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Article
It’s Devin’s birthday….but Haiti gets the presents
Devin Greene is just 7 years old, but the first-grader at Ainsworth Elementary School in Portland, Oregon, knew exactly what he wanted for his birthday: lots of presents — for Haiti. Devin Greene, whose birthday party raised more than $1,000 for Haiti, with his younger brother, Aidan. Photo: Amy Kohnstamm/Mercy Corps “We do a whole year of community service at school,” Devin explained. “So I thought up the idea to help the people in Haiti.” “Why did you want to help them?” I gently probed. Devin looked at me like I was from Mars. “Because they had an earthquake!” he exclaimed. “You must know that!” I admitted that I had indeed heard about the earthquake. “I felt bad that they had it,” Devin continued, adding with a bright smile, “and I felt so happy to help!” He even posed cheerfully for photos with his younger brother, Aidan, while his older brother, Gavin, looked on. Instead of birthday gifts, Devin asked the 55 children attending his party (held at a community center, not at home, as his mom was quick to point out) to contribute to Mercy Corps’ relief and recovery work in Haiti. When his bucket of money was counted, Devin’s party yielded an impressive $1,025. “I’m excited to send the money to Haiti,” said Devin as he handed his haul to a Mercy Corps staffer, “because I never did this before.” With the fundraising success he’s already achieved, you can bet Devin will soon be looking for other ways to be of service.
9 February 2010
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Article
Making the most of what we can get
We're fortunate to have access to lots of low-end electronic equipment here in Haiti. Buildings aren't widely equipped with network cables, so wireless is key to making things work. Off-the-shelf wireless routers usually don't come with a lot of advanced features, but in the days of open source software, I could expand the router's capabilities. If you are techy, check out http://www.dd-wrt.com to "unleash your router." Those of you that talk geek-speak can appreciate how amazing it was to set up a repeater bridge to get a network printer on the other side of the building online for everyone's use. This was just from a basic wireless router that wouldn't let you do much more than change the name of the wireless network. One of the boxes of high-energy biscuits that we delivered to displaced families in Mirebalais. Photo: Kody Leonard/Mercy Corps On Sunday we made a trip Mirebalais, a city flooded by at least 16,000 people who were displaced by the earthquake. I was relieved to see satellite dishes and computer businesses around town, meaning should we open an office there, then we'd have resources for connecting them to the Internet. We visited a night club-turned-displacement-camp, where kids were huddled around a small DVD player to watch Jet Li while we met with the owner of the club. He showed us a box of the high-energy biscuits they received. They are the size and weight of bricks, much heavier than I expected. They told us how they crushed them down into a powder and added water to make it easier to feed the kids. Yesterday, I met up with Fran, who is setting up NetHope partners with antennas to connect to their VSATs. We scouted out our options at the office and we found a break in the trees that will allow us to make the connection! This will give us a more reliable and faster connection when we get it up and running. Today, I'm headed out to our future Haiti headquarters to assess its IT needs. This particular project has extended my stay here, but it's worth it to make sure our programs are fully functional.
9 February 2010
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Article
What We're Doing in Haiti
Haitians left homeless after the earthquake camp out in a Port-au-Prince park. Photo: Photo: Reuters/STR New, courtesy www.alertnet.org Mercy Corps’ team of emergency response experts is working to meet the immediate needs of survivors in the aftermath of the devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake that rocked Haiti on January 12. At the same time, our team is laying the groundwork for longer-term recovery, drawing upon Mercy Corps’ three decades of experience helping disaster-struck communities transition from receiving aid to carrying out their own recovery. Haitian authorities estimate that more than 200,000 people died in the earthquake, and that three-quarters of the capital city, Port-au-Prince, will have to be rebuilt. The Mercy Corps team is coordinating with the United Nations and other aid groups on the ground to ensure the most efficient response. Team of Experts Mercy Corps has deployed an A-team of humanitarian first responders. These experts from around the world have collective experience that includes responses to the China earthquake, Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, and Hurricane Katrina. Learn more about our Haiti Response Team Right Now: Water, Trauma Support, Jobs The Mercy Corps response is currently focused on immediate humanitarian needs: food to beleaguered hospitals, water and sanitation, trauma support for children and job creation. Five days after the quake, this woman and her baby need water first, then food and shelter. Photo: Cassandra Nelson/Mercy Corps Earthquake survivors like this little girl are living in parks and vacant lots around Port-au-Prince. Photo: Cassandra Nelson/Mercy Corps Clean Water and Sanitation Water and sanitation assessments continue in preparation for securing clean water and safe latrines for 