This is a report, sent by a Canadian working with Khalsa Aid, a U.K.-based Sikh aid group, in Leogane, Haiti, was written sometime between February 22-25:
Canada Haiti Action Network listserve, February 25, 2010
Drove through a huge protest. We initially saw large rocks scattered all
over the road and a groups of Haitians screaming. I thought it was an accident
when I saw a car flipped over. It wasn't only until we drove further into the
crowd that we saw people running by us with pickaxes and shovels and sticks,
screaming 'REVOLUTION' in creole.
I've spoken with a few individuals with a very large NGO who have informed me
that these small protests are nothing compared to what is about to come in the
coming month as the rainy season falls upon Haiti. With so many Haitians
without shelter, adequate drinking water (a very large percentage) and an even
larger amount without regular access to food and medical care, Haitians are
getting increasingly frustrated with an incompetent Aid distribution (I'll
explain more further later) and without any governmental ministry to set up
the appropriate conduits of exchange between Haitians communities, the aid
agencies and the various government agencies in Haiti, we are seeing this
frustration turn into aggression.
I've mentioned many times before that I have traveled to many communities to
make assessments to find out that I was the first to arrive. This is
increasingly becoming representative of the many problems facing Haitians in
the areas outside of Port Au Prince. Much of the NGO's are concentrated in
Port Au Prince along side much of the aid and vital supplies, if not the
wealthier districts in Haiti. The poorer (most affected by the earthquake)
areas of Haiti are yet to receive any aid and this is getting more and more
depressing for those of us working these areas. I represent a very small NGO
and the capacity to which I work is not to promise aid, only make assessments
and provide statistical data which in turn can be used to convince the bigger
NGO's and governmental agencies to come out to these areas to provide aid.
This is becoming increasingly difficult as many of these areas have been
considered 'security' issues and many NGO's refuse to travel there, and to
further compound this problem, many of these NGO's that have raised tens of
millions are leaving in a few weeks leaving many of us NGOs that have decided
(or had planned) to stay for long term development in a very difficult
position. It's emotionally draining going to communities, villages, orphanages
and repeatedly hearing the anguish, anger, hunger, frustration and plight of
hundreds of thousands of Haitians whose voices aren't being heard.
These UN cluster meetings (as one of the bigger NGO's logistics' coordinator
rather calls them : 'cluster fuck meetings' lol) seem to be very
disappointing. My associates and myself traveled to Port Au Prince to the UN
compound to meet and take care of some issues with the WFP and we had attended
a 'Food Cluster' meeting. The UN is NOW starting to track the regions where
NGO's and various other agencies and state actors have distributed food. Many
smaller NGO's at the meeting continually complained that they had no idea
where the WFP (World Food Program) food supplies were and why they weren't
being given access to distribute them out. I have the very same questions for
regions outside of Port-Au-Prince; Leogane and Gressier for example where much
of the social unrest is occurring. Once again, these areas are not receiving
aid and I can't possibly be the only one going to some of these regions as the
first foreign representative. This is completely ridiculous. However, it also
must be understand that this earthquake decimated the UN establishment in
Haiti, killing or severely injuring much of it's local staff, leaving behind
very little infrastructure to deal with the relief work. Many UN officials
have been brought from foreign posts - for example, the local OCHA coordinator
has been flown in from Palestine. I don't' entirely blame the UN's efforts,
but that is no excuse for the various larger NGO's working in Haiti.
Another issue that is worth mentioning (perhaps one of the most important) is
the lack of coordination with local governmental agencies. A health cluster
meeting yesterday was for the first time given space to the local Haitian
Health Ministry. Angry, they complained that they are not being asked to help
coordinate much of the efforts in Leogane. Though there wasn't much government
capacity before, NGO's and other state and non-state actors need to help
improve governmental functions and agencies, work in coordination with them
and use them as conduits of change. This is not happening and it will be
detrimental to Haiti in the long run.
MTI (Medical Teams International) is a great example of an NGO that IS doing
this and for this reason we have fully supported their efforts and will be
working along side them for the next 3-5 years to come. I suggest those of you
reading to either support local NGO's and grass-roots organizations, or the
bigger NGO's that are committed to help build sustainable development in Haiti
that builds capacity in Haitians so that they are not dependent on foreign
assistance. This is a great chance to get it right, so let's make it happen.
I also observed that the Haitian civil service were not being allowed into the
bigger cluster meetings at the UN compounds. The coordination efforts have
become more and more racialized with less Haitian people present. In fact, a
senior coordinator for WFP also told us the very same thing. I've had no
problem walking to any of the meetings or compounds granted I forgot proper
authorization and ID, but Haitian civil service staff have a tougher time with
Authorization and ID. It's as if the Haitian guards are taught to allow
western, white looking individuals in without further scrutiny, while blacks
are systematically denied.
And, I have to add; the water and sanitation problem in Haiti is very very
very bad. 90 percent of the regions I have assessed in Leogan and Gressier
have no access to drinking water, and whatever water they do have is severely
contaminated. I'm trying to get on UNICEF's ass to fix this. I'll also be
working with many WATER specific NGO's to come evaluate and build water and
sanitation systems at sites we've assessed. Haiti needs proper water and
sanitation or else the risk of disease is going to become very very high,
along with many other problems.
Anyways, It's best I leave now. My driver is going to kill me for keeping him
out so late. Poor guy. Lol. I haven't gotten into any of the emotional
experiences I've been facing, but I guess that's because I'm trying to push
them aside so I can carry on with my work. The orphanages are what kill me the
most. I visited one where a young boy, of only a year, lost his entire family
in the earthquake, and another where a young girl had lost both her legs. Yet,
even more depressing is what these children suffer after every earthquake. The
very same orphanage where the young girl had lost her legs, was also the scene
of all 91 one children running out screaming, yelling and crying after every
aftershock that hit. The horror of having to be reminded of such disaster and
tragedy overwhelming. These kids need therapy along side the aid which they've
yet to receive. Rebuilding Haiti is going to take years and years, but we have
to move forward responsibly with the interest of the Haitian poor in mind -
most of Haiti.
Good night.