An aerial view of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, from an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Comfort, shows the devastation of the 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti Jan. 12, 2010. Approximately 230,000 Haitians are reported to have died as a result of the earthquake. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Chelsea Kennedy. Click for a larger image.

January 12, 2010: The United Nations reports

The earthquake that hit Haiti on 12 January 2010 affected almost 3.5 million people, including the entire population of 2.8 million people living in Port-au-Prince. The Government of Haiti estimates that the earthquake killed 222,570 and injured another 300,572 people. Displacement peaked at close to 2.3 million people, including 302,000 children. At least 188,383 houses were badly damaged and 105,000 were destroyed by the earthquake. Sixty per cent of Government and administrative buildings, 80 per cent of schools in Port-au-Prince and 60 per cent of schools in the South and West Departments were destroyed or damaged. Total earthquake-related loss is estimated at $7.8 billion, equivalent to more than 120 per cent of Haiti’s 2009 gross domestic product.

U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Jay Wamsley holds a Haitian toddler during a humanitarian visit to one of many small villages outside Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, Feb. 2, 2010. Wamsley, an environmental health and safety officer, is temporarily assigned to Port Security Unit 307. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Adam Eggers.

In October 2010, cases of cholera began to appear in Haiti. The illness had not been seen for generations and it spread rapidly. As of December 26, 2011, the Haitian Ministry of Health reports 522,946 cases of cholera since then, and a total of at least 7,011 deaths.

The situation two years after the earthquake remains grim. Over 500,000 Haitians remain in nearly 1,000 refugee camps. The deaths and illnesses from cholera continue, though improvements in sanitation and availability of treatment have cut the death rate nearly in half.

The World Food Program states

Haiti is a food deficit country. It relies heavily on imported food – 50 percent of national requirements are imported. Food prices have been rising since the end of 2010. In a country where approximately half of the population lives with less than $1 a day and three quarters have less than $2 per day, this increase has led to an overall loss of purchasing power for the majority of Haitians. WFP is using its three main programmes – school meals, nutrition and cash and food for work- to alleviate the impact of rising food prices on the most vulnerable.

Still, for the first time in 25 years, the Haitian government has all three branches functioning. The Caracol Industrial Park will open in March and its first tenant, Korean textile firm Sae-A, has committed to creating 20,000 new jobs. About half of the rubble created by the earthquake has been removed with 30-40 percent having been recycled into new construction. Much of the remaining “rubble” consists of buildings that have been condemned but the owners believe they can be salvaged.

U.S. Southern Command has conveyed a supply of disaster response equipment to the Haitian government. The United States has donated 12 boats, four sport utility vehicles, and 11,000 hand-crank radios to Haiti’s Direction de la Protection Civile (DPC).

Maj. Greg Pieper, nurse practitioner for the medical readiness training exercise from the Army Reserve 256th Casualty Support Hospital, screens a young patient as her mother comforts her during a visit, June 14. Columbian, Canadian and American military medical and dental professionals treated more than 2,200 Haitian patients at Hospital Saint Pierre de Grande Desdunes, near La Hatte, Haiti, by the end of day two of a 10-day MEDRETE as part of New Horizons 2011.

Colombian, Canadian and American military medical and dental professionals treated more than 2,200 Haitian patients during a New Horizons medical and dental training exercise June 14 at Hospital Saint Pierre de Grande Desdunes, near La Hatte, Haiti.

Task Force Bon Voizen, New Horizons Haiti 2011, a U.S. Southern Command sponsored, U.S. Army South conducted, combined humanitarian exercise under the command of the Louisiana National Guard, provides an opportunity for real-world training while providing humanitarian assistance at the request of the government of Haiti.

As part of Task Force Bon Voizen, this group of 48 professionals melded together to create a team dynamic to not only meet their mission of conducting humanitarian relief missions and medical training exercises June 11-25, but to exceed expectations in care and services provided. June 13, day one of the 10-day medical readiness training exercise, set the tone for doing just that.

“We were able to treat 1,049 patients,” said 2nd Lt. Matthew Wright, the officer in charge of this exercise from the 369th Minimal Care Detachment in Sharonville, Ohio. “That number exceeded all Day 1 totals for 2011 Haiti MEDRETEs.”

As the fourth of four MEDRETES for this region, the momentum continued as day-two totals ended at 1,158 Haitian patients receiving medical and/or dental care. Proactive measures taken by the Government of Haiti’s Ministry of Health was a significant contributing factor for the volume of patients seen.

“The government of Haiti has been very accommodating with space and other requests,” said Sgt. 1st Class Mary Huffman, noncommissioned officer in charge of the exercise from the Ohio Army Reserve 369th MCD. “We were able to expand beyond the original rooms allocated and provide more areas for treatment and a dedicated obstetrician/women’s clinic with a sonogram.”

The ability to employ more of the medical and dental professionals than planned added to the efficient streaming of patients. The vetting process also helped improve the flow of incoming patients from staging, to preventative-measures classes, to triage and ultimately to appropriate medical services.

The commitment to care from the nine Colombians, five Canadians and 34 Americans seemed to energize their efforts as team members rolled up their sleeves and bore the 99 degree Fahrenheit heat and 60 percent humidity. The team members’ 10-hour day on site continued once they returned to task force headquarters as they prepared for the next day’s patients.

For some the compassion runs deeper than a commitment to service.

“Being here for this MEDRETE is the first time I have been back in Haiti since my family left,” said Canadian Capt. Whitney Dagrain, a dentist who has seen more than 50 patients in the two days since this exercise began. “My parents left when I was 16, and coming back, for part of me, is like coming home. I am glad I am able to be here and help.”

In addition to medical training exercises, Task Force Bon Voizen has deployed military engineers to build a technical school, two medical clinics and a latrine facility. These projects are also nearing completion as New Horizons 2011, which also includes projects and MEDRETEs in the Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Suriname, draws to a close.

Task Force Bon Voizen is a Commander, U.S. Southern Command sponsored, U.S. Army South conducted, joint foreign military interaction/humanitarian exercise under the command of the Louisiana National Guard. Task Force Bon Voizen is deploying U.S. military engineers and medical professionals to Haiti for training and to provide humanitarian services. Task Force Bon Voizen will build a school, two medical clinics and a latrine facility, as well as staff three medical clinics and one dental clinic between April 28 and June 25 in the Artibonite Department.

DVIDS

When the Jan. 12 earthquake struck, Ross and Lt. General Ken Keen, SOUTHCOM’s deputy commander, were at the home of the U.S. ambassador in Haiti.

“The entire earth seemed to come alive for what seemed like an eternity, but it was only 50 seconds,” Keen said. “We could see a cloud of dust rising up over the city like smoke, and we could hear the screams below.”

