haiti news summary

7/30/2019 Haiti News Summary

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HUMANITY FIRST

2010HAITI EARTHQUAKE Disaster Response


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On January 12th, 2010, a powerful earthquakerocked the impoverished nation of Haiti. Theearthquake measured 7.0 on the Richter scale,approximately 17km south-west of Port-au-Prince,

the capital of Haiti. The quake hit the followingregions the hardest: Petit Goave, Leogane, Gressier,Carrefour and Port-au-Prince, crushing thousandsof infrastructures and cutting off communicationservices.

The destructive force of the Haiti earthquake and thehuman tragedy left in its wake was truly devastating.Flattened homes, burnt bodies, orphaned children;leaving millions of the poor Caribbean nation without

water, shelter and aid. The living were severelyinjured, left homeless and displaced, while the deadbodies remained strewn across the streets and inbetween the rubble for weeks. The unfortunateearthquake was the strongest to hit Haiti in over 200years.

More than 250,000 have died, over 300,000wounded and 1.9 million homeless; affecting a totalof 3 million Haitians. The exact death toll remainsunknown.

Plagued with frequent natural disasters, Haiti remainsthe poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, asover half the population lives in extreme poverty.Officials and citizens of Haiti struggle to comprehend

the extent of the catastrophe. People are shelteredin makeshift tents, and the majority took refuge on

the streets.

...a nation in crisis.

A request for emergencyhumanitarian assistance...

Haiti Earthquake: Tragedy Engulfs Poverty

Port-au-Prince

Sophie

Seguin

Carrefour

JimaniGressier


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Humanity First is an internationalnon-profit humanitarian organizationestablished to provide assistance to

the less fortunate and to improve thequality of life in Canada and under-privileged countries across the globe.

Humanity Firsts aim is to promote and safeguardthe preservation of human life and dignity. Aid isprovided to the vulnerable on the basis of need,irrespective of race, religion, culture or politicalallegiance. With thousands of non-paid volunteersacross the globe, and low cost sourcing and

partnerships, Humanity First is able to run withminimal overheads, delivering more than 93% of

the donations directly to those in need.

Humanity First began in the early 1990s, andtoday it contains branches covering Americas,Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe. Operating out

of 31 countries across the globe, Humanity Firstis alleviating human suffering and pain through itslocal and international programs.

Humanity First is a registered charity in Canada anda non-governmental organization that is supportedby voluntary contributions from individuals,businesses and foundations. Humanity First has

been granted a special consultative status with theUnited Nations Economic and Social Council.

It was early evening andI was about to go home,

the phone rang. It was Mr.Munum Naeem, Chairmanof Humanity First USA,asking me if I had heardabout the earthquake inHaiti. I replied that I hadnot, and immediatelychecked the news on the

web. Sketchy reports abouta 7.0 Richter earthquake

wrenched my belly while I scrambled for the phonenumbers of our Humanity First team in Haiti. For next

two days, I dialed the Haitian numbers countless timeswithout success. Shrugging off the worst fears and

relying on the media reports, Humanity First decidedto send the first disaster response team to Haiti.Without any local contact, directions or familiarity withthe land, the team left for Haiti.

Sending off the team of 12 aid workers in such a shortnotice appeared to be a pretty good achievement. But

little did we know at that time that this would be onlya beginning of a massive relief effort in response to thedeadliest earthquake in Haiti in 200 years!

For the coming weeks and months, every other weekdozens of volunteers would travel to Haiti with onlyone thought and one goal humanity needs us! Wemust respond to relieve human suffering! Now is the

time! For them nothing was more important thanhelping the wounded and displaced.

Chairmans Message


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Every volunteer of Humanity First wanted to makethe difference. It did not matter if that meant treatingpatient, cooking food, distributing relief supplies or

just helping the needy with words of compassion.

The worry about getting enough volunteers wasunfounded. The response was overwhelming!Hundreds of volunteers immediately registered togo to Haiti and donations started pouring.

