NGO worker reports from Haiti

The Czech Republic has contributed 80 million Kč ($4.4 million) to relief efforts in Haiti thus far. Private humanitarian organizations have raised about 47 million Kč, with the government making up the difference. The Prague-based NGO People in Need (Člověk v tísni) has raised 26 million Kč. Reports of civil unrest have grown as relief workers called off search and rescue efforts Jan. 24 and shifted focus to survivor care. Through Jan. 24, the United Nations World Food Program had reached 207,392 people in the capital of Port-au-Prince and 113,313 people elsewhere in the country. One Haitian government minister estimates 150,000 people have died in the capital alone, though the latest official figures are 112,000 dead nationwide. An estimated 1 million people are homeless.

Markéta Kutilová is Haiti relief coordinator for People in Need. She arrived in Haiti Jan. 17 and answered our questions by e-mail Jan. 21.

The Prague Post: How did you enter Haiti? What was the journey like?

Markéta Kutilová: I went by plane with a travel service on a charter flight for tourists to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic, from there to Santo Domingo, and then to Port-au-Prince by rented car. The journey was a bit bizarre, because the plane was full of tourists going to enjoy luxury hotels in the Dominican Republic, which is on the same island as Haiti. I could not imagine being a tourist and enjoying my holiday so close to that hell. Overall, the journey was OK, but only because I am used to improvising and making quick decisions.

TPP: What were your first impressions of Port-au-Prince? Were you able to move freely? What are communications like?

MK: The city is calm, and the people are absolutely lovely, not aggressive at all. The roads in the city are clean, and I can move freely. We have a curfew of 6 p.m., which is when it gets dark. The communication systems are down, and they are being repaired very slowly. Internet is sporadic and to make a phone call takes about half an hour.

TPP: There have been reports of looting and violence in recent days. Have you come across any of this?

MK: The atmosphere in the city and the camps is really calm. No NGOs have faced security problems. Of course, some looting happens, but it is normal after a catastrophe like this. There were some riots close to the airport, where the stress is centered, and from time to time a shop or house is looted, but this is nothing special given the circumstances. In the Czech Republic, it wouldn't be different. I feel absolutely safe.

TPP: Have you been able to transmit aid directly to Haitians yet? What are the logistical difficulties?

MK: We are cooperating with the Irish NGO Concern, which has worked in Haiti since 1994, so I joined them directly. We have already distributed jerry cans and soap, helped construct public latrines and planned food distribution, and we are going to send a medical team from the Czech Republic to work in the camps. To get aid to the people is easy, but getting it into Haiti [in the first place] is difficult. The United Nations is starting to have relief packages, so many NGOs, including us, will deliver these to people.

TPP: Have you seen any presence by the Haitian government or police?

MK: I have seen only two police cars. The government is badly affected and is not operational. This is making all humanitarian efforts much more difficult.

TPP: Where are most people sleeping? Have camps been set up or are most people still wandering the streets?

MK: Most of the people sleep in simple shelters they created from sheets, blankets or clothes, including American and Irish flags. It is estimated there are more than 500 camps in the city with varying levels of security. There is a need to organize camps, make a smaller number of them, but land availability is a huge issue. The government says they will make 14 huge camps, each for about 45,000 people, about five miles outside the city. I am guessing it will be impossible to move that many people. It is essential people have tents within two months, when the rainy season starts.

TPP: Did you see any or hear of any trapped survivors being rescued since your arrival?

MK: There are still around 60 people alive under the Caribbean Supermarket. The efforts to bring them out are enormous. Two days ago, they rescued three people. The people have survived because they have food and drinks in there. They communicate via SMS, but they say the smell from dead bodies around them is literally killing them.

TPP: What are the long-term implications of this disaster? How long will the international community need to stay involved? After the initial needs of food, water and medical attention, what are the highest priorities?

MK: After such a disaster, it is usually a five-year or even longer process. It depends on many factors. Port-au-Prince is near the epicenter, and an earthquake can happen again anytime, so we will have to see if they really want to rebuild the city as it was. Most of the NGOs leave after three of six months; others stay a year. People in Need always tries to make longer-term development projects and stay as long as possible. We would like to, for example, reconstruct schools in Haiti.

TPP: Does the scale of damage resemble anything you have seen before? How big a tragedy does this appear on the ground?

MK: Well, it is pretty much similar to the earthquake in Bam, Iran, in 2003, where I worked for one year following the quake. Bam was destroyed completely; very few buildings remained. Here, the whole city is not destroyed, but Port-au-Prince is huge compared to Bam, so it is much more chaotic. The tsunami also caused massive damage, but there just a strip of land was destroyed; behind it was normal life. In Port-au-Prince, there is no normal life.

Benjamin Cunningham can be reached at
bcunningham@praguepost.com