Urban Disaster Response and Recovery Gender-sensitive Wash Programming in Post-earthquake Haiti

This paper highlights key lessons learned from emergency WASH programming in Haiti
following the earthquake. It also emphasizes Oxfam’s efforts to provide WASH assistance via a gender-sensitive approach. In addition, we hope that the paper will be a helpful tool for use
response to other large-scale, mainly urban disasters, particularly with regard to gender-sensitive approaches to emergency WASH assistance. The rest of the paper is structured as follows: first, it examines the links between the pre-earthquake WASH sector problems and humanitarian interventions following the earthquake. We then look at the long and short-term objectives of Oxfam’s intervention as well as at its design and implementation, with an emphasis on gender-sensitive programming. We explore the partnerships through which Oxfam implemented the programme, and some of the challenges faced. We discuss the lessons learned from the response, and conclude by looking at the post-earthquake prospects for gender-sensitive, equitable WASH systems.