42,000 people in Haiti's capital. On February 3, our team installed a water filtration unit at a local hospital. Job Creation and Economic Recovery To jumpstart the decimated economy and begin rebuilding efforts in earthquake-affected areas, Mercy Corps has initiated a cash-for-work program that pays earthquake survivors a daily wage to clear debris, restore buildings and repair basic infrastructure. We plan to employ about 7,000 workers in some of Port-au-Prince's poorest and most-devastated neighborhoods. Through the cash-for-work approach, survivors carry out their own recovery efforts. Employing survivors gives them the dignity of earning an income they can then spend on the supplies they need for their families. Their purchases in turn help restart local commerce. Trauma Support for Children When the earthquake struck, all schools in Port-au-Prince collapsed. Haitian children who survived the earthquake experienced trauma that could negatively affect them for life. To help restore children’s sense of well-being, Mercy Corps is providing post-trauma help using Comfort for Kids. This counseling methodology was first developed in New York by Mercy Corps and Bright Horizons, a global workplace childcare provider, to help children recover from the trauma of 9/11. Subsequently, Mercy Corps has used Comfort for Kids to help children recover from the China and Peru earthquakes and Hurricane Katrina. A Long Track Record of Helping Recovery The earthquake in Haiti left three million people in need of aid, exacerbating the dire humanitarian situation in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The Caribbean nation suffers extreme hunger and political instability, and this disaster only increases the needs of thousands of impoverished Haitian families. Mercy Corps has a long track record of helping people living in the world’s toughest conditions to recover and rebuild after natural disasters and conflict. The agency has special expertise in disaster response that establishes a foundation for, and leads directly to, self-sufficiency. HOW TO HELP Mercy Corps is accepting donations toward our earthquake response. Public support thus far has been strong, and corporations such as Amazon.com, ITT Corporation, Best Buy, Western Union, Gap, Nike, and Trilogy/Voilà have generously contributed to our efforts.
8 February 2010
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Article
Haiti Response Team
Mercy Corps has deployed an A-team of humanitarian first responders. These experts from around the world have collective experience that includes responses to the China earthquake (2008), Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar (2008), and Hurricane Katrina (2005). Here are key members of our team: Leading our response is Richard Jacquot, who has directed our relief operations in the war-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo, cyclone-battered Myanmar and the U.S. Gulf Coast in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Bill Holbrook is our country director. Bill is a 20-year veteran of international aid work, including two tours in Haiti, relief work in Sudan and a five-year stint for Mercy Corps in Azerbaijan last decade. Carol Ward -- an emergency response manager who specializes in food security issues -- has taken part in Mercy Corps crisis operations in countries including Uganda, Lebanon, Myanmar and, most recently, Samoa. Gene Kunze brings 10 years of experience in humanitarian work and served as program director for our emergency response to China's Sichuan earthquake in 2008. Mugur Dumitrache is a crisis-tested water and sanitation advisor who's brought innovative solutions to the aftermath of dozens of disasters, including last year's earthquake in Indonesia. Sean Collins is a tested program manager and skilled logisitician with emergency experience in places including Indonesia and Iraq. Jacques Azemar is volunteering his logistical skills burnished during a 30-year tenure in the U.S. military. A former Army Colonel, Jacques is a Haitian-American who won many awards for his service in conflict zones during his career. Hans Van Liedekerke, a member of Mercy Corps' supply-chain management team, has over 15 years experience in the industry and is a well-known expert in devliering supplies during emergencies, including the Indian Ocean tsunami. Diane Johnson is Mercy Corps' Global Economic Development Coordinator, and brings experience managing Mercy Corps' programming in Afghanistan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, in addition to the Gulf Coast programs in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Griff Samples is a youth and children's programming specialist who led Mercy Corps' pioneering efforts to help children cope with traumatic events in New York after 9/11, New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and China after the Sichuan Earthquake, among others. Abdou Seyni is a senior finance and administration who has over 18 years of experience in his field. Kody Leonard has worked as a System Administrator with Mercy Corps for almost three years, supporting our headquarters and field staff with their IT needs. In Santo Domingo (logistics) Brian Atkinson works for Mercy Corps in Colombia. He has worked as a consultant, project coordinator, human rights researcher, and technical specialist throughout Latin America, where he also participated in Mercy Corps' earthquake response in Peru in 2007. Matthew Schwartzberg is a senior material aid officer for Mercy Corps who has previously coordinated supply shipments for disaster relief in Myanmar and China.
