19 Feb Helpful Information on Haiti Relief Efforts

Yesterday, Feb. 18, US Congressman Mark Souder, a member of Emmanuel Community UB Church (Fort Wayne, Ind.) gathered together representatives of churches, mission agencies, hospitals, and community groups. Groups represented included Mission of Hope, YMCA, Missionary Church, the Catholic Diocese, Notre Dame University, Hands That Heal, Mission of Hope, Lutheran Hospital Group, Brotherhood Insurance, Silveus Insurance, Allen County Health Department, OMS Men in Mission, and a variety of individual churches. I attended to represent Global Ministries.

Each group was asked to introduce themselves and provide a brief summary of their interest and/or activities in Haiti.

Here is some information I gleaned from the meeting.

• Aid seems to be coming into the country without as many problems as it usually would, as organized crime rings have become somewhat “disorganized” by the earthquake. Where the military is present, things are moving smoothly. The main airport in Port au Prince is the worst location.
• American Airlines will be introducing regular flights to and from Haiti next week.
• Silveus Insurance (Warsaw, Ind.) is operating private flights from Fort Lauderdale at cost for groups of less than nine passengers.
• Relief seems to be getting in duty free.
• The United Nations presence is not always a guarantee of security or absence of corruption. UNICEF has been making it difficult for groups working with orphans and at-risk children, as they seem unwilling to share resources or accept offers of help for smaller agencies working with 10,000 children or less.
• USAID is making supplies of food available to groups.
• The Health Department will offer a training and orientation on March 13 in Fort Wayne for those planning to travel to Haiti to offer humanitarian help. They are also offering free vaccinations to volunteers, including all required immunizations and prescriptions for antimalarial and antidiarrheal drugs (an $890 value).
• Hands That Heal is organizing specialty operations: neurosurgery, spinal, correcting botched amputations, and other difficult procedures. They are also working on getting medical visas for those who cannot be treated in Haiti.
• Grave concern was expressed regarding the lack of specialists, and the impending surge in birth and brain defects that will present themselves in the coming months as a result of head injuries, and malnutrition among pregnant mothers and children.
• Congressman Souder indicated that we may be faced with the need to receive Haitian refugees in the US.