Bolton: Finding ways to help Haiti

Day 1

Welcome to the U.N. logistics base of the Port-au-Prince airport, epicenter of the humanitarian effort to bring life-saving assistance to earthquake-stricken Haiti. Now serving as Haiti Emergency Coordinator for Outreach International, headquartered in Independence, I’m here to see how the organization can help with the country’s recovery. Outreach International supports a network of 90 schools and over 9,000 children, and has worked in Haiti since the 1980s.

I flew into Haiti this morning on a U.N. plane, packed with relief workers from around the world.

The logistical challenges are enormous. With hotels overwhelmed, I’m spending the night in a tent, pitched at the end of the airport runway, next to some abandoned aircraft and hundreds of other people working with UN agencies. Airplanes and helicopters roar overhead constantly bringing potential supplies like food, medicine, emergency shelter, and even telecommunications equipment.

Mosquitos are biting, there is dust everywhere, and the heat is oppressive. Everyone is sweating, and I’m uncomfortable. “It’s too hot to even concentrate!” a UN relief worker lamented to me as we met in a makeshift camp cabin. But everyone busies themselves about, doing what they can, loading supplies into big white SUVs. It’s heartwarming to see such a massive international humanitarian response to the tragedy here in Haiti, and I feel humbled to be a small part of it.

However, I’m concerned that many of the discussions here, deciding the fate of many lives, includes few Haitians. The overwhelming majority of people here are from outside the country. By contrast, Outreach International works hard to be driven by the issues identified by local people. So in a few days, I will leave the bustle of this place, and head out into the field, to learn how ordinary Haitians are coping with this crisis.

Day 2

This is Day 2 of my assessment mission as Haiti Emergency Coordinator with Outreach International. This morning I had several meetings with other relief agencies on the UN Logistics base here in Port-au-Prince. There is a sudden ramp-up of the international presence in Haiti, but little infrastructure to handle the influx of aid workers. So we’ve been meeting in dusty white canvas tents – everyone sitting on the gravel floor, with the temperature rising steadily towards 12 noon.

I’m beginning to feel stir crazy, so I hitched a ride up to the offices of a major charity that also works to bring help to Haiti. Weaving through the town, I was saddened to see the destruction wrought by the earthquake. I saw many schools that were cracked, crumbling, or leaning dangerously, and brightly-colored buildings, ribboned by cracks and debris.

Day 1

Welcome to the U.N. logistics base of the Port-au-Prince airport, epicenter of the humanitarian effort to bring life-saving assistance to earthquake-stricken Haiti. Now serving as Haiti Emergency Coordinator for Outreach International, headquartered in Independence, I’m here to see how the organization can help with the country’s recovery. Outreach International supports a network of 90 schools and over 9,000 children, and has worked in Haiti since the 1980s.

I flew into Haiti this morning on a U.N. plane, packed with relief workers from around the world.

The logistical challenges are enormous. With hotels overwhelmed, I’m spending the night in a tent, pitched at the end of the airport runway, next to some abandoned aircraft and hundreds of other people working with UN agencies. Airplanes and helicopters roar overhead constantly bringing potential supplies like food, medicine, emergency shelter, and even telecommunications equipment.

Mosquitos are biting, there is dust everywhere, and the heat is oppressive. Everyone is sweating, and I’m uncomfortable. “It’s too hot to even concentrate!” a UN relief worker lamented to me as we met in a makeshift camp cabin. But everyone busies themselves about, doing what they can, loading supplies into big white SUVs. It’s heartwarming to see such a massive international humanitarian response to the tragedy here in Haiti, and I feel humbled to be a small part of it.

However, I’m concerned that many of the discussions here, deciding the fate of many lives, includes few Haitians. The overwhelming majority of people here are from outside the country. By contrast, Outreach International works hard to be driven by the issues identified by local people. So in a few days, I will leave the bustle of this place, and head out into the field, to learn how ordinary Haitians are coping with this crisis.

Day 2

This is Day 2 of my assessment mission as Haiti Emergency Coordinator with Outreach International. This morning I had several meetings with other relief agencies on the UN Logistics base here in Port-au-Prince. There is a sudden ramp-up of the international presence in Haiti, but little infrastructure to handle the influx of aid workers. So we’ve been meeting in dusty white canvas tents – everyone sitting on the gravel floor, with the temperature rising steadily towards 12 noon.

I’m beginning to feel stir crazy, so I hitched a ride up to the offices of a major charity that also works to bring help to Haiti. Weaving through the town, I was saddened to see the destruction wrought by the earthquake. I saw many schools that were cracked, crumbling, or leaning dangerously, and brightly-colored buildings, ribboned by cracks and debris.

We drove by one business where the concrete had collapsed on top of 5 or 6 transportation motorcycles – their wheels bent and frames buckled. As we passed by the public park, I saw hundreds of tents and makeshift shelters strung together, with people trying to survive in desperate circumstances.

We are all hoping the seasonal rains will be delayed. Otherwise, these impromptu camps will become dangerously muddy, increasing the potential for infectious diseases.

Working within the camp, I could see a team from Doctors Without Borders, a charity which Outreach International supported as its immediate initial response to the earthquake. I was happy to see Outreach International’s funds being used well.

Incongruously, local artists have hung brightly colored surreal paintings from the fence surrounding the camp, posing for hire, and driving up and down the main roads.

To me, these pictures symbolize my other observation from today – that despite the overwhelming tragedy, I saw many signs that people are pushing on, doing their best to improvise, and to put their lives back together.

The streets were full of vendors, selling bread, fruit, cell phone credit, and other essentials. Armed with shovels, picks, brooms, and kerchiefs over their mouths, people were continuing to clear the rubble.

Outreach International, along with supporters from other aid agencies; plan to join the Haitian people in their struggle to rebuild their country.

You can help us in this important work by giving a donation to this Outreach International Haiti appeal today by visiting their Web site at outreach-international.org.

Matthew Bolton has been appointed Haiti Emergency Coordinator for Outreach International. He has many years experience in development work. He holds a PhD in government from the London School of Economics. The focus of his work will be to review and create a forward strategy for Outreach International’s response to the Haiti earthquake. Reach him at mattbbolton@yahoo.com.