2 February 2010
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Article
A community's enthusiasm to heal their children
Today was my first day in Haiti. It’s an experience to arrive here: I came on a small plane with five other aid workers, two of them were Mercy Corps colleagues. We landed in a field behind the airport, a strangely empty facility with jagged cracks marking the concrete walls and one glass door shattered, looking like an eerie spiderweb. I spent a good chunk of my first day with Griff Samples, our “Comfort for Kids” specialist; Griff has designed and implemented psychosocial programs for us in New York City, China, New Orleans and Peru. In short, she’s a pro. After a meeting of the various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) involved in child protection issues, we headed to the Tabarre section of Port-au-Prince. This was a return trip for Griff. Last week, she was encouraged to meet with religious leaders of Tabarre to discuss Comfort for Kids and how it could facilitate post-trauma healing for kids. Expecting a small group, she was floored when 110 religious leaders of Catholic, Protestant and Evangelical churches showed up and warmly received her. Many of them told her that their churches were caring for orphans. Today we were back to discuss Comfort for Kids with the mayor and deputy mayor. (Apparently the folks who run each section of the city are referred to as “mayor.”) We walked into what has become a normal scene in Haiti. The mayor was sitting under a tree and tent outside the building that usually serves as his office. The building was compromised enough by the earthquake that the mayor and his staff decided not to go back in until February 21, by which time hopefully aftershocks will be over. The mayor’s “office” was surrounded by a group of about 30 Haitians, some conversing with him, others looking on with anticipation. “Some of these people are waiting for food,” he told me. “Others are waiting for jobs.” All of them seemed hopeful that their dynamic mayor could help. The mayor and his deputy led us to their “office annex.” That was a nearby fold-up table plopped on what appeared to be half construction site, half rubble pile. Our talk lasted nearly an hour and ended with success: the mayor and his deputy agreed to host trainings for adult caregivers — some of the same religious leaders Griff met with last week — this coming Thursday and Saturday. They are also happy to have us distribute “comfort kits” — a pack with toys, a blanket, a sippy cup and other items — to earthquake-affected children in Tabarre. As Mercy Corps enters week three of our earthquake response, it is exciting to see our psychosocial programs for kids getting off the ground.
1 February 2010
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Article
Oregon's Beacons of Achievement
George Rede January 30, 2010 http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2010/01/oregons_beacons_of_achievement.html Source Publication: The Oregonian Hardly a day goes by without a front-page headline on the latest crime, conflict or natural disaster. Readers get tired of negative news -- and sometimes we do, too. That's why we've decided (for a week, anyway) to shine a spotlight on the positive. Recently, we asked 50 Oregonians with an interest in public policy to help us identify some Oregon "success stories." Everyone touts the Oregon beach bill and the Oregon bottle bill as signature accomplishments -- but those laws date to 1967 and 1971, respectively. What have we done more recently? What can we brag about? We received more than 120 nominations from our contacts in government, business, education, religion, the arts and the nonprofit world, and then we tossed in a few of our own. From that list, we chose nine that reflect creative thinking and innovative approaches to problem solving. After the bruising campaign over the twin tax measures that were approved last week, just reading through these achievements made us feel better about our state. -- George Rede, Sunday Opinion Editor ... 7. Mercy Corps: Heroism of philanthropy improves lives elsewhere The world's philanthropic outreach to help remedy human suffering in earthquake-devastated Haiti has been powerful and continuing. As we have come to expect, among the first responders, with programs already involved onsite, was Portland-based Mercy Corps. But the heroism of philanthropy is even nobler when it occurs beyond the reach of sudden spotlights of publicity. This larger commitment is the deeper story of Mercy Corps. It works in more than 30 regions and nations of the world, places of unpublicized but intolerable circumstances -- places and peoples brutalized by economic collapse, natural disasters or armed conflicts. Over this last third of a century, Mercy Corps has grown to 3,200 experts across a range of professions that organizes people in each region to be "agents of their own transformation." When faced with the impossible, our normal human instinct usually is to do nothing. Mercy Corps' values-based mission takes a dramatically different view, working one step at a time to keep hope alive and to make progress a reality. I learned more about Mercy Corps when it became a neighbor to the University of Oregon's White Stag complex in Portland's Old Town. Consistent with its mission worldwide, Mercy Corps brought to its new worldwide headquarters an ethic of environmental sustainability, commitment to historic preservation and community rejuvenation. As an Oregonian I am proud to salute the worldwide impact of this selfless, effective effort to preserve and improve human lives. -- Dave Frohnmayer is former president of the University of Oregon and now teaches at the university's law school. ...
