which includes the distribution of shelters and repairing of the houses which have been partially damaged, is being finalised with UN-Habitat, an agency of the United Nations for housing. This project will cover Martissant, a quarter of Port-au-Prince and Gressier.