Ross “sprung into action,” Keen said, saying she was going to find the members of her group at the Hotel Montana, where they had been staying. “She’s a leader with a can-do attitude.”

There was no way to travel through the city by car.

Ross walked four miles to get to the five-story, 145-room hotel, which would become one of Port-au-Prince’s most gruesome sites of death and destruction. The hotel had completely collapsed.

She found a small passageway in the debris. She crawled inside, but her passage was blocked.

Magri was buried beneath the roof of the hotel, wedged in a space the size of a dinner table, he estimated.

“I was hyperventilating,” said Magri, who suffered fractured ribs and other injuries. “Then, I began to think `this is an obstacle course. I need to get to that light.’ ”

In the days leading up to the earthquake, Magri had an annoying cough. It was that cough that enabled Ross to locate him underneath the wreckage.

“It was amazing,” said Magri when he first heard Ross. “I heard a little tiny voice saying `Sergeant Magri?’ like a question. When I responded, she said `Oh my God! I can’t believe it.”

Five hours after the earthquake, Magri was freed.

Miami Herald

This story is a classic example of the way our military drops the ball on publicizing American heroes in uniform. The only story I can find of this woman’s heroism is in a civilian paper. The military issued a PDF press release before the award and nothing after. The PDF is defective and will not allow itself to be copied. The remainder of mentions for her award are at the bottom of all the stories about a similar award for a male officer later in the year.

Haitian children in Gonaives wait for medical clinic. U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Jessica M. Lopez

Task Force Kout Men moved into northern Haiti in mid June. Over 500 members of the United States military, the National Guard, Reserves and the regulars, will be working in and around the city of Gonaives. The base camp is in the village of Mandrin.

The task force is headed by the Louisiana National Guard who chose the Creole name, which means “Helping Hands”. The exercise is titled “New Horizons – Haiti 2010″ and the men and women rotating through during the June through September time frame will be working on four schools and providing a number of medical outreach services.

At any one time 500-550 Americans will be on the ground but units will be rotating in and out during the mission. It is headed by the Louisiana National Guard and many participants are from Guard and Reserve units in other states, such as Indiana, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New York, North and South Dakota, Texas and U.S. Virgin Islands. Troops from the Central American nation of Belize are also attached to the mission.

In a Bloggers’ Roundtable, we had the opportunity to speak with Army Col. Michael Borrel, the task force commander of the New Horizons-Haiti 2010 exercise, a member of the task force’s engineering team, Maj. Charles “Chuck” Hudson, Louisiana National Guard, as well as a member of the medical staff, U.S. Air Force Col. Thomas Steinbrunner.

Work on local schools is progressing. In addition to structural work, the American engineers are adding wells for drinking water and improved latrines. The SeaBees, Navy Construction Batt. 25, are doing much of this work, assisted by other units and the troops from Belize.

Asked about the earthquake and hurricane resistance of the new construction, Col. Borrel had this to say:

Yes, the system that was selected through the Army South engineers that we’re utilizing is the Royal Building Systems that’s — that has since been renamed the NuForm System. And it’s essentially a concrete-reinforced slab that’s 3,500-PSI concrete with reinforced rebar that is very — with a six-inch slope that’s very strong concrete slab. The walls use a smaller aggregate but at the same 3,500 PSI and the same six-inch slump (sic; slope). So it’s a reinforced concrete building.

And the roof structure facilitates a steel frame J-bolt system that’s bolted steel with the corrugated metal roof. You know, it’s much more better — much better technology, a much stronger system than any of the systems in — being utilized in Haiti. When we came on the ground, essentially, in Mandrin they were using United Nations tents, and they had a pole barn that they were using as a classroom.

So this will be a significant improvement and will enhance the learning capabilities of the children and the instructors as well.

At the facilities at the K. Georges and at the Diaquoi (sp), they were existing structures that were projects from the past that were constructed under the guise of USAID, and they are a similar concrete reinforced structure that have withstood the hurricanes and winds of the past. The grade at which we are placing these buildings is consistent with where the grade is of the existing structures and is intended to be above any type of flood area.

Staff Sgt Rebekah Chiarini, a medical provider with the 399th Combat Support Hospital, plays with children from the Vision For A Better Haiti Orphanage at the at the U.S. Army South New Horizons- Haiti 2010 Gonaives medical assistance site July 7. New Horizons, in partnership with the government of Haiti, is conducting various medical, dental engineering missions for the locals in Gonaives. New Horizons also provides valuable experience to learn in a real-world environment for our U.S. Forces. U.S. Army Photo by Spc. Jessica M. Lopez

This region of Haiti escaped the direct effects of the January 12, 2010, earthquake. Gonaives was partially destroyed by Hurricane Hannah in 2008 and suffers from regular flooding. I asked Co. Borrel about the choice of location for the exercise. He told us that up to 100,000 Haitians from the quake zone were believed, by the Haitian government, to have moved to the Gonaives area. The work on the schools provides for more capacity, to allow some of those refugee children to attend school.

Ten medical exercises are part of the overall mission plan. To date, the officers report that well over 20,000 Haitians have been seen at a variety of locations. Col. Steinbrunner described this outreach as primary care only. Serious problems would be referred to the local Haitian hospitals.

Along with medical exams, Haitians are being seen by dentists and other medical professionals. At the request of the Haitian government, there are no immunizations being provided. Steinbrunner described the conditions seen to date as a mix of many things, skin conditions, parasitic illnesses and sexually transmitted diseases being predominant.

The large numbers of American troops that surged into Haiti after the earthquake are gone. Yet, a small, hardworking group of Americans troops continue to make a difference as a part of Task Force Helping Hands.

You can follow these Americans through social media:

Facebook: New Horizons – Task Force Kout Men

Flickr: Task_Force_Kout_Men_New_ Horizons_Haiti_2010′s photostream

Twitter: @tfkoutmen

Click on the image for a larger view.

It has been six months since the impoverished nation of Haiti was devastated by an earthquake. While nearly two thirds of this island nation suffered little or no effects from the quake, the economic, political and population center of the nation was nearly leveled. The effects of the loss of life and the loss of infrastructure are still being felt today.

On January 12, 2010 Haiti was devastated by a massive earthquake. 230,000 people were killed an nearly 200,000 more injured. Over 1.2 million Haitians were displaced from their homes. A simpler illustration of the effects of the earthquake might be the resumption of international mail delivery to Haiti on May 3 after nearly four months.