30 January 2010
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Article
Local Haiti Helper Returns Home
January 29, 2010 http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO134412/ Source Publication: WHDH-TV Watch the video clip by clicking here BOSTON -- A Boston-based relief worker has seen the disaster in Haiti firsthand. Mercy Corps aid worker Jenny Vaughan recently returned from the devastated nation, where she spent two weeks in Port-Au-Prince delivering aid to earthquake victims. “It just looked absolutely unimaginable even though it was there right before my eyes, walls had been blown out, the ceilings and floors were stacked right up on top of each other like a layer cake, it was absolutely unreal,” Vaughan said. She was one of the first mercy corps team members to arrive. “The streets were full of ruble, every available space was filled up with tarps and tents and blankets that people were camping in. At night people would line one side of the street to sleep and the other side of the street would be left empty for the cars to pass,” Vaughan said. Part of the agency’s mission included coordinating food distribution. “The largest hospital in Port-au-Prince, had access to not enough food for their patients and staff so we worked with the world food program to get access to food…ultimately we were able to provide them with enough food to feed a thousand people,” said Vaughan. And those with the agency know that while work is being done, there is a long road ahead. “I think the American people have been incredibly generous and we have to keep that focus up for the long term because this will not go away in the next month when the cameras leave,” she said. The agency says they are focusing on long term recovery, including boosting economic recovery and helping children cope with the trauma of this disaster.
29 January 2010
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Article
What We're Doing in Haiti
Haitians left homeless after the earthquake camp out in a Port-au-Prince park. Photo: Photo: Reuters/STR New, courtesy www.alertnet.org Mercy Corps’ team of emergency response experts is working to meet the immediate needs of survivors in the aftermath of the devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake that rocked Haiti on January 12. At the same time, our team is laying the groundwork for longer-term recovery, drawing upon Mercy Corps’ three decades of experience helping disaster-struck communities transition from receiving aid to carrying out their own recovery. Haitian authorities estimate that up to 200,000 people died in the earthquake, and that three-quarters of the capital city, Port-au-Prince, will have to be rebuilt. The Mercy Corps team is coordinating with the UN and other aid groups on the ground to ensure the most efficient response. Team of Experts Mercy Corps has deployed an A-team of humanitarian first responders. These experts from around the world have collective experience that includes responses to the China earthquake, Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar, and Hurricane Katrina. Learn more about our Haiti Response Team Right Now: Water, Trauma Support, Jobs The Mercy Corps response is currently focused on immediate humanitarian needs: food to beleaguered hospitals, water and sanitation, trauma support for children and job creation. Five days after the quake, this woman and her baby need water first, then food and shelter. Photo: Cassandra Nelson/Mercy Corps Earthquake survivors like this little girl are living in parks and vacant lots around Port-au-Prince. Photo: Cassandra Nelson/Mercy Corps Clean Water and Sanitation Water and sanitation assessments continue in preparation for securing clean water and safe latrines for 42,000 people in Haiti's capital. Job Creation and Economic Recovery To jumpstart the decimated economy and begin rebuilding efforts in earthquake-affected areas, Mercy Corps will initiate a cash-for-work program that pays earthquake survivors a daily wage to clear debris, restore buildings and repair basic infrastructure. Through the cash-for-work approach, survivors carry out their own recovery efforts. Employing survivors gives them the dignity of earning an income they can then spend on the supplies they need for their families. Their purchases in turn help restart local commerce. Trauma Support for Children When the earthquake struck, all schools in Port-au-Prince collapsed. Haitian children who survived the earthquake experienced trauma that could negatively affect them for life. To help restore children’s sense of well-being, Mercy Corps will provide post-trauma help using Comfort for Kids. This counseling methodology was first developed in New York by Mercy Corps and Bright Horizons, a global workplace childcare provider, to help children recover from the trauma of 9/11. Subsequently, Mercy Corps has used Comfort for Kids to help children recover from the China and Peru earthquakes and Hurricane Katrina. A Long Track Record of Helping Recovery The earthquake in Haiti left three million people in need of aid, exacerbating the dire humanitarian situation in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The Caribbean nation suffers extreme hunger and political instability, and this disaster only increases the needs of thousands of impoverished Haitian families. Mercy Corps has a long track record of helping people living in the world’s toughest conditions to recover and rebuild after natural disasters and conflict. The agency has special expertise in disaster response that establishes a foundation for, and leads directly to, self-sufficiency. HOW TO HELP Mercy Corps is accepting donations toward our earthquake response. Public support thus far has been strong, and corporations such as Amazon.com, ITT Corporation, Best Buy, Western Union, Gap, Nike, and Trilogy/Voilà have generously contributed to our efforts.