While volunteers from USA, UK and Canadatravelled to Haiti to provide relief, other volunteersfrom around the world helped in fund raising.Humanity First team on the ground worked dayand night providing medical help, distributing reliefsupplies and making a difference in the lives ofdevastated Haitians. Our volunteers slept on the

roads, survived on noodles and granola bars, pulledwater from wells, climbed mountains to reach thewounded, walked miles to reach remote areas andworked 20 hours a day.

At the same time, volunteers at the command centerin Vaughan, Ontario Canada worked countless hoursround the clock to provide logistical and administrativesupport and also raised funds to continue the relief

work.

Daily international conference calls, coordinatingteams from USA, UK and Canada, twice daily briefingof team on the ground, preparations to send thenext team and receiving the returning team became

a daily routine. For weeks, we did not know if therewas anything else in the world!

Humanity First Medical Camps were always crowdedwith patients. The news of our mobile camps traveledfaster than fire while our doctors, nurses, paramedicsand logistics teams worked like machines. Theirpriority was to provide help in every possible way!

Humanity Fist made the difference. A poor nationfurther devastated by the disaster needed the veryhelp we offered. Humanity First was there before the

disaster, continued to help during the acute phase ofthe disaster and will be there as long as Haiti needsour help.

Tens of thousands of people benefitted from the reliefeffort of estimated value of more than $1.2 million!

We present this souvenir to our volunteers as amemory to cherish for life time, to everyone as areminder that humanity needs us every now and thenand we present this souvenir to you as a promise thatHumanity First will be there during those moments.

With a heart filled with gratitude for all our donors,supporters and our dedicated volunteers, we inviteyou to continue putting first!

Dr. Aslam DaudChairman

Humanity First Canada


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Humanity First has been active in Haiti since2007 working to bridge the gap between povertyand prosperity. Even before the January 2010earthquake, Humanity First was providing relief to

victims of hurricanes and flooding. It has providedboth short term relief assistance and also workedon long term projects to alleviate poverty andhuman suffering. When disastrous tropical stormsregularly sweep through Haiti, causing dangerousmudslides and flooding, that results in substantialmaterial damage and loss of human life, Humanity

First provides both immediate and long-term reliefin disaster stricken areas.

During the relief operations, short-term and long-term aid was provided to the displaced and disastervictims, including emergency medical aid, food,water, clothing, household items and other relief

supplies. Education being an essential tool for thewell being of children and our future, Humanity Firsttook the initiative to distribute school supplies andbackpacks to help the children get back to school asquickly as possible.

Long-term efforts focused on rehabilitation andrebuilding projects, including the construction of abridge in the severely affected Town of Torbeck. The

village of LaHatte in Torbeck is isolated from othercities and after every rainy season or when a disaster

strikes, the villagers are completely cut off from themainland for months. Built to allow easy access and

transport for the villagers, the Humanity First bridgewas inaugurated in August 2009 by the Chairman

of Humanity First. The bridge will continue to havea long-term impact on the community, providingpoverty stricken families a better way of living;offering them an opportunity to gain employmentand income.

Humanity First in Haiti: Bridging the Gap Between Poverty& Prosperity

Before the Earthquake...

Building of this bridge helped improve the lives of more than 14,000 people.

Dr.AslamDaud,Chairman,HumanityFirstCanada,attheinaugurationceremonyofthebridge.

In the past a sick person could not be

carried to the hospital because therewas no way to cross the river. This bridge

will enable us to take the sick to hospital

and children can also go to school.


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Remainsofadamaged,earthquakestruckhomeafterbeingtorninhalf.

Apleadforhelpdrapedacrossawall:S.O.S.Weneedhelp!

January 12, 2010

THE AFTERMATH


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International search and rescue teamsarrive to search for survivors.

Haitians scrounge through the rubble of acollapsed building to clear dead bodies.

LocalHumanityFirststaffinHaitiimmediatelyresponded...