The loss of buildings is extreme. Homes, hospitals, schools and other institutions are rubble or unsafe to occupy. The homeless are truly that, without anything but a blue tarp over their heads.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has been working in Haiti for 19 years. Here is what they recently reported:

The earthquake destroyed 60 per cent of the existing health facilities and 10 per cent of medical staff were either killed or left the country. MSF had to relocate services to other facilities, build container hospitals, work under temporary shelters, and even set up an inflatable hospital. With over 3000 Haitian and international staff working in the country, MSF currently manages 19 health facilities and has over 1000 beds available at various locations. The organization has provided emergency medical care to more than 173,000 patients between January 12th and May 31st.

Caritas Haiti is the charitable arm of the Catholic Church in Haiti. They have been operating there for some 35 years. Here is a portion of their recent statement:

Providing shelter to the many people who lost their homes in the earthquake remains a major challenge. Over a million people still live in makeshift settlements and camps around the capital Port-au-Prince. More than 250,000 houses were destroyed. Over the last six months, Caritas provided emergency shelter or temporary homes to almost 160,000 people in Port-au-Prince and in rural areas. While things are starting to improve in the Léogâne area, the situation remains highly complex around Port-au-
Prince.

Despite continuous clearing work, the rubble remaining in the streets considerably slows down reconstruction. The camps are so densely populated that no temporary houses can be built there. The problems are often worsened by unclear land ownership.

Only a few hundred temporary shelters have been built in the capital so far. Ahead of the rainy season starting in June, inhabitants from unsafe camps had to be relocated. While people in camps needed to be taken care of with emergency shelter materials such as tents and tarpaulins in the first months, heavy rains flooded these places and made distributions difficult.

Click on the image for a larger view

Action Aid has been in Haiti for thirteen years. Its six month report includes this:

Jean-Claude Fignolé, ActionAid Haiti Country Director, said: “The Haitian people must be included in the reconstructions plans. At the moment the plan is more reflective of donor country interests and that is wrong. It is imperative that Haitian people be directly involved in their own recovery and lead the reconstruction process.”

The situation in Haiti remains extremely challenging. The hurricane season which began on June 1 and continues until November has been forecast this year to be particularly severe with a high probability of several tropical storms which could lead to mudslides, landslides, subsidence and flooding.

Most survivors are still living in tents as finding the land to build transitional shelters has been a huge challenge in the densely populated capital Port-au-Prince where land ownership is often disputed and documents have been lost or destroyed.

Jean-Claude Fignolé said: “It is urgent that solutions to the housing crisis are found and implemented before a real storm hits the country.

CHF International has been concentrating on getting Haitians back into their own neighborhoods by paying for rubble removal and constructing shelters.

As of July 2, CHF has completed 1,527 transitional shelters in Port-au-Prince, Leogane and Cabaret, delivering housing to more than 7,600 Haitians. Most shelters are designed for the average Haitian family size of five. Through funding from USAID/OFDA, as well as support from corporations and the public, CHF is building an average of 200 shelters per week and plans to meet its goal of 6,000 shelters by October, which will offer safe housing to 30,000 people affected by the earthquake…

CHF has been able to build so many shelters because they have focused not on building camps, but on returning Haitians to their original communities and maintaining community cohesion. CHF demolishes damaged homes and builds shelters in their place. By keeping communities together, crime and violence are reduced and people are able to continue the job they had before. This is at the core of CHF’s vision of community-based development.

Outside of shelter development, CHF is employing Cash for Work teams comprised of Haitians to help demolish damaged structures and clear rubble from key roads, canals, public buildings, and schools. By July 2, CHF had removed 153,650 cubic meters of debris from nearly 300 sites of major roads, canals, and public buildings. This volume equates to two football fields stacked seven stories high in rubble. Since the earthquake, CHF has employed over 11,000 Haitians in rubble removal, for about 20 days each.

There is this story from GoUpstate.com:

Tents clustered in makeshift cities throughout Port-au-Prince are beginning to show wear. One “city” across the street from the Rescue Children Orphanage houses about 120 people in just 12 tents, Ramantanin said. He and others from Rescue Children dropped off pots, pans and food donations at the camp.

The Baptist Standard gives us this information:

The rain, sun and wind have taken their toll on the shelters. Edges of the plastic tarps hang in tatters. Many have begun leaking during storms.

“One interesting thing about the homes is that people have a phobia now. They don’t want to live under concrete roofs anymore,” Shehane said.

In addition to Haitians’ concerns about the safety and durability of new houses, new home building is made difficult by issues related to funding, land ownership and government restrictions.

“It’s always difficult to work through the bureaucracy here, and that’s true in many, many countries,” Brendle said. “First of all, because we have competing interests. We have the international aid community that wants to come in and have everything just flow in without any tariffs, without any bureaucracy, and that worked for a while after the disaster. But one of the major sources of income for this government is its tariffs from imports.”

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The Christian Science Monitor did a story about the camps and forced evictions.

Of 1,241 refugee camps here, only 206 are officially recognized, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Only the official camps are monitored by NGOs, meaning that the majority lack protection. …

This past spring, the government Commission of Damage Assessment, Temporary Shelter, Demolition and Reconstruction reportedly identified several sites totaling 6 million square meters (some 1,500 acres) for relocating people to the perimeters of the capital. Lengthy negotiations to secure the land have yet to secure relocation options for the 2.1 million people left homeless from the Jan. 12 earthquake.

Now, forced evictions from refugee camps are on the rise, officials say. With landowners exasperated by the slow pace, some are taking matters into their own hands.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Sarah Perry, medical coprsman, Operational Health Support Unit, celebrates with two children at the closing ceremony of the Medical Readiness Training Exercise, May 20. The MEDRETE provided more than 4,100 patients in the Les Cayes area with basic, immediate health care over a period 10 days. Facilities for the doctors, dentists and optometrists were provided by the American University of the Caribbean in Les Cayes. More than 40 Navy service members, several Haitian doctors, Uruguayan Soldiers assigned to MINUSTAH and Haitian Coast Guard members assisted in the exercise. Les Cayes is the second MEDRETE to be conducted in the southern region of Haiti. The first was in Port Salut several weeks ago.

On January 12, 2010 Haiti was devastated by a massive earthquake. 230,000 people were killed an nearly 200,000 more injured. Over 1.2 million Haitians were displaced from their homes.

160 days have passed, over five months. Here are some of the current facts and figures from the governments and agencies continuing to assist the stricken nation.

