Kidnapping Resumes
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- US Army on Patrol
With the reduction of the foreign military presence in Haiti aid workers must remain vigilant against acts of kidnapping. Kidnapping was a major problem in Haiti prior to the earthquake and will likely increase as the gangs responsible regroup. The news Friday of the release of two Belgian MSF workers held captive for nearly a week may signal the resumption of this heinous activity which has plagued Haiti for so long.
Profiting from Aid Agencies
Profiting from Aid Agencies
by Eric Adrien
The area immediately surrounding Port-au-Prince International Airport has become one of the largest campsites in the devastated capital. The United Nations headquarters known as Log Base, local residents and an alphabet soup of aid agencies, are all setting up camp in the area.
Unfortunately, as one goes through the various camps located throughout Port-au-Prince, the visibility of the various aid agencies declines. In the neighborhood of Delmas I visited the St. Louis campsite named after the school grounds of which it is located; the remaining structures are clearly unusable for a school. Except for some water supplied by the Red Cross and a few members of the US army providing security, there were few visible signs of the multibillion dollar relief effort. It was here that I meet David LaGuerre, a former taxi driver now residing in a neighboring camp. His apprehension and frustration was clearly visible as he pulled me to the side quietly and suggested that we talk away from the area.
I asked about the relief efforts provided to the camp. He told me that there is a daily food distribution campaign; however, the food is not reaching starving people.
Here, as in many other camps, committees have been established to aid in the food distribution process. The committees are given the food by the relief agencies and then it their responsibility to distribute the food equitably. Unfortunately. this is often not the case. Rations are divided first among the committees and the remaining food is then sold by committee members to residents of the camp. To combat unruly residents the committees enlist enforcers who are responsible for keeping residents in line; thus the reason for Laguerre’s trepidation.
In areas other than camps, committees are established and supposed to represent all the residents of a particular neighborhood. When food rations are provided, the supplies are first given to family and friends and then stockpiled by the so-called committee leaders and sold on the open market.
Individuals congregate at the camps claiming to have lost their homes in order to receive free food rations only to return to their still standing home later in the day.
If one drives up the mountains away from Port-au-Prince toward Thomassin, World Food Programme rice can be seen for sale at nearly every local market, along with a variety of other local goods.
This profiteering is not just limited to food rations. Within the camps tarps are also a valuable commodity; they can be cut up and sold by the piece to patch missing portions of the tents or other temporary shelters. In addition, USAID tarps are easily available on the open market as are any number of other relief supplies.
The influx of free food is beginning to undermine the livelihood of farmers who make the long journey to Port-au-Prince to sell their produce.
These practices are likely to continue until the organizations providing relief ensure that the aid is distributed to individuals rather than committees. This will require a greater investment of time in the camps rather than simply dropping and driving; it is this investment which will have the greatest returns.
Cynicism
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- Skull on stick atop rubble in PaP, Haiti
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- Skull on stick atop rubble in PaP, Haiti
Cynicism is on the rise as after nearly two months conditions remain as they were in the days following the earthquake.
Second Humanitarian Tragedy- Malaria
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- Michel Yvan Saint Jean, Gadner Michaud, Vely Jean-Francois, Eric Adrien
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- Malaria Poster
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- Dirty Water
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- Michel Yvan Saint Jean, Gadner Michaud, Vely Jean-Francois, Eric Adrien
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- Malaria Poster
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- Dirty Water
The need to combat outbreaks of malaria and other mosquito borne diseases is critical to avert a second humanitarian tragedy.
In my meeting with the director of the National Laboratory’s Anti Malaria Program, Vely Jean-Francois, it was emphasized that cases of both Malaria and Elephantiasis are on the upswing. He stressed the need for greater coordination between the various aid agencies and the Haitian government on this matter to head off the possibility of mass outbreaks.
According to Maplecroft risk management service, “It is highly probable that the prevalence of malaria will increase in the wake of the disaster. Overcrowding in the camps for the displaced, inadequate shelter and sanitation, overburdened medical facilities, ruptured sewer systems- all these factors provide favourable conditions for the breeding of malaria vectors.”- (Fiona Place)
Ashes
In the aftermath of the quake many of the private family graves in Port-au-Prince were broken into and filled with bodies unceremoniously dumped at the cemetery. The remaining bodies were burned.
Unsung Hero- Hotel Montana
UNSUNG HERO
The Hotel Montana was once one of Haiti’s most luxurious hotels.
Today it serves as one of many sad reminders of the earthquake which decimated the Haitian capital.
The devastation was complete and the unmistakable smell of death was everywhere as I made my way past the US army checkpoint up a hill to a small brown tent which serves as the site headquarters.
I was greeted by Norm Skjelbreia of Seattle, Washington. Norm serves as the Incident Commander for the US Army Corps of Engineers which is still working vigorously in the recovery effort.
When Norm and his team arrived most of the cameras had already gone, and there were no more stories of miraculous recoveries.
Norm is amazingly cheery as he gives me a tour of the operations and the painstaking and often dangerous work of the Corps. He has worked with the Corps for over thirty years, and his dedication can be seen as clearly as the bright orange helmet and long grey beard that he proudly displays. Although he loves his work, he laments that his job is all too often a matter of recovery rather than rescue.
As with most of the areas affected by the earthquake, the number of dead at Hotel Montana still remains unknown. Every so often his team will recover personal items thought to belong to a deceased victim, only to receive a phone call later from the person attempting to recover their luggage. Norm noted that it is a relief to realize there is one less victim; however, the profound lack of clear communication and accountability in Haiti compounds the Corps work.
The work of his team and others like them provides desperately sought closure to families who are able to find lost relatives as well as closure for those families which must now face the certainty of loved ones permanently lost to the quake.
Continual and often powerful aftershocks also contribute to the already dangerous situation. Norm recounts being awaked at 1:30 in the morning by a 4.7 aftershock which caused his trailer to roll violently on its wheels. Even in the apparent safety of his trailer a small aftershock can have deadly consequences during excavation efforts.
Norm remains one of the many unsung heroes working tirelessly to help both families and a nation recover.
Devastation in Port-au-Prince
The devastation in Port-au-Prince was far greater than I anticipated. Countless buildings were reduced to nothing but rubble without any visible trace of the preexisting structure.
Many Haitians believe that the death toll is far greater than the current estimates (up to 500,000) and still many of the bodies remain un-recovered.
Preparations
I am grateful by all the support I have received from my friends in Europe and across the world.
Five weeks after the earthquake commercial flights have resumed today to Port-au-Prince.
For the past several weeks I have been making logistical preparations and gathering supplies for my flight on the 22 of February.
