One of our trucks has just returned and some more are preparing to leave. We sent this truck alone with supplies, as a test to report the logistical needs. The situation is desperate as you are probably aware. Our next convoy is preparing to leave with armed escort and one has medical supplies. But we urgently need a small pick up truck to enable supplies to go into some areas. We also are running out of money for things like Diesal. Peter at Coastal is filling one truck, but we need to fill up again when they reach the border because of lack of fuel in Haiti.
Robert will be posting the photos when the next convoy returns with them.
We are working with Seavis Tours on the East Coast of the Dominican Republic and Listin Diario, if any one you in Santo Domingo who speaks Spanish can contact me by pm, we need you to speak with LD in person as their warehouses have many things waiting to go and we have one truck waiting to collect some things from them. We cannot get through to them by phone. We want to fill one truck with food. So if any of you can help by donating rice, beans, cooking oil, sauces, powdered milk, toilet rolls, toothpaste and brushes and babies nappies it would help greatly. We hope to reach Leogane which is at the epicentre and so far has not received help and the clinic and people are desperate. Most of the attention seems to be aimed at Port au Prince.
Here is the latest report I have received from Pierre and Maria, who have remained in Haiti;
Our relief went to Croix des Bouquets, and its suburbs (zones) Cite de Soleil, Village e Solidarite, Cite au Cayes, Solino and Carrefour.
The first thing Pierre and Maria did after they arrived was to form a committee consisting out of the people of AJEDH and the community leaders of each of the zones. The community leaders where made responsible for the communication and distribution of goods in their zone.
Centralized a camp was erected with a field kitchen and an area designated for a basic medical facility (which was very basic, because there is a lack of everything). The first shipment of goods was offloaded and the committee was responsible for distribution. Pierre and Maria went to the airport and contacted the relief organization COSE (France), and they trafficked medical equipment and the (foreign) staff to the camp.
!!! There were a lot of aid workers on the airport not knowing what to do because they didn't have a translator / guide and means of transport!!!!!!!!!,
The community leaders were asked to instruct the people to remain in their zone, to prevent flocking them all to the camp. In total approx. 12000 people reside in the different zones, without a roof above their head and without any of the basic supplies. The community leaders selected wounded for the first transport to the field hospital.
The community leaders made sure the food we brought was cooked and they organized an orderly distribution. Children and old people first; the food was supplied in portions that should be eaten on the spot. The community leaders were responsible for the security and they activated community members to support them.
The next two days were spend to transfer wounded to the field hospital and more specialized facilities. And to gather materials and supplies to built up the camp and hospital.
There is a lack of the following items:
- medicines and medical supplies, wheelchairs, tables/ stretchers, food, water purification,
- buckets and rope (there are wells but not means to get the water out), flashes, megaphones, plates and cutlery, shelters (plastic car covers).
What did we learn:
1. Organizations that want to help should concentrate on a specific suburb or area. There should be a centralized registration point of who is working where.
2. In each area the local community leaders (formal / informal) should be involved and organized in a committee. The community leaders should organize the distribution and security in their zone. GET THE LOCAL PEOPLE INVOLVED!!!!
3. A centralized kitchen and medical facility is advisable; however people should stay in their zone.
4. Each area should have the availability of a Haitian guide/ translator and a minibus / small truck manned with a Haitian driver to create the means of transport. One of them should have a cell phone with car charger.
5. There should be some funding channeled to the teams. The teams should have recognizable T-shirts or badges to formalize their position
6. The teams should have access to the depots of the large aid organizations (or be supplied from the DR). They should have funds or access to fuel.
What can we do:
1. We can -within a couple of days- activate 50 teams consisting of guides/ translators with local knowledge and minibuses with Haitian drivers. Pierre and Maria will brief the teams and they can be send to a specific area in Port-Au-Prince and copy the structure Pierre and Maria implemented.
2. Aid organizations can tap from this resource (contact us).
3. The teams can pick up aid workers from Port-au-Prince airport of SDO airport.
4. The teams will be able to traffic supplies from warehouses to the areas and bring back the wounded to hospitals.
We will analyze the situation further, but we first want to get this message out.