• Since February, the U.S. Government has helped vaccinate more than 1 million people against diseases such as polio, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, measles and rubella. (1)
• USAID cash-for-work programs that employ approximately 24,000 people every day (2)
• In the long term, mobile money could help millions of Haitians improve their lives through easy access to savings accounts and other financial services. Just three years after its launch, Kenya’s M-PESA mobile money service now has more than 9 million users (40 percent of all adult Kenyans), who pay for everything from taxi fares to school fees via mobile phone. The transactions are much safer than carrying cash, and rural households using M-PESA saw their incomes increase by 5 to 30 percent, according to early results of a recent study by the University of Edinburgh. (2)
• Flooding control and prevention – IOM reported that land ownership presents a significant obstacle to mitigation work, as 60 percent of assessed sites are located on privately owned land where a number of landowners have resisted proposed mitigation activities. (3)
• As of June 10, assessment teams had evaluated approximately 120,000 of the 800,000 planned structures and continue to assess approximately 3,000 buildings per day, according to MTPTC. Preliminary results designated 45 percent of structures surveyed in central Port-au-Prince as green, or habitable, and 30 percent of surveyed structures as yellow, signifying that the structures require minor repairs. (3)
• United Nations peacekeepers have this morning helped local police in Haiti capture 30 criminals who had escaped from prison in the wake of January’s catastrophic earthquake and subsequently infiltrated a camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the capital.
  Working with the Haitian National Police (HNP), more than 350 military and police staff serving with the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) raided the Jean-Marie Vincent camp for IDPs near the notorious Cité Soleil neighbourhood of Port-au-Prince shortly after 5 a.m.
  The operation was the largest security action conducted by MINUSTAH since the 12 January quake, which killed an estimated 200,000 Haitians and destroyed or substantially damaged the homes of millions of others. Many prison inmates also escaped from jail in the aftermath of the disaster.
  In a press statement MINUSTAH said the raid was conducted following an upsurge in violence inside the IDP camp that was linked to the prison escapees. (4)
• Total FY 2010 USAID, State, and DoD Humanitarian Assistance to Haiti for the Earthquake …..$1,092,894,368 (5)
• As of June 11, Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) Cluster partners had registered 371,039 households, comprising nearly 1.6 million individuals, through the displacement tracking matrix (DTM). The DTM records internally displaced person (IDP) data, including on fluctuating site populations, to develop an accurate picture of the humanitarian situation to tailor assistance to identified needs. As of June 9, the CCCM Cluster had identified 1,342 settlement sites in affected areas. (5)
• As of June 9, the DTM indicated that Delmas municipality, in the greater Port-au-Prince area, contained at least 200 settlement sites and the highest IDP population of all earthquake-affected areas. Of the 200 sites identified in Delmas, 11 sites hold more than 1,000 households each, 129 sites host between 100 and 1,000 households each, and 60 sites have fewer than 100 households each. (5)
• During weeks of May 30 and June 6, health authorities reported a total of 39,186 clinic visits, with the most common illnesses comprising acute respiratory infection, suspected malaria, watery diarrhea, fever of unknown origin, suspected typhoid, and bloody diarrhea. (5)

1. USAID Responds to Haiti Earthquake
2. Gates Foundation and USAID Announce Innovative Fund to Incentivize Mobile Money Services in Haiti
3. USAID Fact Sheet #58, Fiscal Year (FY) 2010
4. UN peacekeepers help to arrest 30 criminals on the run since quake
5. USAID Fact Sheet #59, Fiscal Year (FY) 2010

Spc. John W. Peterson, of Fargo, N.D., spends time with a local boy in Haiti before posing for a photo with the Haiti flag the boy was carrying. Peterson was part of a group of 21 Soldiers with the North Dakota Army National Guard's 191st Military Police Company who volunteered for a three-and-a-half week humanitarian mission to Haiti. They provided force protection as part of U.S. Southern Command's New Horizons program while assisting in the aftermath of the Jan. 12 earthquake there.

Soldiers working in Haiti returned home yesterday after spending more than three weeks there on a humanitarian mission. The Soldiers, who serve with the 191st Military Police Company, left May 19 to take part in the U.S. Southern Command’s New Horizons mission.

“The North Dakota National Guard does an outstanding job of serving our state and nation, and these Soldiers have proven that the Guard’s dedication and preparedness extends far beyond the borders of North Dakota,” said Gov. John Hoeven. “The important work they have completed in Haiti will have a beneficial impact on the people of that country as they continue to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake.”

The North Dakota Army National Guardsmen provided force protection at four locations in Haiti, primarily to facilitate the construction of a base camp near Gonaives, about 95 miles north of Port au Prince. That construction is wrapping up this week, said Sgt. 1st Class Troy Skelton, of Bismarck, the noncommissioned officer in charge of 20 other North Dakota Soldiers in Haiti. The group also provided some convoy security for medical personnel assisting in the aftermath of the Jan. 12 earthquake.

“These Soldiers embody the characteristics that make the North Dakota National Guard great,” said Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, North Dakota adjutant general. “Despite the primitive conditions and long work days, they all volunteered to go on this mission. They realize that what they did there will have lasting impacts on the people of Haiti, as well as on their own abilities since they were able to refine their skills while operating as part of our global environment.”

During the 26-day mission, Soldiers subsisted entirely on meals ready to eat and bottled water. The bottled water also was their only means of bathing while in Haiti, where the temperature regularly pushed 100 degrees.

Spc. Lindsay A. Suko, of Mandan, N.D., and Spc. Amanda G. Weninger, of Grand Forks, N.D., pose for a photo at the sea port in Haiti. The sea port was one of four locations where Soldiers with the 191st Military Police Company provided security during the past few weeks as they took part in a U.S. Southern Command New Horizons humanitarian mission there.

“I see the mission as a success,” Skelton said. “The Soldiers completed the mission with professionalism and no complaining. The Soldiers who went down to Haiti were up for the challenges we faced, and they all did an incredible job.”

Skelton’s group worked under the guidance of the Louisiana National Guard and side-by-side with Soldiers from Indiana, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New York, South Dakota, Texas and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Together, they focused on construction projects and humanitarian and medical assistance as part of New Horizons, which gives participating military personnel the opportunity to help communities and individuals with humanitarian needs while enhancing their ability to deploy overseas in support of military operations.

DVIDS

Miami Dolphin cheerleaders Fabiola Romero, Kellie Covington and Amy Madill greet troops at LSA Dragon and perform part of their dance routine April 28. The women are part of the Hijinks and High Kicks Armed Forces Entertainment tour that stopped at several military camps throughout Port-au-Prince. The cheerleaders were joined on their tour by comedians Carole Montgomery and Leighann Lord. Photo by Pvt. Samantha Hall

The posters advertising them around camp read punch lines and pom-poms, but these women are more than just pretty faces with witty senses of humor. Comedians Carole Montgomery and Leighann Lord, and Miami Dolphins cheerleaders Kellie Covington, Fabiola Romero and Amy Madill, make up the Hijinks and High Kicks Armed Forces Entertainment tour that visited Port-au-Prince from April 27 thru April 29.

“We did three shows for the troops [here in Haiti] to show our appreciation,” Covington said.

The women’s visit to Haiti focused around performing for the troops and boosting morale, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t get to do a little sight-seeing themselves.

