Haiti Earthquake from Mark Coughlin Media on Vimeo.
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"The rainy season in Haiti is deadly even in a good year. Now, in a devastated capital city, the early spring rains threaten to cause landslides and bring about health problems in the makeshift camps where more than 500,000 people are living."
"When temporary units on private, commercial and community sites are no longer needed, it’s a further sign that our citizens are moving forward in their recovery,” added State Coordinating Officer Ben Patterson. “We are very happy to see our residents find more permanent housing"
"Leogane is a town of 180,000 people, spread across urban and rural areas. We are located in Darbonne, a neighborhood 4km outside of the Leogane town center. Much of the population is living in tent camps or on the street in front of their damaged or destroyed homes. Tremors still affect the area and people are extremely afraid, so much so that many will not enter structures even during daylight hours. One of our focuses during the early part of the project will be rubble removal/demolition so that families can move from camps back onto their own clear space; we aim to expand to transitional construction, sanitation, and NGO support activities."
They acknowledged that it could be five years before most people moved back into houses, which means that under the current best-case situation, Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, will soon be blanketed with hundreds of thousands of simple structures that designers describe as “garden sheds” and others see as shanties."
"...five key logistical challenges --...a non-functioning government, ...backlog of flights...,damaged and small port, clogged overland routes...and security concerns."
"For three weeks since the international effort to feed millions of Haitians has been dogged by confusion, transportation snags, security problems and a lack of coordination. Before the coupon program started on Saturday, food giveaways had become a Darwinian sport — with biscuits and bottles of canola oil or biscuits thrown like footballs from the backs of trucks to masses of men jockeying for position.
Many are still hungry. As of Sunday, 639,200 people had received a meal from the United Nations’ World Food Program, 32 percent of the two million estimated to be in need."
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"The mobile clinic portion of our medical team includes a doctor, two nurses, and a volunteer “pharmacist.” For three days they worked their way up one of the hills, and set up in a different place each day....The wreckage from the earthquake up in this area can only be described as complete. There is nothing standing. We set up the clinic in the small, side yard of a partially standing house, with the pharmacy atop a wall littered with broken glass"and
"SUNDAY, JANUARY 31 began early with the realization that the pump wasn’t working, and we had to use buckets of water for flushing. Thirty five people need a lot of water. However, from there all the news goes up! At 9:00 AM, the representative of the International Lions Club arrived to bring us the good news that they had chosen Matthew 25 to be an official Lions Club Tent City...the camp will receive sturdy tents, and a hot kitchen will be set up along with latrines, and a School In A Box, so that the several hundred children in camp can begin to regain some stability and routine in their lives. We will also be the site of a dental clinic, as well as an eye care clinic....Thanks to Eric for the link. I will definitely begin following this one!
As if that wasn’t enough, we learned that Rays of Hope for Haiti, a small, Grand Rapids, Michigan-based organization that ships all manner of things down here had sent $8,000 worth of food destined for Matthew 25 through the Dominican Republic."
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"On March 27, 2010 we are asking people to go help others. Wherever you are, who ever you are. you can help someone. Volunteer at your local soup kitchen, your SPCA, the library, or even just help a neighbor.
All we ask of you is that you help someone. Then we'd love you to share your day with us via pictures, videos, or our toll free phone line that will record your message for all to hear. It will be a large group reflection that will show us all how our little good deeds can add up to a huge day of helping others!"
