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No organized relief plan in Haiti
Thursday, 14 January 2010
Haiti after the quake. (BBC photo)As the pictures become clearer of the devastation in Haiti, with bodies lying all over the capital, and crumbled buildings falling it is evident that there are no signs of an organised relief plan.
Several countries including Jamaica have been making pledges, collecting food and clothing for the Caribbean nation.
A Jamaica Defence Force vessel laden with supplies is expected to depart for Port au Prince later Thursday.
Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) Ronald Jackson told RJR News arrangements are being finalised for the vessel to leave Kingston once on-the-ground arrangements in Haiti are concluded.
A Haitian aid worker here in Jamaica said the problems are mounting because food supplies are already low and water is limited.
"The food supply is very low. People are beginning to wonder where their next meal is coming from and that is very problematic. Water supplies, there is still some water left but again there are concerns about how long that water will last and appropriately water that is suitable for drinking,"
"Shelter is a massive issue and medicine is very scarce. The hospitals are still standing and the makeshift hospitals that are springing up do not have enough medicine and also because there is a lack of electricity they cannot even do some of the bigger operations they could be doing to save some lives," she said.
She says there are also problems getting body bags for the dead.
"Basically I have been in contact with our team in Haiti that is a small but very dynamic team who are trying to start this aid effort. Things are as bad as they could possibly be in some ways. We are talking about a disaster in a country that is not able to withstand such a disaster and my country manager reports to me that there are bodies lying in the street. There are not enough body bags to deal with them humanely which is very tragic for those living and watching this happen," she continued.
A Haitian aid worker here in Jamaica speaking with the international press.
Meanwhile this Haitian describes the situation in the streets as a sea of confusion.
"We lost a lot of people. You would see a lot of cadavers on the streets. Thousands of people are still under the rubble...man, it's terrible, terrible, terrible. I can't comprehend something like this. Since last night they have been picking up all those dead bodies but they have to look for the right place to put them because they are going to bury all those people together," he said.
He says the search for survivors continues but rescuers lack heavy lifting equipment and many are using their bare hands.
Thursday, 14 January 2010
Haiti after the quake. (BBC photo)As the pictures become clearer of the devastation in Haiti, with bodies lying all over the capital, and crumbled buildings falling it is evident that there are no signs of an organised relief plan.
Several countries including Jamaica have been making pledges, collecting food and clothing for the Caribbean nation.
A Jamaica Defence Force vessel laden with supplies is expected to depart for Port au Prince later Thursday.
Director General of the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) Ronald Jackson told RJR News arrangements are being finalised for the vessel to leave Kingston once on-the-ground arrangements in Haiti are concluded.
A Haitian aid worker here in Jamaica said the problems are mounting because food supplies are already low and water is limited.
"The food supply is very low. People are beginning to wonder where their next meal is coming from and that is very problematic. Water supplies, there is still some water left but again there are concerns about how long that water will last and appropriately water that is suitable for drinking,"
"Shelter is a massive issue and medicine is very scarce. The hospitals are still standing and the makeshift hospitals that are springing up do not have enough medicine and also because there is a lack of electricity they cannot even do some of the bigger operations they could be doing to save some lives," she said.
She says there are also problems getting body bags for the dead.
"Basically I have been in contact with our team in Haiti that is a small but very dynamic team who are trying to start this aid effort. Things are as bad as they could possibly be in some ways. We are talking about a disaster in a country that is not able to withstand such a disaster and my country manager reports to me that there are bodies lying in the street. There are not enough body bags to deal with them humanely which is very tragic for those living and watching this happen," she continued.
A Haitian aid worker here in Jamaica speaking with the international press.
Meanwhile this Haitian describes the situation in the streets as a sea of confusion.
"We lost a lot of people. You would see a lot of cadavers on the streets. Thousands of people are still under the rubble...man, it's terrible, terrible, terrible. I can't comprehend something like this. Since last night they have been picking up all those dead bodies but they have to look for the right place to put them because they are going to bury all those people together," he said.
He says the search for survivors continues but rescuers lack heavy lifting equipment and many are using their bare hands.
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