“We had a helicopter ride,” Lord said. “We were able to get an aerial view of Port-au-Prince and see some of the damage and some of the beauty [of Haiti]. Everything in the news has been about what’s happening and of course about the earthquake and all the organizations trying to help, but we forget some of the beauty of this country. We were able to see some of that from the helicopter.”

The women all agreed that the helicopter ride was eye opening and enjoyable, even if the pilots had some fun while they flew.

The pilots were messing with the cheerleaders, swerving back and forth, Montgomery said. Although the cheerleaders got nervous at points, the two comedians just put their hands in the air and enjoyed the ride.

Following the Blackhawk tour, the group drove to LSA Dragon and saw more of Port-au-Prince from the ground.

“On the drive to [LSA Dragon], we drove through the streets and got to really see what’s going on,” Romero said. “The buildings are demolished; there are people on the streets. There are tents that have people living in them.”

Montgomery said that people don’t really see the true depth of the destruction until they are here and see it firsthand.

“You see the stuff on the nightly news about the devastation but you don’t realize it until you really see it and people have no idea what it is really like down here,” Montgomery said. “We, as Americans, take for granted that we have food every day and running water and toilets.”

During their visit, the women held a schedule similar to the troops. They ate meals, ready-to-eat (MREs), dealt with the heat and humidity and found themselves wishing for the little comforts in life.

“The heated meals that come in a box, they’ve got to do something about them,” Montgomery said. “Get a Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, something. I think that was a low point for me.”

Amy Madill and Kellie Covington are served chow like the troops, during their visit to LSA Dragon on April 28. Madill and Covington are two of three Miami Dolphin cheerleaders who came with the Hijinks and High Kicks Armed Forces Entertainment tour. The other three women are comedians Carole Montgomery and Leighann Lord, and Miami Dolphin cheerleader Fabiola Romero. The women spent several days in Haiti, performing shows several times a day for troops. Photo by Pvt. Samantha Hall

Before the show, the women were able to enjoy a hot meal and sat down to eat and mingle with the troops in the chow tent.

Spc. Darwin Quinteros, wheeled vehicle mechanic, Headquarters Support Company, Special Troops Battalion, U.S. Army South, along with several other Soldiers, sat with Madill and talked about how she got into cheerleading, college and the show.

“It was a good moral booster,” Quinteros said. “The girls were pretty and we don’t see that a lot being deployed. I liked their performance.”

The show kicked off with Montgomery talking to the troops, as well as making them laugh.

“I talk about real things,” Montgomery said. “I talk about my life, my marriage, my son, just everyday things. I’m the woman that says the things everyone wants to say, but don’t want to say because they’re embarrassed.”

Montgomery said a newspaper once described her as looking so sweet, until she opens her mouth.

“I say whatever I feel,” she added.

Lord followed Montgomery’s act and then the cheerleaders performed several small dances. To get the crowds involvement, Madill, Romero and Covington quizzed troops on Miami Dolphins trivia and handed out their team’s swimsuit calendars.

The troops laughed and got involved and seemed to have a good time, said Lord.

“I’m a comedian,” Lord said. “I’m glad when I can bring a little laughter and a little joy. The 20 minutes I spend on stage or the meet and greets do just that. I wish I could do more.”

The group was only able to stay three days in Haiti, with their brief stop at LSA Dragon on their second night, but that didn’t stop them from wanting to stay longer.

“I would stay here longer if I could,” Montgomery said. “If there were more people to entertain, I would stay.”

Montgomery said these tours mean a lot to her because her father is a Korean War veteran and it means so much to see the Soldiers. She said her father gets a kick out of her tours because he still remembers Bob Hope visiting him on his deployments.

By the end of the day, the women were packed up and ready head back to their sleeping quarters for the night, but that didn’t stop them from spending sometime signing autographs and talking to the troops one last time.

“We feel honored that we can come out here and help you guys [relax],” Montgomery said. “Laughter really is the best medicine.”

Romero said being here and seeing the troops is powerful, motivating and uplifting.

“[Soldiers] give you the inspiration to be a stronger person to do more in your community and to stay dedicated to everything in your life,” Romero said.

Lord ended her visit by saying to find joy each day and to remember the Soldiers everywhere.

“If you don’t have a Soldier in your family, then you know someone who does and don’t forget them,” Lord said. “We’ve got men and women all over the world; keep them in your thoughts.”

DVIDS
Story by Pvt. Samantha Hall

The Louisiana National Guard is scheduled to lead a New Horizons humanitarian assistance exercise in Haiti beginning June 1, U.S. Southern Command officials announced, April 25.

“We are proud to have our National Guard step forward to be a part of this important recovery effort,” said Gov. Bobby Jindal. “Louisiana received so much support from across the country and around the world after hurricanes Katrina and Rita; we stand ready to lend that same assistance to other parts of the world in their times of need.

“These brave men and women know firsthand the type of hard work and perseverance it takes to recover from a disaster, and I know that they will serve the people of Haiti well.”

The exercise in Haiti will provide critically needed medical and engineering services to the country’s capital of Port-au-Prince and surrounding communities, such as Gonaives. The country was ravaged by an earthquake, Jan. 12.

“In three months, we’ve planned a significant exercise in Haiti where there wasn’t one previously,” said Army Lt. Col. Scott Jonda, the exercises branch chief for the Army Guard’s operations division.

“Our engineer units will provide some … new construction of schools and clinics, and there will be medical units that will go out and provide various medical tasks in the community.”

SOUTHCOM officials said that free medical care will be provided at various sites, and that U.S. military medical personnel will be stationed at each site for 10 days to provide general medical, dental and optometry services for about 700 individuals daily.

Engineering projects will include not only new construction at three schools, but also construction of a sports recreation area and water well improvements, said SOUTHCOM officials.

Army Lt. Gen. Ken Keen, SOUTHCOM’s military deputy commander, said that the military humanitarian assistance mission would consist of about 500 Soldiers, led by the Louisiana National Guard.

“The Louisiana National Guard is excited about leading the New Horizons mission to Haiti,” said Army Maj. Gen. Bennett C. Landreneau, the state’s adjutant general. “While our Soldiers and Airmen are very proud to join the relief effort, this mission [will] also be an excellent training opportunity for them.”

Jonda said the Louisiana National Guard will provide the duration staff, while eight other states and one territory will contribute Soldiers to this mission, including Missouri, Nevada, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, California, Indiana, Massachusetts and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Specifically, North Dakota, Indiana and Nevada will provide military police support. Nevada and Montana will provide aviation support; and South Dakota will provide engineering support.

New Horizons missions began in the mid-1980s as an annual series of joint and combined humanitarian assistance exercises that SOUTHCOM conducts with Latin American and Caribbean nations.

