10 September 2008

Gonaïves, Haiti: In Gonaïves, northern Haiti, 101 people are estimated dead, 250,000 people's homes have been damaged, and another 50,000 people are indirectly affected by flooding. People need to know what's going on and where to seek aid, and press conferences arranged by UNV volunteer Vicky Delore Ndjeuga are helping to keep them in the picture.

In order to keep Haiti's population informed after the succession of hurricanes in September 2008, it is critical for journalists in hard-hit regions like Gonaïves to have access to information. However, disseminating information after natural disasters is a particular challenge: for example, only a few radio stations located in the higher floors of their buildings have survived the floods.

Some tasks would usually go to the Gonaïves city multimedia centre, but it was destroyed by the floods. It thus falls to Public Information Officers at the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) such as Mr. Ndjeuga to coordinate.

Mr. Ndjeuga arrived in the midst of the disaster to replace a colleague, but the Cameroon national had previously worked in the Gonaïves region for two years and thus already knew the journalists very well. "The meetings with local journalists aim to ensure that everybody knows their role during the crisis," Mr. Ndjeuga explains. "But many journalists have even lost their own houses. They have lost everything and are left with nothing."

The UNV volunteer has convinced local journalists to take voluntary action despite these problems. "In an area like Gonaïves, susceptible to risk, information is essential," he says. "The journalists in Gonaïves region confirmed that they would take part in an information campaign whatever the conditions, but they would need assistance."

Haitian journalists are thus banding together and sharing those offices that are still functioning. "The journalists' articles and reports carry the names of all journalists who have participated rather than just one," says Mr. Ndjeuga.

Vicky Delore Ndjeuga mainly provides advice and support to journalists, also writing articles and regularly works with Radio MINUSTAH. "Many organizations - like the World Food Programme (WFP), International Organization for Migration (IOM), United Nations Fund for Children (UNICEF) and MINUSTAH - are involved in managing the crisis and it is important to explain their role," he says.

Public Information Sections are instrumental in UN peacekeeping missions, helping people to understand better what both the 'blue helmets' as well as the civilian component are doing for them whether during the normal course of the mission or after incidents such as the hurricanes. They act to promote a clear and coherent message, and aim to be a reliable, accurate and non-partisan source of information. MINUSTAH's Public Information Section includes seven UNV volunteers, all working towards this goal.