Events/Updates

Haiti Outreach Update Wednesday, February 24

Here is the latest summary of major Haiti Outreach activities since to the most recent tragic events in Haiti due to the earthquake and its aftermath:

– Delivered relief water to people in Port-au-Prince with our water truck for the first few weeks
– Assisted repairs of water and electricity to the General Hospital in Port-au-Prince
– Installed a water supply for a hospital and recovery center that Doctors Without Borders is building in Port-au-Prince
– Responded to the Haitian government’s water authority (DINEPA) which requested we handle the restoration of rural water supplies in the earthquake affected areas
– In fulfillment of that request, inventoried water sources in the Leogane and Gressier communes and currently working on inventories in Grand Goave and Petit Goave areas.
– Began repair program of hand pumps in Leogane with UNICEF
– Are partnering with a local federation in Leogane called RAFAPOL to ensure local management of the hand pumps following our community management model for wells
– Worked with geologists from V3 Companies of Chicago to draw up plans for various water projects in the earthquake area
– Working with the Haitian government to GPS and map tent city locations; there are more than 600 tent cities that have sprung up.
– Working with IOM on restoring irrigation wells in the Gonaives area for long term food supply.

Dale Snyder
Executive Director

Haiti Outreach Update Thursday, January 28

Country Director Neil Van Dine, along with V3 (Chicago) geologists who partner with us, have been in Port-au-Prince and the area southwest of the capital that had damage just as severe as the capital. They have been in discussion with the newly formed Haitian government ministry that includes public works, water and sanitation called DINEPAS. They requested he visit the area around Leogane and Grand Goave where there was major earthquake damage that included damage to the municipal water system. They did so, and Neil is generating proposals to the government to do repair to their water system and also many of the approximately 300 wells in the area. Three of our employees, along with well parts they are bringing, are heading to that area now to assess the many rural wells there so that a strategy can be formulated and repairs begin as soon as possible.

We continue to provide clean water to the Port-au-Prince area with our water truck. However, Neil says that relief water in the capital is now being effectively provided and so that particular activity might not be as needed after another week or two.

He also reports that the geologists say that the tectonic plate upon which Port-au-Prince sits did not shift with this earthquake, unlike the adjoining plate that constitutes much of the lower peninsula of Haiti which did move that caused the disaster. That means that the Port-au-Prince plate could likely make a move in the next 30 days that could be minor or possibly major. He also guestimates as many as 250,000 people have now fled the capital.

We continue to assess the situation daily and look to see how we can be helpful. Please continue to support our relief and reconstruction work as it now begins to increase. Thanks to our growing community of friend and supporters. Please pass the word to your friends, relatives and co-workers about our work.

Dale Snyder
Executive Director

Haiti Outreach Update Thursday, January 21

Haiti Outreach Board member Jim Kirzeder landed in the Dominican Republic on Sunday, January 17th . and traveled to Haiti Outreach’s headquarters in Pignon. Jim indicates that things are far worse than he imagined and so many rural towns have been severely damaged as well. No help has come to any of them. People are very, very desperate. He and Country Director Neil Van Dine were making a trip to Port-au-Prince on Monday, taking along a trauma surgeon that came in on the same flight with Jim. They are attending a big water meeting in Port and then have been asked to go to the Missionary Aviation Fellowship (MAF) terminal to assess the damage and to see if Haiti Outreach can be of any help there. They helped get water and electric going in the general hospital in Port au Prince. Then went off to Gonaives to look at the irrigation wells we have been asked to fix by IOM

Neil Van Dine reports that Haiti Outreach is using our Guest House to provide housing to people transiting through Pignon at no cost. Folks are trapped without any money or ways to get at their funds. Relief teams will also be able to be housed there.

Some additional information from our Country Director Neil:

“I am in Santiago, just dropped off a guy and waiting for three more to
come in tonight been waking up at 3am to get stuff done. Yesterday mornings quake was 6.1. Brought down more houses that were already damaged and killed more people who thought it was all over and went back to sleeping in thier houses again.

It’s pretty rugged. No time to answer emails, and I’ve gotten 1000 in
the last week. Trip from Santiago to Port takes 8 hours. I’ve done it
3x in the last week; but it’s the only place to get supplies and people
in/out.

The whole airport area in Port is packed full of supplies. Some now
getting out to people so desperation is less. The smell of rotting
bodies is everywhere… those buried in rubble. Even after leaving Port
it takes days to get the smell gone. No way of knowing how many dead.
It was huge, had a friend of mine who was one of about 6 people who
survived the collapse of the big supermarket.

A lot is being sensationalized, but things are pretty rough.
Essentially the whole city is going to need to be torn down. Probably
+80% of the buildings are unusable. It’s going to take years and years
to rebuild.

In one sense it is a tremendous opportunity, but it’s going to take a
lot of leadership to push things through. That will be the deciding
factor; whether the leaders will step up and institute some controls or
whether they will squander it. History says they will squander it. We
have to hope, pray and work to disprove history.

I spoke with our Congressman from Pignon yesterday to get him thinking
along these lines; about how to start rebuilding, rather than begging
for aid. Tried to give him some ideas on what they can do. For example
eliminate all customs duties on building materials for 2 years. I could
tell he hadn’t thought that way, but that he could see the value. We’ll
see. I’ll keep talking with him and hopefully he will be talking to
others.”

Our continued thanks for your thoughts and financial support of the people in Haiti.

Dale Snyder
Executive Director

Other Relevant Updates:

USAID is coordinating relief activities in Haiti . IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DONATE ITEMS THAT ARE NEEDED BY NGO’S IN HAITI AND/OR ARE INTERESTED IN GETTING ON A LIST OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GO AND HELP, SEE THEIR WEBSITE:

http://www.usaid.gov/helphaiti/

An Update from Missionary Flight International (MFI):

Flights to Haiti: Missionary Flights International
We have received help in the form of thousands of people sending in donated items to our hanger, hundreds of people to
sort, pack and catalog these items, and load them on extra airplanes loaned
to us, which are making 3 to 5 flights each day to help meet the need.

We are making daily passengerflights into PAP from Fort Pierce, FL at no cost to
relief teams courtesy of Hendricks Motorsports who is supplying the
airplane, flight crew and fuel. Inbound passengers may call MFI at
772-462-2395 to make reservations. Your name will be added to the list and
you will be called to schedule you for the next available flight. Inbound
passengers must have contacts in Haiti for a place to work and a place to
stay. Evacuations are available on these same return flights through
Missionary Aviation Fellowship (MAF) at the General Aviation Terminal in
Port Au Prince. Missionary Flights Hanger in Port Saint Lucie is a
collection point for donated relief supplies, which are shipped into PAP
through special cargo flights daily. These supplies are available to those
in need at no cost. Contact MAF to secure relief supplies in Haiti.

Please do not use MFI@MissionaryFlights.org for
correspondence except for urgent official business. Please check
www.MissionaryFlights.org for further
instructions, to be added soon, under the “contact us” button on subject
line words to use to help us sort the incoming e-mail.

Update on Conditions: Saturday, January 16