New Horizons exercises typically last several months providing medical and infrastructure projects. These missions give deployed U.S. military forces invaluable training opportunities to work with partner nations.

The assistance from New Horizons is in addition to the over $1.03 billion in emergency humanitarian assistance already provided to the Haitian people by the U.S. government since the devastating earthquake.

DVIDs
Story by Spc. Darron Salzer

Two Colombian Armada tender boat operators, crew members from the Cartagena de Indias, pilot their craft towards a small port in Killick to the awaiting U.S. vessel, landing craft utility 2026, the Hobkirk, April 22, near the conclusion of a 6-day mission with the U.S. Army and other non-government organizations. Cooperation between the U.S. Army, Colombian Armada and Army, along with Red Cross groups from both Haiti and Colombia, resulted in several thousand tons of humanitarian supplies reaching the Haitian people. Photo by Capt. Jose Emperador

It’s almost as if the multi-national team of Haitians, Colombians and Americans, who began working less than one week ago to offload humanitarian cargo inbound from Colombia, have been working together for years.

The complex effort of transferring cargo from the anchored Colombian Armada Navy ship, Cartagena Indias, to two alternating U.S. Army landing craft utility vessels, the Matamoras and the Hobkirk, near a small port at Killick, Haiti seemed like a routine effort to the novice mariner. Representatives from all organizations credit teamwork, cooperation and motivation as the catalyst for the successful operation which ended April 22. And no matter which language was being spoken, be it Creole, French, Spanish, English or a mangled combination of all four, everyone involved seemed to agree that the cooperation was “excelente.”

Colombian Armada ship Commander Jose Guillermo Rodriguez says a chance meeting at Port-au-Prince’s main port with U.S. Navy and Army officers began the discussion of a possible joint cooperative mission between the two allies. Rodriguez, skipper of the Cartagena de Indias, a ship used by Colombia primarily for counter drug patrols off the South American country’s coast, said the partnership began forming during the initial encounter. “As soon as I met the officers from the [U.S.] Navy and Army, we began discussing how we could help each other,” Rodriguez said. “After further discussion, we determined they could help us offload cargo from the Cartagena and get it ashore to waiting representatives from the Colombian Red Cross.” Rodriguez added that the partners between the various organizations were motivated and committed to the effort.

“The Colombian Red Cross in conjunction with the Haitian Red Cross and your Soldiers [U.S. Army] came with the LCU of the Army …and every day they came to help unload,” Rodriguez said.

The Hobkirk’s vessel master, Chief Warrant Officer 2 Willis Allen, says the small, damaged port facility at Killick isn’t conducive to a ship the size of the Cartagena. Allen says his vessel, with a flat bottom and shallow draft, is capable of pulling up right to the beach if needed. This quality, unique to LCU-type boats, allowed him to complete those final legs to shore that the Cartagena previously had to do with its utility skiffs.

“We moor alongside the Colombian ship… we tie up, they take a crane and put a gang way down to our vessel and we just start a chain and start the food down to the vessel,” Allen said.

Allen joined the consensus of opinions in saying there was excellent cooperation between all the agencies involved.

“It shows a lot of hospitality between two countries to make things happen,” Allen said. He also said the Haitian workers, the Colombian Red Cross and the crew of the Cartagena, along with his Soldiers, worked extremely well and efficient together. Prior to the use of the two LCU’s, the Colombians off-loaded a load similar in size but that effort took 18 days.

“It is my understanding that when they unloaded the first shipment they had to unload everything to small boats all by themselves by hand.” said Sgt. 1st Class John Gaviria, who coincidentally is Colombian as well as the Hobkirk’s 1st mate. “The experience that I’ve had with the Colombian Armada, the Colombian Army, and the volunteers of the Colombian Red Cross has been excellent.”

Representatives from the Colombian Army, who helped with transportation on the cargo was offloaded, also shared similar sentiments. Colombian Army Maj. Diego Pastrana, second commander, equivalent to an executive officer, of the Disaster Awareness and Prevention Battalion, said their job has required a lot of effort taking into account that they could have used some much-needed resources. “Here, the American Army has been the fundamental logistical part to all the support necessary,” Pastrana said. “At this moment, we’ve been supported greatly and thanks to that, we are able to continue our support for the Haitian people.”

Jose Estrada Charis, director of area relief for the Colombian Red Cross says all the agencies involved formed a strong team. “Responding to emergencies and natural disasters often create a fraternal bond between various nations in the world involved,” Charis said. “The Colombian Army and Armada [Navy] with the American Army have formed a team with the Colombian Red Cross.”

“The humanitarian supplies that the Colombian Red Cross is providing to the Haitian Red Cross as well as the interaction with the American Army and that great friendship and great team that we’ve now created has created an excellent rapport between us all,” Rodriguez, said. “As the commander of this ship, it is one of my hopes that all our crew remember the images we see on land and learn to better appreciate what we have back in Colombia because, in reality, we all live in paradise.”

DVIDS
Story by Capt. Jose Emperador

Haitian citizens remain in the street afraid or unable to return to their homes. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Candice Villarreal

And it grinds on.

AlertNet / Reuters

Around a quarter of a million Haitians living in precarious tent camps could face a “catastrophe” unless they are moved quickly to safer areas ahead of the approaching rainy and hurricane seasons, the United Nations has warned.

More than two months after the Jan. 12 earthquake that wrecked Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince and surrounding cities, rain and storms threaten to turn some of the city’s squalid tent camps into toxic rivers of mud and human excrement, and protecting the 250,000 residents who are judged to be most vulnerable is a race against time.

As of last week, only around 200 families had been moved to temporary shelters outside of the capital approved by the government.

“We just can’t let people continue to live in these conditions,” France Hurtubise, public information officer for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), told AlertNet by phone from Port-au-Prince.

“Some sites sit on flood plains and on hills, which is very dangerous and could lead to landslides. That would be a disaster. These people will have to be moved or it will be a catastrophe if they remain in these sites.”

The government wants some quarter of a million people in around seven of the capital’s 461 camps considered at high risk of flooding and landslides to move by mid-April.

It says relocating people to new temporary sites is the last resort, and is encouraging quake survivors to return to their homes or seek shelter with host families in and around the capital.

The plans mean finding at least 600 hectares of land for alternative settlements, which is hard to come by in an already crowded capital city, says OCHA.

Only around a third of the land needed for resettlement has been identified by the government so far, according to a recent OCHA report.

“We are urging the government to identify more land. Work needs to move faster to move people out of harm’s way before the rainy season starts,” OCHA spokesperson Elisabeth Byrs told AlertNet from Geneva, echoing growing frustration among aid agencies.

Progress has been slow in moving people to safer sites because of difficulties in finding rubble-free land to build on, agreeing land deals and obtaining government approval and building permits, the United Nations says.

