There is a human catastrophe unfolding tonight in the Caribbean nation
of Haiti. Thousands - possibly tens of thousands - were killed in Tuesday afternoon's
magnitude-7.0 quake. The scale of the disaster is overwhelming – Haiti
was already the poorest nation in the hemisphere and now it is completely devastated.
Experts say, because of the scope and breadth of damage and destruction, we
are weeks away from knowing how massive a human and national disaster this has
been. Haitian President Andre Preval told the Miami Herald that “Parliament
has collapsed; The tax office has collapsed. Schools have collapsed. Hospitals
have collapsed," He adds that there are a lot of schools that have a lot
of dead people in them." The Miami Herald reports that even the main prison
in the capital fell down, "and there are reports of escaped inmates.
Indeed, it is a hemispheric emergency every nation in the Americas
and the Caribbean is reaching out to Haiti and Belize is no different. And for
Belize, as a fellow Caribbean country it is our duty – but even more than
that – there are Haitians living and working in Belize. For them the news
has been bad but not knowing about the condition of their loved ones is the
most difficult part. I found out more when I visited with some of them today.
Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
The images coming out of Haiti speaks volume of the magnitude of disaster following
Tuesday evening’s earthquake that measured 7.0 on the Richter scale the
largest to have struck the impoverished island in two hundred years. Here in 
Belize the small Haitian community is struggling to get word on their loved
ones back home as communication lines are down and it has been difficult not
knowing if their family, relatives and friends are safe and well.
Dr. Ducas Dorsainbvil, President of the of the Belizean Haitian Association
that represents three hundred Haitians who reside in Belize says it has been
a nightmare trying to get word out of Haiti on the whereabouts of their family.
Dr. Ducas Dorsainvil, President – Belizean-Haitian Assoc.
“The communication is so difficult. Everything has been cut down and
we don’t have the facilities to communicate with them there.”
Dorsainvil’s family lives not far away from the capital port au prince
that was devastated in an area known as Petionville that also suffered mass
destruction. Equally concerned about his family is security guard Wandelet Estiverne
who visited the mission headquarters to hear that his family is safe.
Estiverne Wandelet, Concerned About Family
“If I lost my family I won’t know what to do because I will
be very very sad. My pa, my ma, my sister, my cousin – all of them live
in Port Au Prince and I don’t know what I could do. I want to go and see
them but I don’t know when I will do that.”
The Haitians not only fear that thousands of lives may have been lost but that
their country will not be able to recover from this disaster.
Jacqueline Godwin,
“You said your family lives in a village, how far is that from Port Au
Prince?”
Jean Smith Choune, Concerned About Family
“Not far from the capital, about 15 minutes or 30 minutes. It is not
far from the capital.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
“And the information you are getting is that they are okay or no one seems
to know what happened?”
Jean Smith Choune,
“It is very very bad. A lot of the government houses, the government
places bruk down. In my country the Catholic Church and the market bruk down.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
“So at this time you do not know if your family is alive or dead?”
Jean Smith Choune,
“I can’t get my family because I call in and I can’t get
no answer and I got two children and my wife and my sister and my father and
I don’t know if they are dead. I haven’t gotten any information
yes.”
Eudrajue Ceditte, Concerned About Family
“I called this morning and nobody answered. I just know this thing
passed every where in Haiti but that is why now I am not satisfied.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
“Knowing your country and the way how people live there, do you believe
Haiti will ever recover from this devastation?”
Jean Smith Choune,
“It is very very hard. I don’t know if the countries in CARICOM
or the Red Cross will help the country.”
Eudrajue Ceditte,
“I don’t, maybe in a next country but Haiti still….I don’t
see nothing….I think this country is lost.”
A massive international humanitarian aid effort is underway to rescue and search
for those who are trapped under the rubble and help those who are in need of
medical care, food and water supply.
Odner Estiverne, Concerned About Family
“I try to contact my family and I can’t reach with them. I can’t
explain to you how I feel now because I have a lot of family where the thing
happened.
Yes I know they are affected because where my family lives there is a big
church and they say it was bruk down. The school, I did my primary school, that
is bruk down. Everything is bruk. I don’t know what happened to my family
because they live close to the place but I can’t see because I don’t
know yet what happened. I tried to call and I can’t get through so I think 
they are hurt. I can’t contact them yet. Only God knows. So Haiti is a
black country. The first black people took independence but it has a lot of
problems.”
Anjeline Vaiai, Concerned About Family
“I am very, very concerned about my family. I have my sister, my brother,
my cousin, my children. I do not know how my family is doing, I have not heard
from them. My family lives fifteen miles form the capital. I only hear there
is a lot of damage and my family’s house did collapse.”
The International Red Cross Federation as well has responded. Today the Belize
Red Cross hopes to raise one hundred thousand dollars towards the cause and
today made their appeal. According to the Belize Red Cross if the request is
made they have a team on standby ready to travel.
Lily Bowman, Director General - Belize Red Cross
“All monetary donations will be accepted at the Red Cross Headquarters
situated at no. 1 Gabourel Lane and at all time Red Cross branches countrywide.
Bank accounts are opened at every bank and all in districts in the name of Belize
Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. The Belize Red Cross urges all corporations
and other businesses and organizations to donate generously to this extremely
worthy cause. We also urge the schools to encourage their students to make a
difference by contributing a $1 on this Friday, January 15th as a dollar day
or causal initiative. Our goal is to raise a minimum of BZ$100,000 and to remit
a first a first sum by January 31st and the second sum by mid-February 2010.”
Tux Vasquez, Chairman - Disaster Management, Red Cross
“The main hospital has collapsed, the two hospitals have been destroyed
and the hospital that is operating now is at capacity and they have already
closed their doors. The telecommunications is out, water and sanitation is out,
I think the airport is closed. I think based on the fact there is not enough
human resources to run it. Apparently only the road from the Dominican Republic
to Haiti is still accessible so that’s one way of getting into Santo Domingo
and then Haiti from there.
The emphasis has been on the capital. The capital has been hit, outskirts
have also been affected and also some of the higher areas that have actually
crumbled. Quite a number of people have been apparently, it is difficult right
now to say how many people are dead because there are quite a number of people
still caught up in the rubble.”
The Belize Red Cross says it has made contact with the head of the
Haitian Association in Belize and asks Haitians living in Belize to contact
them if they need help in trying to locate their family. Meanwhile the government
of Belize has stated in a press release that it is closely monitoring the situation
in Haiti to identify how best to coordinate its assistance to the relief and
reconstruction efforts of our CARICOM sister nation including a collective approach
with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency and the US Southern
Command based in Honduras. A release form NEMO says that “search rescue
medical and other skilled personnel to assist Haiti will be coordinated by NEMO.
If you want to assist the official effort, you can send cash assistance to the
NEMO Relief Fund at the Scotia Bank account number 193-48-10.
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