Originally, I am from Bangladesh, now settled in Canada. I am a blogger, writer, translator, journalist, and photographer. I studied Journalism at the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh (1972), and Communications Arts at the University of Portland, Oregon, U.S.A. (1977).
I am the former editor of the ‘Pratibeshi’ (the national Catholic weekly in Bangladesh) and former Associate Director of World Vision of Bangladesh, Dhaka.
Port-au-Prince, the capital city of Haiti is in total devastation. This is considered to be the worst earthquake disaster in a century. The saddest thing is that the government of Haiti was totally incapacitated, there were almost no government personnel to help in the rescue efforts in the first day or two. The world watched in horror how the common people were trying their best with their most limited and amateurish equipment and implements to rescue fellow Haitians from the rubble. Thousands of dead bodies are still lying on the sidewalks.
Fortunately, the world governments, voluntary agencies, institutions and individuals responded immediately to the catastrophe. Although quite late, their efforts will definitely save many precious lives.
Immediately after any disaster, the first 72 hours (three days and three nights) are very crucial in rescuing and saving lives.
Immediate Response and Relief
As workers of Caritas Bangladesh and later World Vision of Bangladesh, we had to deal with several deadly flood and cyclone disasters in Bangladesh in the 70's, 80's and 90's. From those experiences we can say that the following emergency response and relief materials are needed in the first 72 hours:
Consideration of local environment, weather condition, local customs, and people's food habits (Christians can eat almost everything, Hindus can't eat beef, Muslims can't eat pork, etc.) is very important for relief effort.
Employ rescuers and rescue machineries and vehicles. Bury the dead immediately.
Initially distribute dry foods (bread, immediately edible (munchable) cereals, dry fruits, snack bars, chocolate bars, edible nuts and seeds, chips, flattened rice, puffed rice or rice crispies and so on. Due to disaster, cooking facilities may not be immediately available.
If some people still possess cooking facilities, bulgur wheat, oatmeals, rice, lentils and beans can be given to them.
Provide bottled water or water purification tablets. Much of the water available in the disaster area gets polluted.
Provide enough medical personnel and medicines. Rush the seriously wounded to nearby hospitals or clinics and, if these are not available, arrange field clinics.
Arrange to provide cooked food through gruel kitchens.
Give cash to victims so that they may purchase food from the locality, if available.
Tents are very important to save the exposed victims from the sun or rain.
Battery-run torchlights and battery-operated radios are urgently needed.
For sleeping or just sitting and resting, mats, cheap carpets, inexpensive blankets and sleeping bags are important.
Clothing for men, women and children.
Baby food, powder milk, and energy drinks like 'Ovaltine' are important for children.
If possible, give sandals, cheap shoes and boots.
If possible, provide hurricane lanterns and kerosene oil, candles and match sticks.
Small pots and pans also can be given to those who have access to cooking facilities.
Building temporary public toilets is very crucial in stopping diseases to spread.
Some Useless Relief Items
When a disaster strikes and the news is everywhere, people get very much carried away and feel to be very generous. They want to give anything they think would be useful without consideration of the location, culture and habits of the disaster victims. There are items that should not be sent as relief items:
Chewing gums.
Warm clothes and heavy blankets in a tropical or warmer country.
Toothpastes and tooth brushes.
Typical women's clothes of western countries, such as undergarments, brassieres, hats and caps, etc. A country, where women do not wear western dresses, will find these items not only useless, but also embarrassing.
Expired or soon-to-expire goods, food items and medicines. What you cannot or should not use for yourself must not be given to others.
Rehabilitation and Development Work (Long Term)
Rehabilitation and development work take longer time to accomplish. These should be well-planned and coordinated, otherwise there is likelihood of duplication of work. Under this category the following can be done:
Building infrastructures: Houses, institutions, government offices and roads need to be repaired and rebuilt.
In a tropical country, one-storey houses can be made of corrugated iron-sheet roofs and walls. Pillars of the house can be made of concrete. Houses with more than one storey should be made with concrete and bricks strictly following local conditions and building codes.
Medium and deep drinking water tubewells need to be repaired or installed.
Educational materials (school exercise books, pencils, pens, papers, school books, school bags, etc.) are to be given to affected students.
Crop and vegetable seeds for farmers.
Fertilizers, irrigation system andthe relevant agricultural facilities need to be restored.
Assistance in income generation is important. Under Test Relief work, men and women can be employed on daily wage basis to do repair or rebuilding work -- houses, roads and other infrastructure.
No asbestos sheets should be used in building purposes. It is now proven that asbestos is dangerous to human health.
It's An Opportunity to Build Port-au-Prince Anew
In the news it was told that this city has accessibility problem. It has only a few main roads with many unplanned narrow roads. Roads get clogged all the time.
Since most of the houses are devastated or precariously standing, a well-thought-out plan needs to be taken to demolish the standing houses and rebuild Port-au-Prince with more and wider roads. The UN can give a leadership and coordination in this respect.
A powerful earthquake, measuring 7.0 in the Richter scale, struck an area 16 kilometers (10 miles) away from Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, on January 12, 2010, causing destruction of thousands of buildings and infrastructures and innumerable deaths. The government of Haiti at this moment estimated the death toll to be around 100,000. The number of deaths is expected to rise to several hundred thousands in future.
The earthquake was just 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) below the earth's surface. This shallowness of the earthquake shook the ground more dangerously causing widespread devastation in the capital city, where most of the building were constructed without following strict building codes necessary for an earthquake-prone zone.
Haitian President Rene Preval told the CNN, " You have to see it to believe it. Lots of houses destroyed, hospitals, schools, personal homes -- a lot of people in the street dead." The President said that he himself has been affected by the earthquake. "I cannot live in the palace; I cnnot live in my own house [palace]. The two collapsed. But now I am working on how to rescue the people."
President Preval appealed to the international community to be generous: "We need doctors, we need medicine, we need medical help in general, " he told the CNN. The President mentioned that in the meantime, Argentina, Canada, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Israel, Venezuela, and the United States started to provide help for the earthquake victims.
Canadian Presence in Haiti
Prime Minister Stephen Harper promised a generous help for Haiti. The CTV reports that the Canadian government has a large presence in Haiti. Canadians are also attached to the United Nations Stabilization Mission there. A good number of Canadian Mounted Police and members of the Department of National Defense also work in that country.
Michaelle Jean, the Governor General of Canada is originally from Haiti. She came to Canada when she was a child. In a statement she said: "This natural disaster has hit a country with an extremely fragile infrastructure, where many buildings are already unstable, and where living conditions are often very difficult. I fear for its people. I would like all Haitians to know that they are not alone and that the people of Canada will respond to this emergency."
Background of Haiti
Haiti is a rugged and mountainous country of 27,750 kilometres and a population (80% Roman Catholic and 16% Protestant) of over eight million. Presently it is the poorest country in the western hemisphere.
When Christopher Columbus discovered the island of Hispaniola (presently the same island divided into the two countries -- Dominican Republic and Haiti), Arawak Amerindians populated there. The Spanish administration almost decimated the Arawak people within 25 years. In 1697, due to French presence and pressure in the island, the Spanish gave the third part of the island to the French which later took the name of Haiti.
Since the Arawaks were almost extinct, the French brought African slaves to work in the forestry and sugar industries. Later the slaves under Toussaint L'Ouverture revolted against the French and in 1804 declared Haiti's independence. Haiti was the first black republic.
"Haiti Earthquake 2010 -- An Abstract"