Tension between landowners and displaced people settling on private land is also a growing concern, according to OCHA, and in some cases people have been forcefully evicted.

“A strategy to address the legal rights of land owners while also protecting the affected population needs to be developed,” the U.N. agency says in a report.

As members of the services flight for the Connecticut Air National Guard's 103rd Airlift Wing, Tech. Sgt. Chris Jones (left) and Tech. Sgt. Bambi Putinas volunteered to do search and recovery at the destroyed Hotel Montana in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The four-star hotel collapsed during the Jan. 12 earthquake trapping many of its guests in the rubble. The two worked with search and recovery teams from France, Mexico, Canada and other branches of the U.S. military. Photo by Staff Sgt. Jon Soucy

The earthquake that rocked this city left many of its structures damaged or destroyed, including one landmark that many say represented a sense of stability within the city.

The Hotel Montana, a four-star hotel where diplomats, dignitaries and other world leaders often stayed, collapsed during the Jan. 12 earthquake trapping many of its guests in the rubble.

A few made it out alive, and the task of finding and identifying those who didn’t fell to a variety of organizations, including search and recovery teams from France, Mexico, Canada and members of the U.S. military.

As a member of the services flight for the Connecticut Air National Guard’s 103rd Airlift Wing, Tech Sgt. Bambi Putinas said her job encompasses not only personnel issues, food services and lodging, but also mortuary affairs.

“We all volunteered to come here, but we had no idea what we would be doing,” she said. “In the back of our minds, we all thought possibly mortuary affairs.”

When a call for volunteers to assist at the Hotel Montana site was put out, Putinas was one of many from her unit to volunteer for the mission.

“We would help with the preliminary identification of remains and make sure they got back home safely and also any articles, luggage, personal effects,” she said. “We helped to document what we found, and those also would be shipped home.”

Putinas said it was an important job to do, but also a difficult one.

“It was hard,” she said. “Sometimes you could actually put a face with a name or an article or something that was inscribed.”

For many who worked at the site, it was an opportunity to provide a sense of closure to the grieving family members of those who died in the hotel.

“…we were recovering those that had fallen at the (Hotel) Montana, so that they could be returned to their loved ones and bring closure,” said Tech Sgt. Chris Jones, also with the 103rd AW. “We were sending them home.”

That was part of what made many who worked at the site go back day after day.

“Some people wanted to go out every day, no matter what,” said Putinas. “You think that you’re going to find somebody one day and you just keep on searching hoping to find someone.”

Though it is part of the services mission set, mortuary affairs is not a skill that unit members use on a regular basis.

“It was a lot of nerves the first time we went out there,” said Jones. “We do a lot of training, but this was our first real-world experience handling this aspect of our career field. It was a lot of nerves, a lot of anxiety, but everyone got out there and did their job and handled it very well.”

Unit members also relied on each other for support during the recovery operations.

“We kept an open door policy and set rank aside if anybody needed to talk or had any questions,” said Jones, who added that there were briefings and other opportunities for those at the site to discuss or work through any issues.

“We’re a pretty strong group to begin with,” said Putinas. “I think it was a great team that we put together, and we were there for each other.”

Jones recalled the day the remains of an Air Force officer were recovered.

“They said he was still in his uniform,” said Jones. “His body was covered, and he was moved out of the rubble and all of us stopped working and we went to attention and saluted as he was moved past us. It was our way of paying final respects to him.”

For those at the site, doing the job was something they took great pride in.

“We received a great sense of fulfillment in the job we were doing,” said Jones. “We had an extreme amount of pride in the job that we had done.”

And that is something that will stay with them long after they return home.

“I think I’ll be telling my family members about the team I worked with,” said Putinas. “And how great it was to work with the Army, the Navy, the French, the Canadians, and how people from all aspects of life could come together for one mission, in a country that none of us ever thought we would come to, and pull together and do a mission that needed to be done.”

DVIDS
Story by Staff Sgt. Jon Soucy

Over 60 articles about the Haitian earthquake, U.S. military assistance to Haiti after the quake, American giving to earthquake relief and other related topics can be found at the link Haiti Quake 2010.

An Airman with the 118th Civil Engineering Squadron, gives candy to a child at the New Life Children's Home in Port au Prince, Haiti, March 12, 2010. Members of the squadron have been working at the home, a local orphanage that has also taken in many children injured by the January earthquake, building cabinets, storage areas and a medical clinic. Photo by Staff Sgt. Jon Soucy

The U.S. military response to the January earthquake in Haiti was almost immediate.

Within hours, equipment, supplies and personnel began to arrive in Haiti to assist those affected by the earthquake and its aftershocks.

Many Air National Guard units and personnel were among the first to respond to the disaster.

For some, it was a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Air Force Staff Sgt. Oscar Trevino of the 190th Civil Engineering Squadron of the Kansas Air National Guard was with his unit in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as part of its two weeks of annual training.

“People said they felt the earthquake,” said Trevino. “I grew up in Southern California, and I didn’t feel anything. I just rolled over and went to bed. Sure enough, we found out the next day they had a massive earthquake over here.”

Trevino’s unit arrived here a week later.

“We waited for a week to get transportation,” he said. “Really, they needed us as soon as they could so we could get the camp going and get the other people housed.”

When Trevino first arrived in Haiti, service members were sleeping wherever space was available.

“The first week I slept on some lumber, because I didn’t want to sleep on the ground,” he said.

Building a tent city is a bit more involved than simply erecting a few tents. It means leveling ground and setting up living, shower and laundry areas.

“We initially brought in what is called a ’550 kit,’ which consists of tents and will house roughly 550 personnel,” said Trevino. “We were at the north end of the airport, and it was nothing but tall grass. And we came in with our heavy equipment and leveled the place. We put up tents and then our shower and laundry and built it up to as you see it today.”

These operations are all part of what a civil engineering squadron does.

“When we hit the ground in an expeditionary or contingency environment, our job is to set up a bare base,” said Air Force Lt. Col. Craig Bradford, commander of the 118th CES in Nashville, Tenn., and commander of the 24th Expeditionary CES in Port au Prince, Haiti. “So, if we have a water source and an airfield, we’ll come in and bring in all the material to build a tent city.”

But that still means hitting the ground running.

“We got here Jan. 29, and I haven’t had a day off since then,” said Bradford. “But we’ve been working hard to build a tent city for all the joint members in the task force.”

Members of Bradford’s squadron have been responsible for building more than a tent city. They worked on other projects around the airport and were directly involved with getting it re-opened to commercial traffic on Feb. 19.

“We built a diversionary road around the airport, otherwise traffic would be worse than what it already is,” said Bradford. “We also fixed a water leak that was just outside the major terminal that was going to be used for the commercial re-opening. Without our work, that terminal would not have opened at all.”