An earthquake victims leg dangles from the roof of a destructed home.

A family sits outside of their destructed homewith no choice but to wait.


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Humanity First was one of the first organizations torespond after the powerful earthquake struck Haiti.In over two months since the earthquake, HumanityFirst has reached more than 50,000 Haitians with

food, water, relief supplies, medical services,

sanitation and shelter.

The Humanity First Disaster Response team,consisting of doctors, paramedics, nurses, aid

workers and logistical support staff have beenworking endlessly to provide emergency relief andmedical assistance to the survivors of the earthquake,

as hundreds of thousands of Haitians cope with theloss of family members and loved ones.

The Humanity First office in Port-au-Princeremained standing without any damage after theearthquake, although nearby buildings and homes

were destroyed and demolished. The main medical

clinic operated from the Humanity First office in

Port-au-Prince, and mobile camps were set up inremote areas of Port-au-Prince such as Da Da Duoand Sophie, as well as outside Port-au-Prince in

Carrefour and Seguin as these were the primarylocations in need of assistance.

Hundreds of disaster response members fromvarious professions and expertise providedmedical care and aid as Humanity First responders,coordinating relief efforts with local Humanity First

volunteers. Volunteers came from various provincesthroughout Canada, distant states across Americaand over the seas from United Kingdom in order torespond to the crisis in Haiti.

Thousands of Aquaboxes containing waterpurification kits, tools, cooking utensils and a variety

of relief supplies were distributed to help protectHaitians from deadly water-borne diseases andprovide essential welfare items.

Humanity First and partner agencies worked incollaboration with the UN to distribute food and

water, reaching thousands of Haitians every day.

Humanity First

ON THE GROUND IN HAITI


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Facts at a Glance:

In the three months since the earthquake, Humanity First has:

Provided relief to more than 50,000 people

Distributed 2300 Aquaboxes (containing water purification kits and essential items)

Assisted in distributing meals to more than 8,000 people

Treated over22,000 patients (at the Humanity First Clinic, Mobile Camps and Hospitals)

New and used clothing provided to hundreds of people Food, diapers and other essential items provided to Orphanages

Water purification kits, toys and other essential items provided to school children

Coordinated the shipment of tons of medical supplies

Deployed over150 responders to Haiti (Doctors, fire fighters, paramedics, nurses,logistics and security personnel)

More than 300volunteers supported the relief work remotely from safe zones

Hundreds of volunteers worked around the clock, putting in thousands of hours

Local unemployed Haitians were given employment

Provided relief efforts valuing more than 1.2 million dollars


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HumanityFirstDisasterResponseCamp

ManagercomfortsMayorofGressier.

DISASTER RESPONSE

TEAM IN HAITI


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Humanity First Disaster Response Team arrives in Haitiaboard the UN Humanitarian Services airplane.


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A Humanity First aid worker treats an

Humanity First doctors treat their first of manypatients during the first night at Jimani Hospital.

DISASTER RESPONSE

TEAM IN ACTION


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injured womans leg.

Humanity First aid worker cares for a babywhile mother receives treatment.

An injured woman lies in a make shift bedwhile receiving medical care by Humanity First

doctors outside the Humanity First Clinic.

Volunteers load medical equipment andsupplies for shipment to Haiti.

The roads were damaged

and blocked with crowds

of people, dead bodies and

fallen buildings.


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There was no medical care in Haiti. If the clinic was nowould not get any treatment as they cannot afford to

Doctorsandparamedicscontinuedtoreachanaverageof15peopleaweekwithmedicalassistance,emergencyreliefsupplithroughoutPort-au-Princeandoutlyingareas.


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there, many of these peopleay to go to a hospital.

AmotherholdsontohersufferingchildasHumanityFirstdoctorsexaminehisamputatedleg.

0es.


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DisplacedHaitianswaitpa

tientlyoutsidethe

HumanityFirstMobileM

edicalCamp.