I cannot contact Pierre on the ground because of the communications, he is only in contact when he is near the border.
Thanks again to Alexander from Seavis Tours for all his great help..
Robert will be posting the photos when the next convoy returns with them.
We are working with Seavis Tours on the East Coast of the Dominican Republic and Listin Diario, if any one you in Santo Domingo who speaks Spanish can contact me by pm, we need you to speak with LD in person as their warehouses have many things waiting to go and we have one truck waiting to collect some things from them. We cannot get through to them by phone. We want to fill one truck with food. So if any of you can help by donating rice, beans, cooking oil, sauces, powdered milk, toilet rolls, toothpaste and brushes and babies nappies it would help greatly. We hope to reach Leogane which is at the epicentre and so far has not received help and the clinic and people are desperate. Most of the attention seems to be aimed at Port au Prince.
Here is the latest report I have received from Pierre and Maria, who have remained in Haiti;
Our relief went to Croix des Bouquets, and its suburbs (zones) Cite de Soleil, Village e Solidarite, Cite au Cayes, Solino and Carrefour.
The first thing Pierre and Maria did after they arrived was to form a committee consisting out of the people of AJEDH and the community leaders of each of the zones. The community leaders where made responsible for the communication and distribution of goods in their zone.
Centralized a camp was erected with a field kitchen and an area designated for a basic medical facility (which was very basic, because there is a lack of everything). The first shipment of goods was offloaded and the committee was responsible for distribution. Pierre and Maria went to the airport and contacted the relief organization COSE (France), and they trafficked medical equipment and the (foreign) staff to the camp.
!!! There were a lot of aid workers on the airport not knowing what to do because they didn't have a translator / guide and means of transport!!!!!!!!!,
The community leaders were asked to instruct the people to remain in their zone, to prevent flocking them all to the camp. In total approx. 12000 people reside in the different zones, without a roof above their head and without any of the basic supplies. The community leaders selected wounded for the first transport to the field hospital.
The community leaders made sure the food we brought was cooked and they organized an orderly distribution. Children and old people first; the food was supplied in portions that should be eaten on the spot. The community leaders were responsible for the security and they activated community members to support them.
The next two days were spend to transfer wounded to the field hospital and more specialized facilities. And to gather materials and supplies to built up the camp and hospital.
There is a lack of the following items:
- medicines and medical supplies, wheelchairs, tables/ stretchers, food, water purification,
- buckets and rope (there are wells but not means to get the water out), flashes, megaphones, plates and cutlery, shelters (plastic car covers).
What did we learn:
1. Organizations that want to help should concentrate on a specific suburb or area. There should be a centralized registration point of who is working where.
2. In each area the local community leaders (formal / informal) should be involved and organized in a committee. The community leaders should organize the distribution and security in their zone. GET THE LOCAL PEOPLE INVOLVED!!!!
3. A centralized kitchen and medical facility is advisable; however people should stay in their zone.
4. Each area should have the availability of a Haitian guide/ translator and a minibus / small truck manned with a Haitian driver to create the means of transport. One of them should have a cell phone with car charger.
5. There should be some funding channeled to the teams. The teams should have recognizable T-shirts or badges to formalize their position
6. The teams should have access to the depots of the large aid organizations (or be supplied from the DR). They should have funds or access to fuel.
What can we do:
1. We can -within a couple of days- activate 50 teams consisting of guides/ translators with local knowledge and minibuses with Haitian drivers. Pierre and Maria will brief the teams and they can be send to a specific area in Port-Au-Prince and copy the structure Pierre and Maria implemented.
2. Aid organizations can tap from this resource (contact us).
3. The teams can pick up aid workers from Port-au-Prince airport of SDO airport.
4. The teams will be able to traffic supplies from warehouses to the areas and bring back the wounded to hospitals.
We will analyze the situation further, but we first want to get this message out.
I cannot contact Pierre on the ground because of the communications, he is only in contact when he is near the border.
Thanks again to Alexander from Seavis Tours for all his great help..
