TransAfrica has 4 Immediate Recommendations of Aid Recovery
TransAfrica Forum
January 13, 2009
http://www.transafricaforum.org/policy-overview/where-we-work/sos-port-au-prince-earthqjan2010
"The country does not have the infrastructure or
resources to deal with a crisis of this magnitude,
the
provide immediate medical, humanitarian, search and
rescue, and additional supports as requested by the
government of
-- Nicole Lee, President of TransAfrica Forum.
January 12, 2009 the island nation of Haiti, was hit
with a magnitude 7.0 earthquake, its most severe in
decades. The epicenter of the quake was approximately
10 miles south of
and home to almost 2 million people. The city,
including communications and transport infrastructure,
is said to have suffered "massive damage." According
to Associated Press, the capital is largely destroyed,
with widespread loss of life predicted. "The people of
of economic, environmental, and political shocks. The
global recession, increases in international food
prices, and natural disasters, including four
hurricanes in 2008, have undermined the country's
already weak infrastructure and increased poverty in a
country already the poorest in the western hemisphere,"
according to Nicole Lee, President of TransAfrica
Forum. "The country does not have the infrastructure
or resources to deal with a crisis of this magnitude,
the
immediate medical, humanitarian, search and rescue, and
additional supports as requested by the government of
According to Haitian Ambassador to the
Raymond Joseph, "the quake has crippled the country."
Aid agencies, including the
International Development, are meeting to organize a
response. An emergency message from the
internationally respected health organization Partners
in Health gives an indication of the level of crisis:
"
SOS... Temporary field hospital by us at UNDP needs
supplies, pain meds, and bandages. Please help us."
TransAfrica Forum recommends the following:
1. SUSPEND HAITIAN DEPORTATIONS AND GRANT TPS. Since
January 2009
deportation orders to over 30,000 undocumented
Haitians. The Department of Homeland Security should
immediately halt the arrests of these deportees and
grant Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Haitians in
the
policy towards
is granted by the
Department) to eligible nationals of countries that
cannot safely return to their homelands because of
armed conflict, environmental disaster, or other
extraordinary and temporary conditions.
fits this description.
2. COORDINATED INTERNATIONAL RELIEF ASSISTANCE. The
already beginning to mobilize immediate relief. We
urge the administration to continue its efforts, in
full coordination with international agencies and
multilateral agencies in order to ensure efficient
relief efforts. The first impulse of individuals and
governments in the face of a crisis of this level is to
give, a reflection of the generous nature of the human
spirit, which is to be admired. Joint planning,
coordination, and full use of resources already
available within the region will ensure the efficiency
efficacy of relief efforts.
3. FULL RESOURCE MOBILIZATION. Within the context of
international efforts, and as requested by the Haitian
government, we encourage the Obama Administration to
fully mobilize its resources to support urgent needed
search and rescue of the wounded and trapped,
including, again if requested by the Haitian
government, mobilization of the Southern Command
structure.
4. CHARITABLE DONATIONS. Many non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) and private voluntary
organizations (PVOs) have long-established development
projects on the ground. Those organizations are best
placed to assist with the country's immediate needs; we
encourage supporters to contribute to two highly
effective organizations that are already providing
emergency services:
a. Partners in Health. Donate online at:
www.pih.org/inforesources/news/Haiti_Earthquake.html or
send your contribution to Partners In Health, P.O. Box
845578,
b. Doctors Without Borders. Donate online
atwww.doctorswithoutborders.org, or toll-free at
1-888-392-0392. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Headquarters
10001-5004.
BACKGROUND
The "dumping" of cheap products into its economy has
further destabilized the nation and underscored the
need to overhaul
with international trade policy. Approximately 80
percent of
half struggle to survive on less than $1 a day.
Remittances that Haitians outside the country send home
account for over a quarter of gross domestic product
(GDP), there is chronic unemployment and the informal
economy is steadily growing.
