6:10 p.m. September 22, 2010

brookey:

Eight months ago, I watched in anguish as scenes of destruction emerged from Haiti on my television screen. Their recent earthquake killed more than 230,000 people, injured 300,000 and made more than a million homeless. Little more than a day later, I was on a flight to the island, for I could not just watch and felt I had to do something, even though I had no medical training or disaster experience. For the next week, at three emergency medical camps, I distributed medicines, learned how to clean deep wounds, carried injured patients, and found blankets and clothes to protect recovering victims. When I realized more hands were needed, I returned and sought out others who felt direction action was the best recourse. A small organization I formed in those early days, AidWEST (www.aidwest.org), has since then brought teams of volunteers to this poor island nation about every six weeks. On these four "missions," these dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers have done more than I ever dreamed possible: in medical physical therapy, health clinics, installation of electrical power, building a 60-student rural school and storm shelter, and dozens more helpful projects to better lives. Just as important, they have, by their very presence, brought a heartening message: “You have not been forgotten”. But now the topic of post-earthquake Haiti has been supplanted in the media coverage by other crises. Haitian victims have been practically forgotten. The general impression of my fellow USA citizens is that things have greatly improved, and the country is on the mend. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Haiti has not emerged from their January Hell. Most of the rubble remains. Thousands of orphans cry for attention, not to mention love. And the initial surge of medical professionals flowing to the country during the first few days has dwindled to a trickle, while troublesome diseases are now being seen in most of the 500 refugee camps. Every day, nearly a million men, women, and children are suffering under makeshift tents in the baking tropical heat, while the summer storms blow in and empty stomachs ache. If you want to understand what life is like for these proud people, simply imagine that you put up a small camping tent on the pavement next to Interstate Highway 85, during rush hour. Then puncture a dozen holes in the roof, wait for the rainstorms or the hottest day, endure the cries of children who have no school or recreation, discover the latrines are so close that the stench overwhelms, wonder about the bodies of relatives still buried under rubble a few feet away, and live on just one pound of beans with rice per person per day. Oh, and forget about clean water to drink, decent bathing, privacy or employment. This is daily life for most of the victims of the aftermath. The averting of eyes and consciousness from the post-earthquake scenes are, in some ways, just as bad as the initial disintegration of concrete buildings. Haiti today is the result of centuries of exploitation, from the genocide by the early explorers to the colonial slave period to the recent raping of their forest resources to export wood to American and European destinations. So it is no mystery that this country was foundering even before this disaster. Poor building construction, overcrowding and limited medical support resulted in the colossal death toll. But now, today, there is a chance that Haiti can recover, move forward and stand strong, if only the same focus as was seen the first few days of world attention can return. Some $5 billion were allocated five months ago by the world community for Haiti’s recovery. More than $1 billion were raised in the first six months by large humanitarian organizations. And yet, just ten percent of these monies have been spent in the first six months. The rest languishes in bank vaults. For example, the American Red Cross reports show that of the $468 million donated specifically for Haitian relief thus far, just 21% have been spent. The lesson I learned in the first few days treating victims applies now in the economic arena: immediate action saves lives and recovers hope. Why should we in the USA care that Haiti will not heal for many years, that hundreds of thousands bake under plastic roofs and await salvation? Simply because these are our children, our brothers, our sisters. They are not remote, and even geographically they are virtual neighbors, located no further away from Miami, as Atlanta is to Miami -- fewer than 700 miles. Sorry, but I don't agree with Mayor Jason that NGOs, the supplies they bring and the attention to the Haitian nightmare are not needed any more! You can and should consider personally going down to Haiti to help, whether with an NGO like AidWEST or religious group. There are many organizations that can utilize you, no matter what skills or experience you have. Helping hands and loving hearts are what’s best for Haiti, not simply writing a check. Yet if you cannot personally participate in a direct-action, humanitarian relief group like AidWEST, then you can easily pick up the phone and call your US Congress or Senate representative. Urge them to apply pressure on the various international agencies charged with distributing food and hiring medical professionals. Only by public outcry will the rest of the funds be moved to the Haitian people. If you donated to a large humanitarian organization like the American Red Cross or CARE, contact them today and demand that the other 90 percent of the donated money be moved to Haiti sooner rather than too late. Encourage hiring Haitians to distribute the millions of tons of supplies still stuck in warehouses, and to import building materials to construct schools, hospitals, residences and towns. Only these actions will prevent further crises in the wake of impending storms, hurricanes and mudslides. We would not turn away from one of our own, still in their time of need. So why Haiti?

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