SOLLIMS Sampler Special Edition, May 2017 | Page 25
In the first few weeks, it became apparent that the biggest challenge facing the
Haitian government was the IDPs – especially those who had set up spontane-
ous settlements in areas prone to flooding. At the strategic level, the JTF and
USAID worked closely with the UN and the Haitian government to develop an
IDP strategy. Upon agreement to this strategy, JTF engineering projects were
accomplished – which mitigated the risks for those camps (9 major camps) that
had been assessed as being likely to experience flooding during the rainy
season. Then, approximately 6,000 people at other camps/sites still needed to
be moved to safer ground. To complete the operation, the JTF provided the
requisite engineering support, transportation assets, and civil affairs teams to the
UN, and the endangered people were moved to safety. Various relief efforts
continued well after this IDP protection/relocation project – and the partnering
and unity of effort prompted by JTF-Haiti's innovations continued to enhance
success.
Recommendations.
The authors of this article, General P.K. (Ken) Keen and three Army officers who
served in JTF-H, provide the following recommendations that the U.S. military,
interagency, the UN, and the international community can apply for future
disaster responses:
1. Develop a more robust and capable disaster response assessment and initial
life-saving response team. (The Global Response Force was invaluable, but
greater situational awareness was needed to set priorities and drive logistics.)
2. Have combatant commands maintain a JTF capable force (with Joint logistics
capabilities adaptable to external requirements), trained and ready to deploy in
support of a foreign disaster relief operation with the Global Response Force.
3. Develop an international disaster response framework for nations to deploy
civilian and military capability to respond to disasters (a framework that allows
inclusion in planning, logistics, and information systems).
4. Conduct exercises (with U.S. agencies, partner nations, and the UN) to
develop relationships and refine processes and systems.
5. Codify the use of coordination centers like the U.S. JTF-Haiti Humanitarian
Assistance Coordination Center and UN coordinating support committee; make
them adaptable to any existing partner-nation center.
6. Develop and codify unclassified information-sharing tools like JTF-Haiti’s
humanitarian assistance common operating picture; make them adaptable to any
partner-nation’s existing system.
Table of Contents | Quick Look | Contact PKSOI
Page 24 of 36