29 January 2010
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Article
Donors hear live updates from team in Port-au-Prince and Washington, D.C.
Last night we heard some tremendous firsthand accounts of the situation in Haiti from Mercy Corps’ Cassandra Nelson. She joined us by cell phone from Port-au-Prince and covered a lot of ground in the 45 minutes before her connection was lost, discussing our work in forgotten neighborhoods outside of the capital city, the challenges of delivering aid and the progress that is being made, conversations with survivors, and the plight of Haiti’s children. Cassandra was joined by our Director of Global Emergency Operations Randy Martin, who shared his perspective on the significance of partnerships – both on the ground and with other aid groups and agencies – and discussed the importance of helping communities transition from receiving emergency aid to leading their own recovery. Click here to hear a recording of the live, online briefing from Haiti. (Only the name field is required to get access to the recording.) If you have any trouble downloading the recording, click here for additional instructions. Thanks to ReadyTalk who donated their services for the Haiti online briefing. And thanks especially to everyone who joined us – this work would not be possible without your support!
29 January 2010
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Article
In Portland, One Haitian's Medical Team Makes a Difference
Brian Stimson January 28, 2010 http://www.theskanner.com/article/view/id/11283 Source Publication: The Skanner In the last few days, Bernard Ferere hasn’t received any more bad news from his brother. “We’re now just trying to pick up the pieces and move forward,” Ferere told The Skanner News from his shop, Bagel Land, in Northeast Portland. Working with a team of doctors in Cap-Haitien, Alain Ferere has been working around the clock to help the throngs of people injured by the earthquakes that have ravaged his native Haiti. Alain leads the nonprofit HACAOT, which organizes yearly medical trips to the impoverished island nation. The earthquake brought the team back to Haiti months earlier than planned. Just because Bernard hasn’t heard any good news doesn’t mean the news is good. Medical supplies are hard to come by; the hospital ship stationed near Cap-Haitien, a city of 180,000 on the northern coast, was at barely 50 percent capacity; disputes between governments, and corruption are making it difficult for volunteer doctors to obtain equipment. “His (Alain’s) company is one of the only ones to come fully equipped,” Ferere said. “Because he was so independent he was able to get people out, get people medicine and take care of business.” Several days ago, Alain even began working with actor and activist Sean Penn and filmmaker Spike Lee. “We’re the only ones to have things running smoothly, because most of the others, they can’t, because they depend on different people and when you have massive supplies, its not that easy to carry three or four tons … you need a network, that’s why we’re more efficient right now,” he said. Communication with Alain is limited to a satellite phone that costs a small fortune to operate. It’s why Ferere only hears the highlights from his brother’s mission there. He believes they’re using tents to house the sick and knows they’re operating at full capacity. Mercy Corps One of the larger organizations working out of Portland, as well as across the world, is Mercy Corps. Spokesperson Caitlin Carlson says getting supplies to people in need has been difficult, but not impossible. “Mercy Corps has been able to restock the kitchen at two hospitals in Port-au-Prince, one being the biggest in the city, the General Hospital, with 15 tons of food,” she told The Skanner News. “The food we distributed will meet the needs of the patients, their families and staff (1,000 people total) for two weeks.” Mercy Corps is even launching a temporary jobs program to deal with rubble-blocked roads. For a daily wage, Carlson says local Haitians will be hired to clear roads and help rebuild infrastructure. “This program will enable communities to rebuild, work together, and have the dignity of earning their own money and getting their economies back on track,” she said. ‘Everyone’s a Target’ In Haiti, trust is a major issue, says Ferere, who left his native land 22 years ago seeking a better life in the United States. Carlson says that although corruption isn’t an issue for Mercy Corps, they only work with professional staff members on the ground and other trusted groups, Partners in Health and the World Food Program. Ferere said that with all the help being offered, “everyone’s a target.” Because of his past performance in Iraq with the U.S. military, Alain is working with the U.S. Army to get medical supplies through to critical populations in the north of Haiti. “Unless you have your foot in the ground, it’s hard to get things done,” he said. Haitians in Portland Of the many Haitian immigrants and refugees in Portland, many would likely have had to return home when their visas expired. But the State Department announced last week it would give Haitians already in the United States a reprieve from deportations and it would allow them