Foreign aid continues to dominate
percent) and its debt stands at $1.3 billion - 40
percent of which was incurred by the Duvalier
dictatorships by stealing or misspending most of the
money between 1957 and 1986. While loss of civilian
life and public security due to armed confrontations
continue to be problems, people are increasingly dying
as a result of starvation and poverty. The prices of
products needed to fulfill basic needs have risen by
more than 50 percent since 2007 and most families are
forced to choose between buying food and sending their
children to school. Unfortunately, the current
conditions in the country show no signs of notable
improvement and disproportionately impact vulnerable
groups, such as women and children, human rights
defenders and journalists. Through it all, Haitians
continue to identify creative ways to survive and to
help others along the way. This tradition of "youn
lòt," or "one helping the other" remains strong. One
example of this is the existence of solidarity lending
groups, established by members to cover financial
obligations, in which one person receives a rotating
pool of money each pay period.
TransAfrica Forum is the leading
organization for
world protest against apartheid in
today works for human and economic justice for African
people on the continent of Africa, in
in the
Street, N.W.,
202-223-1960, www.transafricaforum.org.
===
Helping
Peter Rothberg
The Nation
January 13, 2010
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/actnow/516315/helping_haiti
The worst earthquake in 200 years struck
yesterday, causing catastrophic destruction in the
hemisphere's poorest country. The quake struck near the
capital of
part of
telephone communications throughout the country have
also been destroyed complicating relief work.
The most urgent needs appear to be bandages,
antibiotics, other basic medical supplies, and water
tablets to prevent cholera outbreaks. The need for food
and shelter is also growing especially given that these
needs are severe in impoverished
There are numerous ways to help groups already on the
ground. One of the best, Partners In Health
(http://www.pih.org/home.html), has been operating in
the country since 1987, originally to deliver health
care to the residents of
Plateau region. PiH now also operates clinics in Port
au Prince and other major Haitian cities. With
hospitals and a highly trained medical staff in place,
Partners In Health is already mobilizing resources and
preparing plans to bring medical assistance and
supplies to areas that have been hardest hit. Donations
to help earthquake relief efforts will be quickly
routed to the disaster.
The women's group MADRE (http://www.madre.org/index.php?video=1)
has also worked in
community-based organizations, and has activated an
emergency response through its partner organization,
Zanmi Lasante Clinic. The doctors, nurses and community
health workers there are working to bring medical
assistance and supplies to areas that have been hardest
hit. MADRE's partners are expert at reaching those in
crisis and stretching resources to meet the myriad
needs facing Haitian women and families.
Teams from the group Doctors Without Borders
(http://doctorswithoutborders.org/) were already working on medical projects in
Gifts to to the group's new
(https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.org/SSLPage.aspx?pid=197&hbc=1&source=ADR1001E1D01) will support emergency medical care for the men, women,
and children affected by the earthquake in
Despite heavy damages to its own offices in Port-au-
Prince, the UN relief organization UNICEF is
coordinating donations of things like blankets,
toothpaste, canned food and other basic staples. Call
1-800-4UNICEF or go to unicef.org for information.
And while all this relief work is saving lives, it's
also critical to implore the Obama Administration to
immediately authorize temporary protected status for
Haitian immigrants. Tell the White House this is
urgent: http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/
===
The State Department has set up an info line for people
to call. That number is 1-888-407-4747. You can also
direct people to the
Prince for information:
http://haiti.usembassy.gov/service/emergency-contact.html
"The
following number for Americans seeking information
about family members in
heavy volume, some callers may receive a recording).
Our embassy is still in the early stages of contacting
American Citizens through our Warden Network.
Communications are very difficult within
For people wanting to assist in
Department has issued this statement:
Anyone wishing to donate or provide assistance in
near Port au Prince on Jan 12, 2010, is asked to
contact the Center for International Disaster
Information. The Center, operated under a grant from
the United States Agency for International
Development's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance
and initial support from IBM, has become a valuable
resource to the public, as well as
agencies, foreign embassies and international
corporations. CIDI has established a dedicated page to
coordinate
http://www.cidi.org/incident/haiti-10a/
No comments:
Post a Comment