HumanityFirstteam

setsupatentfora

Mobile

CampinCarrefour.

HumanityFirstaidworkerprovidescomforttoalittleHaitiangirlsufferingfromsevereburns.

TEAM IN ACTION


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HumanityFirstdoctorsandaidworkersprovidetreatmentfromtheirMobileCamp

toHaitiansinjuredfromthedevastatingearthquake.

The situation was such that

medical assistance and aidwas greatly required to tend

to the wounded, including

severe traumas, head wounds,

crushed limbs and other severemedical problems.


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Mother of a young patient seeks medical help froHumanity First nurse.

Haitians await assistance outside of theircity...a place they call home.

Chairman, Dr. Aslam Daud and Camp Manager,Waleed Khan take a break while overseeing operation

the Humanity First Mobile Medical Camp in Gressie

MOBILE MEDICAL CAMPS


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tent

Humanity First doctors and aid workers workednon-stop for very long hours.

s atr.

Smiles of appreciation and hope.


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A heart-warming smile despite the horrendousaftermath of the earthquake.

HumanityFirs

tOrthopedic

Surgeon

bandagesabl

eedingfootw

ound.



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Humanity First Chairman provides medical care for aninjured Haitian woman.

Humanity First doctor breaks for aphoto op with his young patients.


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Media personnel interview Humanity First doctvolunteers at the Humanity First Medical Clinic in P

Post-traumatic care was the main focus of the Medical Camp.


There was a dire


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Despite deep wounds, loss of muscles and increasing chances ofamputation, Humanity First doctors helped in saving both armsof this victim who was trapped under the rubble of her home.

ors andrt-au-Prince.

There was a direneed to deal with

post-operative

care, particularlyfor amputees.There is still a lotof work to treatinfected open

fracturesa n dp a t i e n t sw i t hc h r o n i c

conditions.


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An elderly woman and her grandson smile whilepatiently awaiting distribution of supplies.

For Humanity First volunteers,

it is not their business to help

people...for them, it is a pleasure

to be able to help! Everyone of usindulge in the service to humanity

with great passion!

DISTRIBUTING

RELIEF SUPPLIES


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Humanity First aid workers assistUN with water distribution.

A Haitian girl lines up to receive clothing donated byHumanity First donors across the globe.


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Huor

Villagers who were already living in poor conditions have notheir homes, forcing them to live in make-shift shelters unde

sheet tents, propped up by sticks.

DISTRIBUTING

RELIEF SUPPLIES


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The earthquake took the lives of many Haitians, separating families and orphaning children.

Supporting children is an essential part of the Humanity First mandate, as they are theessence of a bright future. Smiles of happiness, voices of joy and echoes of laughter filledthe small room of an orphanage as Humanity First volunteers arrived carrying relief supplies.

The life-saving water purification kits provided water for those children who lost theirfamilies in the devastating earthquake, along with other villagers from Sophie. Located in thesmall village of Sophie outside of Port-au-Prince, the orphanage is operating as a school for

these children as well.

Humanity First was able to acquire water filtration units for clean water and also coordinatedto get a larger unit for Da Da Duo camp, currently serving 7,000 residents.

anityFirstChairmanvis

itslocalschool,asthe

ganizationsmissionsh

iftstolong-termeffor

ts

tostabilizetheearthq

uakedamagednation.

lostbed

ChildrenofalocalschoolinSophie,breakoutintosongatthearrivalofthe

HumanityFirsttruckfullofreliefsupplies.


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HumanityFirstvolunteersgatherforateammeetingpriortodistributionofAquaboxes.

Humanity First distributed more than1,600 Aquaboxes. The Aquaboxes

were provided by Derbyshire RotaryClub Charity, supported by the

Derby Telegraph in UK.The lack of clean and safe watersupply due to a disaster creates anideal breeding-ground for water-bornediseases and serious dehydration.The Haitians suffering in the

aftermath of the earthquakedisaster needed immediateaccess to clean water,making the Aquabox theperfect solution. Aquaboxprovides a rapid solution for safe drinking wateralong with survival items to the victims of natural

disasters. Aquabox can be used to purify up to1100 litres of polluted water, making it safe andpleasant to drink, serving a family of four for up to

four months. The box also comes packed withvarious relief supplies including tools, cookingequipment and hygiene items.

