From Haiti Jan 25 2010

There was a 'manifestation' today down the street where we were working in the tent city.(that's essentially a march or protest)
The people running through the street held signs saying they need food and water. They also said, "stop the corruption".

There actually is food and water getting in via several organizations, as is the medical care. But it does not reach everyone equally and quickly, because there is too much need and very widespread. The problem is more that transport and distribution of goods is slow and difficult- and there are just so very many displaced people to take care of.

We sat in traffic for 3hrs this morning en route to our site. It is normally only a 1 h ride. The dust and pollution is terrible.

But people had fruit and foods for sale on the roadside, clothing, and gasoline. There is an enormous gasoline tanker ship docked at the port. We have met Canadian medical people who've set up a mobile surgical hospital among the rubble. The Japanese set up an xray facility near that. There are docs from Israel everywhere. The other relief groups we've seen from various places have been generous in sharing meds and supplies, and we do the same. Things are really going quite well when you consider how many different people are here and that none had really communicated with the other before coming.

Tonight we are camped in a Mennonite compound in leogane. They fed us all, and opened their bathrooms and showers to us.
Every evening, they turn on their generator and are running a water purification system which then is accessible for free to the public for several hours.
One of the men here says ( when I asked him how long he forsees the rebuilding and recovery of the homes/ bldgs/ streets here) that it will likely be impossible. That people will have to just abandon and go to other parts of Haiti. Too much rubble- much of it huge chunks of concrete and rebar- no good way to remove or break it down easily. I don't know. I think many will stay and live around and among it.
But right now, no one will sleep indoors anyway, out of fear.

Including our hosts here--and us.
Understandable.
January 25 at 6:28pm via Facebook for iPhone