Scottish Oxfam Aid workers report on emergency response in aftermath of Haitian earthquake
24 January 2010
Kenny Rae is an Oxfam Aid worker from Clermiston, Edinburgh working on Oxfam's emergency response in the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake.
Based in Boston, America, Kenny flew to Santo Domingo airport in the Dominican Republic last week, with other members of the Oxfam team. There he met up with John Kerr, another Oxfam aid worker also from Edinburgh. They drove together across the border to Port-au-Prince, Haiti to help co-ordinate Oxfam's relief effort after the devastating earthquake that hit last week.
Kenny said:
"It's really terrible here. When we got into the centre of Port-au-Prince, the scale of devastation was shocking. Whole buildings were levelled. In some parts of town, the devastation was comparable to what I saw after the Pakistani earthquake.
The aid effort has been very difficult. Communications and fuel are big problems. And although Oxfam already had a 100-strong team based in Haiti prior to the quake, they were all seriously affected.
Two of them died and many others (the majority are Haitians) lost their homes, family and friends. They are sleeping outside at night, while working round the clock to get aid to those who need it most during the day.
Our Haitian Country Director, Yolette Etienne, found her mother dead in their destroyed home. She buried her on their back garden and then went straight to work. Indeed, a day after the disaster, most of the Oxfam staff were back at work planning our response. 'They had no choice', Yolette told me, 'no other option but to work and to work harder since we have the privilege of still being here and we can help people to overcome their desperation,' she said.
Part of the Oxfam office and a warehouse full of £75,000 worth of vital water and sanitation equipment were also destroyed. We managed to salvage some stocks, such as two water tanks which each could provide clean water for 10,000 people, and picks and shovels to help local civil staff search through the rubble for survivors. However, these supplies were nowhere near enough to service the massive need.
But with the help of donations from the Scottish public, more aid has arrived. Oxfam has flown in 90 tonnes of water, sanitation, and shelter equipment and tragically, more body bags.
There are camps springing up on the outskirts of the city. During the day there are about 1000 people in them, but they swell up to thousands more at night, with at least half a million sleeping outside because they are too scared to go into any of the buildings for fear of aftershocks.
We are currently working in seven of these camps, providing clean water and toilets for up to 90,000 people. We are also planning to start cash-for-work programmes in five camps, where local people will get paid to clear rubble and dig latrines, which will give them a short-term livelihood.
When the aftershock hit on Wednesday, it scared people even more. I was having my breakfast at the time and the walls were shaking. People were running out their doors, screaming. They are very traumatised. I went back to the Oxfam office with some Haitian colleagues to assess any further damage. They were too scared to even come into the compound in case it collapsed. Everyone is very frightened. "
Updates from aid workers and journalists in Haiti can be seen & heard here
Haiti Quake: Posterous
Kenny Rae's pictures can be seen here
Photo Set 1
and here
Photo Set 2
How to donate
Oxfam is part of the Disasters Emergency Committee in Scotland - made up of the main aid agencies including Oxfam, Christian Aid, British Red Cross, Save the Children and Concern - which has launched an appeal for funds.
Since it launched, Scots have already donated almost £4 million pounds. But more is needed to get urgent aid to those who need it most.
* £10 can buy 6 buckets to help families get access to water
* £15 can buy a hygiene kit with essentials such as soap, detergent, toothpaste, toothbrushes
* £20 can buy three tarpaulins or plastic sheets to provide basic shelter to protect families
* £25 will supply a kit of household essentials
* £50 buys a food pack to feed a family for a fortnight.
* £100 provides temporary shelter for two families.
Oxfam Haiti update as of Sunday 24th January
Scots have donated £4 million to DEC Haiti Earthquake Appeal so far
Oxfam is working in seven sites across the city targeting 92,000 people with clean water, safe sanitation and temporary shelter.
90 tonnes of aid - including water, sanitation, shelter and body bags - has been sent out from the UK.
Oxfam is starting cash-for-work programmes in five camps. This will include cash for clearing rubble and digging latrines. Fuel is still in short supply. It has started to rain, which will make conditions for people in camps more difficult.
To make a donation to the DEC Haiti Earthquake Appeal visit www.dec.org.uk or call 0370 60 60 900, or text "GIVE" to 70077 (donates £5 to the DEC for Haiti (UK only)), donate over the counter at any post office or high street bank, or send a cheque made payable to 'DEC Haiti Earthquake Appeal' to 'PO Box 999, London, EC3A 3AA'.
Anyone who wants to stay up to date with developments in Haiti, the emergency response and the fundraising efforts can follow the DEC on twitter at DECappeal or become a fan of Disasters Emergency Committee on Facebook.