They also fixed the landing lights on the runway.

“The airfield lighting has gone down multiple times while we’ve been here,” said Bradford. “The first night it happened, the president of Haiti couldn’t even make it in. They had to divert his flight to another Caribbean island and our folks stayed up until that system was working and ready to go and he landed in the morning.”

The squadron’s ability to get the airfield lights back up and operational came about, in part, because of the civilian backgrounds of many of the squadron members.

“From the civil engineering standpoint, most of our folks are craftsmen on the outside,” said Bradford. “They have the abilities and they are working in the crafts. They’re carpenters, they’re electricians. Those are some of the unique qualities that the active duty force doesn’t have that we bring in our squadron.”

Because many buildings within the city have been destroyed or damaged by the earthquake, local residents have been wary of returning to their homes or entering various structures, said Bradford.

So, the squadron provided structural assessments of those properties “to give people the warm and fuzzy that they can go back and live where they lived before and that’s just as important as providing food and water,” said Bradford.

Providing these services is what makes the mission worthwhile. “Morale has been fantastic,” said Bradford. “This is a different sort of mission than going to Iraq or Afghanistan. If the shops can afford to lose a few folks during the week, then we go ahead and send them out on a mission to help an orphanage or work in the clinic or wherever we can.”

And that’s all part of the squadron’s mission.

“There was a humanitarian mission before the earthquake and there will be one long after,” said Bradford. “At most, we can put a dent in it. We’re here to help as much as we can.”

DVIDS
Story by Staff Sgt. Jon Soucy

There are some very simple ways that the people of Haiti can be helped. There are actions that all of us can take to provide that help. And, sadly, there are a great many ways that our work and our money can be used that will not benefit the Haitians.

Most of us will never see a place with more basic needs than Haiti. Providing for those needs means more than just a shipping container full of old clothes. It means that the work and the money we donate must go to groups that are effective, expert in their field, on the ground in Haiti right now, and will use the resources we provide to aid the Haitians the the ways they need aid. We can see all their needs, but we must assist them through their choices and their involvement in the relief and reconstruction process.

This series has repeatedly pointed to the number of small NGOs that are working in small ways to help the Haitian people. Most of these groups are religious in nature. Some are supported by various denominations while others have been “adopted” by individual churches. Some of these groups are just the efforts of a family and their friends, who are devoting their lives to service in Haiti.

If you attend church, the best way to help the Haitians is to donate to the church’s charitable arm for Haitian relief and reconstruction. Here is a list of some of those NGO’s:

• Caritas – Caritas is the worldwide Roman Catholic assistance charity. There are others, but this is the largest. All of the money raised by Catholic Relief Services in the United States is going to Caritas. This charity is not rated by the website Charity Navigator.

• American Jewish World Service – AJWS is providing grants to 13 small NGO’s on the ground in Haiti. This charity has a 4 star rating by the website Charity Navigator.

• Episcopal Relief & Development - Working with the Diocese of Haiti and the Diocese of the Dominican Republic. This charity has a 4 star rating by the website Charity Navigator.

• Lutheran World Relief –
  

  To help provide immediate relief to rural communities, and set the stage for a long-term response, LWR is working with local Haitian organization Partenariat pour le Développement Local (Partnership for Local Development or PLD). LWR is collaborating with Lutheran World Federation, Catholic Relief Services, International Orthodox Christian Charities, Church World Service, the United Nations Foundation, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Women of the ELCA, the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, World Neighbors and Action by Churches Together to deliver relief supplies and expertise where they are needed most.

  Donations to LWR are being matched on a 1:2 basis by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, up to a max of $1 million. This charity has a 3 star rating by the website Charity Navigator.

There are many other religious charities working in Haiti. Some are associated with various sects while others are non-denominational. These include Star of Hope, Joy in Hope, Heartline Ministries and World Wide Village. If you should be looking for a small charity where your dollars will make a big difference, any of these deserve your consideration.

The American Red Cross deserves special mention in this piece. As of March 10, 2010, it has received $354 million in donations for Haiti. It has spent or allocated a total of $106.4 million dollars. Its website talks a great deal about the international Red Cross response and the relief it has provided.

Almost immediately following the earthquake, the American Red Cross provided 3 million pre-packaged meals as well as $30 million to feed 1 million people for a month in partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme. Relief workers are also providing 1.5 million liters of water each day in more than 120 locations throughout Port-au-Prince and outlying areas. Red Cross sanitation experts are constructing latrines and developing waste-disposal solutions in support of spontaneous settlements as well.

In addition, during the first two months more than 400,000 people have received basic supplies from the Red Cross, including hygiene kits, cooking tools, buckets, blankets and mosquito nets.

The American Red Cross contributed $374,500 to support the health ministry’s emergency [vaccination] campaign …

It is very unclear from the Red Cross’s site how much money they have actually spent versus “allocated”. The American Red Cross has about 50 disaster specialists in Haiti. This charity has a 3 star rating by the website Charity Navigator. I will not recommend the ARC at this time, until its spending and plans become clearer.

Americares tells us that it has spent $20 million for relief efforts to date. It has raised $12.5 million. It has a 4 star rating from Charity Navigator. It is primarily a relief and not a recovery NGO.

Mercy Corps is a 3 star charity at Charity Navigator. Its website describes their relief efforts and some innovative programs to help jump start the economy. They are operating a cash for work program focused on debris clearance. They are also working with the children in the refugee camps, providing both psychological resources and care for these traumatized victims of the earthquake.

Doctors Without Borders is a 4 star charity. With its international counterpart, Médecins Sans Frontières, it is heavily involved in post-quake medical care. It is operating 26 hospitals and health centers in the country.

Habitat for Humanity has a 4 star rating. Its local office was destroyed by the Haitian earthquake. It has plans for transitional homes that can be added to over time. These will be built with the natural threats in mind. They are also planning to reuse and recycle as much of the debris as possible. They are currently providing emergency shelter kits.

Lions Clubs International Foundation has a 4 star rating. Its disaster and major catastrophe grants are given to smaller NGOs and local Lions Clubs for their projects.

Samaritan’s Purse is the charitable arm of the Bill Graham organization. It has a 4 star rating. They are acting as a relief organization, working through local, Haitian churches. They have teams in the heart of the quake damage, Leogane and its surroundings.

I do not mean to neglect any worthwhile NGO or religion. This is a sample of quality charities that I hope you will consider as you continue to provide support following the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Donations to the charities named here will help in both the relief effort, and most importantly, in the recovery effort.

Over 60 articles about the Haitian earthquake, U.S. military assistance to Haiti after the quake, American giving to earthquake relief and other related topics can be found at the link Haiti Quake 2010.