From a pilot in Haiti - yesterday evening:
Ike is upon us! Gonaives and much of Haiti are still under water and Ike is
giving us more. By noon in Port au Prince the sky was cloudy and by 4:30 we
are getting light rain and thunder as the outer bands of Ike arrive. Attached
are some pictures taken by our ticket agent in the central plateau of Haiti.
It is a town called Hinche. This flooding was from Hanna. With everything
already soaked more flooding is for sure.
Many folks here have been trying to get the word out about the crisis in Haiti. These diaries have tumbled away, victims of Arctic Storm Sarah.
I will quickly try to update here what I know, some links for further reading, and some links for those relief efforts that I can vouch for, if you are so inclined.
From The Guardian, this morning:
Max Cocsi, who directs Belgium's mission in Haiti of Doctors Without Borders, said that it would not take much rain to compound the disaster, because the soil was already saturated and rivers were overflowing from three tropical storms in less than three weeks. The two earlier storms — Fay and Gustav — killed at least 96 more Haitians.
"We don't need a hurricane — a storm would be enough," he said. Rescue convoys have been blocked for days by floodwaters, collapsed bridges and washed-out roads. A US plane from Miami delivered enough relief supplies for 20,000 people to the capital on Thursday, much of which was brought to Gonaives by a US Coast Guard ship and by air.
The residents of Gonaives are fleeing to the next town, a panic exodus. The majority of the people are children, many already suffering from malnutrition. This spring Haiti was one of several countries that struggled with food riots caused by a sharp increase in the price of basic staples such as rice and flour. Those riots led to the forced resignation of the Prime Minister, and only recently (this Friday, actually) did a new Prime Minister take office. The massive flooding and winds from these storms have destroyed local crops - food and incomes this fragile nation cannot do without. There may be another political crisis in the wings...
Haiti, one half of the island of Hispanola, is poor, poor, poor. I won't get into the why here. Haiti is also mountainous but mostly deforested (over 90%). Again, I won't get into the why.
sorry this isn't sharp - mountains near Furcy, between Port au Prince and Jacmel in the south
When it rains in Haiti, the exposed soils simply and horribly slide off the mountains, leaving bare, white rock and wiping out homes, roads and lives:
All across Haiti, people are suffering, but in particular in the cities where jobs are scarce, living conditions are raw, homes are built into drainage ravines, garbage dumps, or flood-prone coastal zones. Jacmel, a city on the southern coast was nearly divided in half with flood waters last week, roads are still impassable, thousands are in shelters. I have tried to get hold of my friends, but phone services are out all over the country. I know they are safe...but these kids?
Kids from Jacmel - just after washing in the river bed this spring - this area is completely under water now
Food prices remain high, and as many of you know, some Haitians have resorted to supplementing their diets with clay 'cookies' - dried clay patties typically sold to women craving minerals during pregnancy.
Mother with two daughters in her home in Cite Soliel, the largest, poorest slum in Port au Prince
There are some groups getting food and other supplies into Haiti that I can vouch for:
Doctors Without Borders - they run clinics esp. for women and children
World Food Programme - is on the ground right now providing food and relief
Food For the Poor
Catholic Relief Services - the Pope even made a specific mention in his prayers today, for what it's worth...
and finally Buya.org - a small umbrella organization that I am affiliated with. We deliver free water to Cite Soliel, ship food, build schools, and help provide support to several communities in southern Haiti. We currently have a semi-trailer with 300,000 meals ready to be shipped.
Please visit millwx's diary to learn more about
Ike.
and thanks for reading this
an update - the remaining bridge into Gonaives is now washed away - I can't find the link. Ike has moved on, but the misery remains. Thanks again for reading.
Please check out Avila's diary, also!
and here's a link to some more current photos -http://news.bbc.co.uk/...