Photos and Updates from Haiti

I was randomly perusing my facebook feed when I saw an update from my buddy Alex who is on the ground in Haiti. He works for a emergency medical relief organization called Merlin and has been really good about updating with photos and blogs and I thought I'd repost his photos and entires to help him spread the word since he's definitely much more important things with his life right now than you or I.

Jan 12
Just wrapping up my day at the office when a New York Times Alert pops in to my inbox, indicating that Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere had been ravaged by a 7.0 Earthquake. I could only imagine how devastating that was for such a precarious island. CNN was already fearing that the death toll would be astronomically high. Surely, Merlin would be responding. It had to! Hard to say exactly what we would do given that the London team was well into the night. Despite the uncertainty, I tried to wrap up my normal activities and finished the day as best I could...

Jan 13
Just as we had all feared, the situation in Haiti is dire. The UN calls it a catastrophe. Merlin mobilizes and decides, unequivocally, to send in an emergency response team to assess the medical needs and to see where it would be best positioned to help medically. As for us in the US, it's full on fundraising for the quake appeal - we would try (and still are trying) to secure $500,000 in relief funds for Haiti. Each new photo, each new testimonial and each new statistic only reaffirms the need. We've dropped everything else and have gone in full emergency appeal mode. It was a long day at the office, but deep down, I was relieved that Merlin was acting so fast and felt proud to be working for such a responsive organization. My job feels somewhat rewarding; though I can only imagine what the island of Haiti is going through!

Jan 14
I wake up to what appears to be a UK number flashing on my cell phone at 6 in the morning. Who could this be? I asked myself in a daze... Half asleep and confused, I answer in somewhat of a professional manner... "Alex speaking." Merlin's Director of Communications subsequently prefaces the call by insisting that she has "an interesting plan." Right away, my heart races and as I turn on the news to get the latest update, this "plan" becomes obvious... "How would you like to head down to Haiti with the Emergency Response Team" to help with the initial assessment? The fact that I am a francophone, compounded by the geographical proximity somewhat made sense as to why she would think of me... But before I could actually process the implications and give it some serious thinking, I responded with an emphatic: YES! Of course I'll go... This is precisely why I work in this sector... Next thing I know, later that night (after shifting a few things around), I was on the red eye to Fort Lauderdale, where I would then hop on a flight a few hours later to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic to meet the rest of the assessment team and eventually cross over to Haiti by air, land or sea... and that's how it all started - I was off on my first emergency response mission!



Jan 15
Got to DR late that night, met up with the rest of the team, which consists of our trusty team leader, Laurent, our logistics chief, Andrew, Micaela, our lovely medical assessor and Richard, Surgical team leader...



I decide to shamefully order a beer(which would surely be my last for a while), eagerly awaiting what the next day will bring about... Scared, excited, nervous, anxious... you name it! Though the night before, I was told that all air traffic to Haiti was halted, things are uncertain on that front now... The clock is ticking and the air traffic control seems to be filtering some flights – including Humanitarian charters - due to low airport capacity in Port au Prince ("PAP"). Humanitarian teams and equipments all ready and waiting to go on... It seems that it's "standby" for all flights other than Hilary Clinton's who is expected to fly into PaP the next day... Despite my attempts to get her on the phone to coordinate a joint flight, I decide to leave it to fate to see whether or not we go airborne tomorrow...



Jan 16
Leaving for Port au Prince today... It's on! Early start - all equipment and a full team ready. Spirit is high as we reach the airport. All was fixed for us by Laurent's contacts on the inside. Our 5 names are on the flight roster... Everything seems perfect and we're ready to go!. We check in, pass through customs, get on board the 19-seater, the turbo props are on... only to find out that air traffic control has cancelled the flight! It was too good a start but it is only 09:30 am and we may be able to bounce back! A few calls and emails later, we manage to get clearance and eventually take off for PoP, this time more anxious than ever! Surprisingly from the plane, the landscape looks untouched and only on the ground do we realise the true state of emergency – not from infrastructure damages as the airport was un-scattered but from the human chaos starting on the airstrip and parkways. Civilians, journalists and military everywhere... It's, as the UN calls it, a true 'catastrophe.' Helicopters and planes crossing strips in absolute mayhem, increasing the likeliness for more accidents. That day, the US military started evacuating its civilians, we were told. As Richard adequately puts it: we are walking against the flow of traffic! yet, we somehow (again, thanks to Laurent's endless hookups), we somehow secured a bumpy ride from MSF-Fr at the airport and headed for the UN base. Some confusion in the streets but no hostility. People, idle and clueless, are asking for medicines and medical referral. And this all happens within barely one mile of the base!






Jan 17
We wake in tents after setting up our small camp on the UN logistics compound.



We then get together the information and plans for the day. After such a quick and efficient start yesterday afternoon, the spirit is indeed high and the team feels confident. I set off with Richard and a local surgeon to assess the possibility of setting up a Merlin medical base in a town named “Fond Parisien,” about 20 miles south east of PaP while the rest of the team take care of the medical and logistical assessment and coordination in order to ensure a smooth arrival for the 4.5 tons of cargo that is set to be delivered on Monday at 4 pm. What Richard and I both agreed on was that the facility was indeed perfect for a Merlin operation (great medical infrastructure, security and plenty of space) but could pose a problem given the distance from the capital, which, as it turns out, is where the great majority of the casualties lie (more on that later). The team reunites around 3:30 pm to get organized for the rest of the day. At this point, I head off to CNN to drop off some film and photos and to discuss media opportunities. While at the CNN hotel, Richard had an opportunity to put on his “medic hat” as a severely ill woman, with a broken pelvis and internal complications was “dumped” on the steps of the CNN hotel...



After a quick check up, it was clear that the woman did not have much time to survive and needed to be taken to a hospital ASAP! Per our recommendation, her daughters managed to find one nearby, where she would be admitted and given the necessary attention. At this point, Richard has already had a successful live interview on “the 6 oclock” news – BBC. It should be noted that just before the interview, Richard and I had an interesting experience whereby, on our way back to PoP, we came across a bridge that had just collapsed about 2 minutes before!



The incident set the tone quite nicely for Richard’s subsequent interview! Now, we’ve all reconvened at the UN cafeteria to discuss our impressions, assessment and opinions, plan for the next day, all while trying desperately to assemble what one might consider a respectable supper – a luxury compared to the “instant meals” that have had to due on several occasions thus far... I think I'll treat myself to a few gummy bears before shaking up with my tent-mate Andrew for the night...

TOMORROW, WE'VE GOT THE REST OF OUR MEDICAL STAFF LANDING (12) ALONG WITH 4.5 TONS OF MEDICAL SUPPLIES! THINGS ARE MOST CERTAINLY MOVING ALONG, YET THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO DO.... UPDATE SOON



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