Far be it from me to try and deter anyone who wants to go to Haiti to help, I wanted to take our plane down but one of the other "Company" planes was already refused departure due to a ground stop in Atlanta.
Please please please think of Diarrhea, Measles, Cholera, Malaria Typhoid and God only knows what else that will be epidemic within the next couple days.
If you have not been inoculated think of the problems this may cause. There are not enough meds for the victims let alone the aid workers
Let the professionals who have been inoculated (Military, Red Cross etc) handle the initial relief, there will be months and years of assistance needed, don't compound the problems by going to Haiti and needing housing, food, medicine, clogging roads that heavy trucks and equipment need to pass on (The thought of some self anointed Rent a Cops riding herd on a convoy of broken down trucks conjures images of firefights and more death), there is a reason for the initial "slow" build up and it is logistics.
I realize we have heard nothing but horror stories of not enough "hands, " but by mid week their will be thousands of US troops , UN workers, Canadian Army, EU Soldiers ,Dominican troops and who knows what else (Self sustained) in the area with heavy equipment. (If I left out any country it was not intentional)
Getting in the way of these trained professionals and creating additional security concerns will only slow their work
Again, I applaud anyone who truly wants to go to Haiti and get their "Hands dirty," but your presence will likely cause more harm than good. I feel bad saying this but it is true
Give whatever money or goods you can and let the large trucks with professional workers transport it to where it is most needed
Please please please think of Diarrhea, Measles, Cholera, Malaria Typhoid and God only knows what else that will be epidemic within the next couple days.
If you have not been inoculated think of the problems this may cause. There are not enough meds for the victims let alone the aid workers
Let the professionals who have been inoculated (Military, Red Cross etc) handle the initial relief, there will be months and years of assistance needed, don't compound the problems by going to Haiti and needing housing, food, medicine, clogging roads that heavy trucks and equipment need to pass on (The thought of some self anointed Rent a Cops riding herd on a convoy of broken down trucks conjures images of firefights and more death), there is a reason for the initial "slow" build up and it is logistics.
I realize we have heard nothing but horror stories of not enough "hands, " but by mid week their will be thousands of US troops , UN workers, Canadian Army, EU Soldiers ,Dominican troops and who knows what else (Self sustained) in the area with heavy equipment. (If I left out any country it was not intentional)
Getting in the way of these trained professionals and creating additional security concerns will only slow their work
Again, I applaud anyone who truly wants to go to Haiti and get their "Hands dirty," but your presence will likely cause more harm than good. I feel bad saying this but it is true
Give whatever money or goods you can and let the large trucks with professional workers transport it to where it is most needed