The Aquabox is comprised of three simplecomponents: a 75 litre plastic container, a

reusable carbon activated filter and adispensing tap. The container is filled withwhatever water can be found locally and

is initially strained manually through a

filter. A purification tablet is then added,and after two hours, potable water may

be drawn through the filter and tap,providing clean and safe water.

The simple and user friendly Aquaboxwas distributed by Humanity First

aid workers, along with a step bystep demonstration on how tofilter the water.

PROVIDING

CLEAN WATER


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HumanityFirstvolunteersloadAquaboxesfordistributionto

orphanagesandschoolsinGressier,Port-au-Prince.

Humanity First aid worker demonstrates how to use theAquabox fi ltration system to get clean drinking water.

Alongwithmedicalcare,p

rovidingaccesstocle

anand

safedrinkingwaterremainedato

ppriority.


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A woman smiles as she carries herAquabox after waiting in a long queue.Humanity First team prepares for another day of Aquabox distribution.

PROVIDING

CLEAN WATER


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ssential items such as cooking pots, tools,ashing powder and clothes were packed

into each Aquabox for distribution.

Humanity First Chairman assists with thedispersal of relief supplies.

toothpaste 4 toothbrushes

3 soaps pack of cotton wool bandages fabric dressings razors sanitary pads kitchen roll hairbrush/comb

antiseptic cream safety pins 2 tea towels drinking mug baby cup Vaseline 1 cooking pot 4 knives 4 forks

4 spoons 1 serving spoon

4 mugs 2 bowls

4 plates scissors can opener food bags torch and batteries sewing thread needles tape measure

candles matches doll frisbee skipping rope football and pump cards dominos tennis balls

modeling clay colour pencils

Each Aquabox contains a water purification kit, bucket,survival bag and a selection of the following:

A beneficiary puts the Aquabox

to work for his fami ly.

paper rubble sacks

ball of string insulation tape reading glasses clothes line pegs hammer packs of nails pliers

folding knife garden wire screwdriver screws brick trowel hand trowel tarpaulin saw shopping bag

children andbaby clothing

Rebuilding a Shattered Nation


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Haiti, a country designated as one of the 50 least developed countries in the world, sufferedfrom damage and destruction that will set back its progress and efforts to come out of poverty.

A country with a very primitive education infrastructure lost thousands of schools in the Januaryearthquake. Humanity First believes that education is vital to raising children out of a cycle ofpoverty, with the provision of knowledge and skills needed to enhance their future and open doors

for employment.

After the initial disaster response, Humanity Firsts mission in Haiti has shifted towards stabilizationand recovery to support the survivors in the years ahead. Currently, Haitians are living in tents and

temporary shacks made of sticks, bound together and covered with bed sheets and plastic.

In terms of the rehabilitation phase, we have been working on education and infrastructureprojects in Haiti for 3 years, and expect to focus on these areas for a very long time whilst the

country gets back on its feet, said Dr. Aslam Daud, Chairman of Humanity First.

Humanity First will continue to provide medical assistance, along with basic relief supplies andwork towards rebuilding vital infrastructure for Haitians, which could include establishing the manyservices that communities require to function, including establishing water and sanitation systems,building schools and orphanages, and creating a medical facility.

Rebuilding a Shattered Nation

HAITI NEEDS YOUR HELP

Our longer term objectives would be to help Haiti stand


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g j p

on their own feet, but this will take years of effort.


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The Humanity First office in Port-au-Prince survivedthe earthquake, while nearby buildings and homes were

destroyed and demolished.

HumanityFirstvolunteerssleptintentsandcookedfoodonthestreets.