to seek work – legally. The Center for Intercultural Organizing is coordinating an immigration workshop for Haitians in the Portland area. On Jan. 15, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano granted Temporary Protected Status to Haitian immigrants who were in the United States as of Jan. 12. Any Haitian who arrives illegally in the United States after that date will be repatriated, Napolitano said in a statement. The center’s Rod Nuryagdiev says he’s waiting for the order to published in the federal registrar before scheduling a workshop to help Portland-area Haitian immigrants file for TPS. Nuryagdiev told The Skanner it’s unclear how many immigrants may need help. Temporary Protected Status would protect Haitian immigrants from deportation and would allow them to legally find work. Other organizations, including Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon are also reaching out to Haitian immigrants and refugees to provide TPS assistance. Through the ministry’s Sponsors Organized to Assist Refugees (SOAR) program, free legal assistance is being made available. Searching for Home Despite the devastation that has just occurred to his native country, Ferere says he’s looking for a way to return home after 22 years. He says he nearly left two years ago, but the economy put a stay on his plans. He says he misses the close-knit Haitian community, where old and young alike participate in society, and consumerism doesn’t dominate daily life. “We forget the essence of what’s important here,” he says. “We believe everything is due to us. We forget, it’s not a right, it’s a privilege.”
28 January 2010
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Article
Northwest Aid Groups Defend Haiti Effort That's Been Called a Disaster
Nina Shapiro January 28, 2010 http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/dailyweekly/2010/01/is_the_haiti_aid_effort_a_disa.php Source Publication: Seattle Weekly You can't expect a seamless aid operation in Haiti when the capitol city has been decimated, the president has been left homeless, and the official base of operations is "under a tree somewhere" (as Mercy Corps spokesperson Joy Portella puts it). That's the response of two of the Northwest's biggest aid groups operating in Haiti--Portland-based Mercy Corps and World Vision, based in Federal Way--in the face of growing criticism of the relief effort. On Sunday, an Italian minister labeled the American response "pathetic." And an NPR report yesterday described the food distribution of international agencies generally as "irregular, inadequate and often violent and disorderly." But World Vision and Mercy Corps say people have to understand that the Haitian earthquake is different than many disasters they've handled in the past. "I can't overemphasize how much more complicated it is being the capitol city where the epicenter was," says Edward Brown, who oversees World Vision's humanitarian response from his office in Washington D.C. That has meant a lot of devastation in one place, with limited points of access to deliver food and medical supplies, especially since the city's port and airport were both heavily damaged. In contrast, he says, the 2004 tsunami swept over a broad swath of coastal communities along Southeast Asia so that "there were lots of entry points." World Vision was in a better position than most. Unlike some aid agencies who are parachuting in, the Federal Way organization has operated in Haiti for 30 years and already had a food warehouse in Port-au-Prince. But the group's more than 100 workers in the city are operating out of a parking lot because its offices are wrecked, and Brown says it's difficult both to find places to distribute food and then to control crowds once sites are found. "We try to keep it down to 1,000, but word gets out." Mercy Corps' Portella adds that in disasters such as last year's earthquake in the Sichuan Province of China, the national government in the affected country has led the response. In Haiti, that has been impossible because government ministers themselves have been killed or left homeless. "Add to that a history of weak governance," she says, alluding to infamous, decades-long corruption and repression among the leaders of one of the world's poorest countries. She calls working in such circumstances "incredibly difficult."
28 January 2010
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Article
Surveying needs outside Port-au-Prince
There's been a massive outward migration from Port-au-Prince to the rural areas. I'm texting this blog entry from the countryside now, where I'm with Bill Holbrook, our country director, and Diane Johnson, our global economic development czar. We're visiting groups of people who fled the city to identify their needs. I met the mayor of Mirebalais -- which is about an hour north of Port-au-Prince -- to talk about how the arrival of 15,000 people into his 9,000-person small town over the last week has impacted his community. He says crime is up, food stocks are almost depleted and they don't know what to do. Mercy Corps is planning to respond to these needs and work to create jobs and opportunities here, so the displaced families don't become a burden on the host community.
28 January 2010