Haiti Update January 19, 2010
...written and distributed by PDG Dick McCombe
We had two flights today from Nassau and one from Tortola into Haiti. The flight from Tortola had Dr. Klas Buring and Dr. Belkys Rhymer on board, along with the orthopaedic tools and supplies necessary for the surgeries that were waiting.
Our Immediate Past Assistant Governor, Eves Martial, received them.
Thank you to the BVI team. On a side note, the three Rotary Clubs of the BVI and their Family of Rotary had a fund-raiser the day before yesterday, raised $180,000 and have pledged to get to $200,000. It’s a small Island but what a huge heart!!!!! Thank You!
Of the 2 flights from Nassau today, one went on to Pignon, and landed on the grass strip there. It is only 25 miles further south, but saves 3 or 4 hours of delivery and transport on the ground. Pignon is the home of Caleb Lucien’s Hosean Ministries and DGN Guy Theodore’s Hospital. In the Rotary fashion, Caleb was in Cap Haitien
clearing the flights in, and his wife, Debbie, received the flight in Pignon. Thanks Debbie!
Tomorrow, we are taking a lay day in the air. Caleb has loaded up one of his big school buses and a truck and is making a run into PaP. The supplies will be sent to Rotarian Dr. Claude Surena in PaP to allocate where needed.
We will resume flights in again tomorrow.
We have been receiving very specific Medical supply lists that we are continuing to fill. We have sent approximately 50,000 lbs of medical supplies so far, and most of them donated. We used some of the relief funds raised to purchase the exact supplies needed, and have them ready to be loaded tonight.
PRID Barry has a full-size Gym at the Western Medical Clinic in Nassau. We have received enough to fill it and it sits about one-third filled today for those trying to imagine the quantity we have moved.
As I mentioned, we have spoken to our Rotarians in Jamaica, and we are now in the process of shipping the big and heavy stuff from the US through Jamaica via Air Jamaica and onto PaP. We have huge generators, water makers, water, etc., going that way.
Nathan is trying to organize for the Southern Command to meet with us to plan the ground distribution to remote sites in Haiti. That will probably work hand-in-hand with the Shelter Box Camps. More to follow on that if it happens.
We will use some of their big helicopters to do lifts out of PaP, and drop in sites designated and distributed by Rotarians as mentioned earlier.
St. Croix has sent 1200 cases of water and additional supplies by Barge, and are intended to land in St. Marc and transhipped into PaP. I am following that and will advise how that goes.
We have 2 inbound flights from the States that are picking up medical supplies in Vero Beach and then on into Nassau and onto Haiti. They are staying with us for a week to do additional runs. I thinks we have approximately 15 planes at our service in total right now.
Rotary Rocks! And, Rotary Flies too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We are trying to organize the barge, and should that have completed in the next day or so. That will be a run for the heavy stuff. We are cleared into Cap Haitien and should have the ground transportationavailable to get it to PaP.
We are going to need to take fuel to provide for our truckers as that commodity is very low right now. Our club in Carrefour is desperate for some. Unfortunately, we cannot fly it so we are trying to get some to them from within Haiti.
The way forward is beginning to be more strategic as we are able to find out more information on what is happening on the ground, and as the international relief becomes more organized. We have been very effective in providing support where the “big guys” have not yet been able to get to yet, which has avoided wastage and
duplication of effort.
I plan to go down with a small team in the next short while to assess where we are with the ground team in Haiti, but will only do so when they feel that it is appropriate and will not impede what they are doing.
I have been told that the quake that hit Cayman did not do much damage. Thankfully that is the case.
Keep up the great work with the fund raising and supplies collection through you local relief efforts throughout the district. This will be a very long process, and every effort that you have made will eventually be put to use on the ground there when appropriate.
Please let me know what you have done, and if there is any way I can
facilitate getting it on the ground for you.
Thank you for the support. I’ll keep you posted.
PEG Dick
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