After Haiti’s quake: children in Pétionville danced at a day care program run by the French Red Cross. More Photos »

By SIMON ROMERO

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“…but long-term care isn’t even on the horizon.” –Associated Press

Maybe, but we just signed on to pay long-term, living wages for local medical staff in Port-au-Prince. There is still a lot to do–people are sleeping under sheets in the rain, there is still no food or clean water–but there are still groups trying …to help Haiti get back home again. Find out more: www.realmedicinefoundation.org

Billions for Haiti, a criticism for every dollar (AP)

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — The world’s bill for the Haitian earthquake is large and growing — now $2.2 billion — and so is the criticism about how the money is being spent.

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Haiti Relief efforts
March 1, 2010
By Jonathan White

➢    Number one issue is provision of adequate shelter/housing.
➢    Food assistance moving into second surge phase with food baskets.
➢    Decongestion of settlement camps and creation of adequate sanitation is top priority.
➢    Rubble/Debris removal begins with over 86,000 Haitian workers hired.

The latest OCHA situation report from the UN reports that while the immediate emergency needs (food, water, health care) in Port-au-Prince are being covered, organizations continue to deal with many requests from outlying areas.

While the Port-au-Prince and directly surrounding area suffered the highest levels of destruction, the other provinces of Haiti have seen an inflow of over 400,000 people from the capital.  This has put a tremendous strain on already struggling communities and the humanitarian assistance provided must be balanced between these two areas.   Updated figures in this report include the latest estimate that 222,517 died and over 1.2 million are in need of shelter.

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Port-au-Prince, Haiti
February 20, 2010
By Kevin Connell

Much-Needed Rehab Equipment Obtained through Portlight.org
We made a great connection tonight with a supplier from Portlight.org working out of Quisqueya University.  The school was shut down after nearly all of its building collapsed in the earthquake, but it is currently being used (along with the other Quisqueya schools) as a staging point for relief operations.
As mentioned in the previous post, our partner, Sacred Heart Hospital, has been inundated with amputees for weeks without the proper human or physical resources to treat them.  In our efforts to get help with supplies, one of our contacts here in Port-au-Prince Tweeted a request for physical therapy equipment (crutches, walkers, etc) on our behalf, setting the process in motion early this afternoon.
Two hours later through the help of Twitter users all around the world, we were sent word of Portlight’s supply of rehab products located less than five minutes from our location at the hospital and ready for distribution.  After a simple phone call, we had setup a time to meet their coordinator, Richard Lumarque, fifteen minutes later for pickup and were on our way.  With a little help from Google Maps, Mel (physical therapist) and I made it to Portlight’s depot at Quisqueya before sundown and were reviewing inventory with Richard for receipt.
Soon we had stuffed my small SUV rental from Avis full with a three-wheel walker, 23 walkers, some crutches, two boxes filled with platform attachments used for complex mobility needs and a load of neck braces.  The equipment was added to the supply room at Sacred Heart, set to be handed out to the 50+ Sacred Heart amputees who have been bed-ridden since January 12th.  Mel estimated the equipment to be worth roughly $5,000—a big score for the community at Sacred Heart, waiting to walk again.. and not bad for two hours of effort.
Many thanks to Richard Lumarque, Portlight.org, and the Twitter community for making it happen.

Mel with our impromptu supplier, Richard from Portlight.org

Mel and I after loading the car full of rehab equipment for her clients at Sacred Heart.

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IPS

FEBRUARY 18, 2010

Haiti’s misery after last month’s earthquake will be compounded by a food catastrophe if the international community continues to ignore the country’s agricultural needs, the United Nations has warned.

Despite pledges covering over 95 percent of the 575-million-dollar target set for the U.N.’s Flash Appeal to rebuild Haiti, where food insecurity was a massive problem even before the earthquake that killed over 200,000 people, there is a big shortfall in the campaign’s agriculture component.

Indeed, only eight percent of the 23 million dollars required for the sector’s immediate needs have been raised, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has said.

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