VOLUNTEER CAMP

Humanity First volunteers braved the most


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Humanity First recruited local volunteersto assist in the distribution of aid. The Humanity First team worked around the clock with minimum sleep.

basic living conditions, they slept on the floor

and pulled water from a nearby well. There

was no electricity in the area!


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With scores of volunteers on the ground in Haiti, a larger group ofHumanity First volunteers worked endlessly behind the scenes, away

from the disaster; no less exhausting or challenging than the team on theground at the base camp.

Volunteers at the command centre provided logistical and administrativesupport. Preparation of travel arrangements, replenishing emergencyrelief supplies, teleconferences and meetings, media briefings anddeveloping reports were some of the countless number of tasks of

volunteers who worked very hard remotely, from across Canada,United States of America and United Kingdom. In addition, hundredsassisted with fundraising in more than 33 countries.

BEHIND THE SCENES


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Humanity First successfully held fundraising eventsin Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary and Regina

within a two week period, to raise funds to supportearthquake relief operations in Haiti. HumanityFirst volunteers organized these large scale events

with great zeal and dedication, within a shortperiod of time. In addition to local supporters andbusinesses, politicians and professionals graced theevent, including Dr. Eric Pierre (Honorary Counsel

General of Haiti), Justin Trudeau, Honorable JeanAugustine, and Honorable Jim Kariygiannis. Liveaccounts were presented by Humanity First DisasterResponse volunteers who recently returned from

the earthquake zone in Haiti.

The primary focus of these events was to createawareness of the plight of the earthquake victimsand paint the picture of the ongoing crisis, so thatpeople can participate in the most noble cause ofrelieving human suffering and saving lives.

Humanity First thanks all their donors and sponsorswho donated generously, and wholeheartedlyhelped the Haitian victims in every way possible.

ReginaCalgary

Montreal

TorontoOttawa

FUNDRAISING EVENTS


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A Sincere Thanks to Our Supporters!


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Thank you to all the volunteers, donors and supporters who devoted their time and effortsto assist the Haitian victims who were left hungry, homeless and devastated by the Haiti

earthquake.

Due to your ongoing contributions and support for the Humanity First Disaster Response,Humanity First was able to respond to the crisis in Haiti, prior to receiving donationsfor the Haiti Relief Fund. Haiti still needs your help! You can help the victims of the Haitidisaster by making a financial gift to Humanity First. With your support, Humanity First will

provide continue to provide relief and long-term support to those affected by disastersacross the world.

Please support Humanity First as we continue with long-term relief efforts in disasterstricken areas, and also as we prepare for the next emergency. To donate, please contactus via:

Tel: 416.440.0346 Email: [email protected]

Web: www.humanityfirst.ca

For further updates and to follow Humanity First in Haiti,please visit www.humanityfirst.ca/haiti

245 Bowes Road, Unit #1, Concord, Ontario L4K 1H8Tel/Fax: 416.440.0346 | Email: [email protected]

www.humanityfirst.caCharity Registration No: 87254 1040 RR0001

CANADA

11, 3em. Avenue du Travail, Port-au-PrinceTel/Fax: (509) 3689 8014 | Fax: (509) 2245 1542Email: [email protected]

www.ht.humanityfirst.org

HAITI

Orphan CareRestoring Communities

Shelter

Di t R li f


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CANADA245 Bowes Road, Unit 1, Concord, Ontario L4K 1H8Tel/Fax: 416.440.0346 | Email: [email protected] Registration: 87254 1040 RR0001

UNITED KINGDOM

22 Deer Park Road, South Wimbledon, London SW19 3TLTel: +44 (0)20 8417 0082 | Fax: +44 (0)20 8417 0110 | Email: [email protected] Registered Charity Number: 1050934

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA300 E. Lombard Street, Suite 840, Baltimore, MD 21202Tel/Fax: 877.994.3872 | Email: [email protected] Incorporation EIN: 20-0464012

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