Update on Haiti

[nadinbrzezinski]

1.- Teams have rescued so far, 90 people and due to technical conditions they have not called off the search.

2.- There are 1380 Search and Rescue Personnel from around the world and 95 dogs.

3.- Teams are now also moving to places like Jacmel and Leogane

4.- The effort has distributed 270,000 food rations so far, and expect to do more

Now to those who are wondering who is in charge...

5.- The US in charge of Logistics, the UN is in charge of coordinating the Humanitarian response.

6.- In the next 48 hours they will start giving out tents to people.

7.- They have not seen a massive refugee movement.

http://www.prensaescrita.com/adiario.php?codigo=&pagina=http://www.cronica.com.mx

[tekisui]

1. 90 people. Very good.

I know it is a drop in the bucket of those who were and still are trapped, they are doing all they can, and 90 lives saved is remarkable.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. It is, been going over the numbers

this may just force a revision on protocols and extend saerch... or it may be the weather and believe it or not... the lack of construction codes may have created collapses with more air pockets.

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. kick

I guess this is not sexy, to show that things are actually moving in the right direction

[lapfog_1]

9. Not true, there have been numerous "dramatic" rescue

videos, both in the MSM and posted online.

It not always the bad news, it's the drama that the TeeVee loves (or the TeeVee viewers love).

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. No, no, read the site

See good news falls while the 404th keyboard brigade is all in a twitter.

Of course the MSM has shown rescues. I WISH they posted and chiefly READ these releases from oh the UN.

[Coventina]

4. Thanks for this.

K & R

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Oh you welcome

I hate to have to go to the Furiengner press, but as usual I cannot find this stuff on oh disaster porn central, CNN

[Dappleganger]

5. K&R

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Thanks sad that this is not as sexy though

:-)

Nature of the beast I guess. And I guess the US Media could go to... I don't know like the UN and don't know, do their job and actually read this on air...

[Dappleganger]

51. Haiti owns a piece of my heart.

I left part of it back there and so any good news of positive direction is good to read. :)

[malaise]

8. K & R

The situation is definitely improving. Think about it - it's exactly one week since this catastrophe.

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. I know and I know it will not be popular wiht the 409th keyboard commandos

but it is actually going far better than expected due to the nature of the disaster...

I was impressed before, I am damn impressed now.

That coordination through the UN... (A lesson of the Tsunami) is showing that it works... all snaffus notwithstanding.

See DWB no go for landings.

Oh and you will get it, did not put it in there. 100,000 internal displaced people are expected to be in a camp 10 miles from the city. They are looking for WHERE

[malaise]

17. The good news is that the dead who have been found

are being buried. That improves conditions for the living immediately.

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. Absolutely and they are opening a field at Jacmel

and another at San Isidro in the Dominican Republic...

The Air Drops are NOW being done since there is enough personnel to secure the LZ... it is not done willy nilly.

[nadinbrzezinski]

12. kick

[BeFree]

13. Its bad

They even had air drops today.

The 82nd airborne hit downtown, finally.

Water costs a dollar for a small bag or 7 for 5 gallons.

Looters found someone alive in the rubble.

Seems the best thing to have on the streets is an American dollar.

Maybe we should drop dollars from airplanes? That would be sexy.

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. In many places of Latin America people prefer dollars

disaster or no disaster...

and the air drop was done ONLY as a last resort and after the LZ was well like oh secured... by US Troops.

[BeFree]

19. Food Water and medicine

Running dangerously short.

Glad the media is staying on this. They are doing a good job.

[nadinbrzezinski]

21. And you are wrong, they are distributing water, food and medicine

that is what CNN is not telling you.

Read Spanish? I can recommend a few good sources. I am not shitting you here.

[BeFree]

24. Not CNN

I am wrong that food water and medicine are running out?
There's more than enough to go around? Hmmm.

[nadinbrzezinski]

26. There is more than there was on Wendesday

and there will be more tomorrow...

And the MEDICAL aid is actually now being felt in front line centers, according to the ICRC... who said that YESTERDAY.

Translation... they are getting the supplies in.

Some might not understand this, but they are, and that is a GOOD THING.

Now if you are gonna blame anybody for the HUMAMITARIAN situation go blame the UN. they have control of that. We have control of Logistics. So we bring it in, they move it.

Now they have doctors and supplies... a hell of a lot better than oh Wednesday. NO they are not equipped to the level of a US Trauma center, but reality is, they never were.

[BeFree]

29. Yep

There is every day and will be for weeks, months even, more and more supplies.
But the situation for most of the people continues to worsen.

There will be a mid point where the mass begins getting better, but that time is a long ways off.

You can bet Americans are seen as angels.

[nadinbrzezinski]

30. This is long term

the recovery for this is going to be easy a decade for this.

A year for the real critical phase.

And not just the Americans... Everybody involved is.

I mean for the people of Jacmel the Canadians and the Mexicans will be the heroes... that is who is getting that sector.

[HipChick]

27. True..I used US dollars travelling in the carribean

as long as they are not large bills $50 and $100...had no problem

[happy_liberal]

34. Water costs a dollar for a small bag or 7 for 5 gallons.

Are you serious?

[nadinbrzezinski]

36. That is the black market

and this is what happens in any disaster... people at times get those rations they were given and oh instead of using them, sell them. Or worst, tehy are beaten up by those who are doing that.

This is why you need that silly security.

[happy_liberal]

39. I thought they had that silly security now

Isn't that why they waited to distribute supplies?

The airport has been full of planes landing with supplies constantly, one would think they have a lot of water to hand out by now.

[nadinbrzezinski]

40. Yes, and they have distributed HOW MANY rations SO FAR?

It is not like pixie dust and instant you know.

They have security in STRATEGIC areas. We, nor any allied country, nor the UN, have enough troops to occupy the city in the kind of force that would be needed for iron clad security. And if they did... oh the howling!

So they have it where they distribute goods, and a little far afield... but gee the ICRC had to stop distribution of kitchen supplies today in one of the worst neighborhoods today... you know like pots and pans.

Clarification needed though, they did continue with food and water.

[BeFree]

43. What?

The ICRC was trying to give away pots and pans in a hood that only wanted food and water?

Wow.

[nadinbrzezinski]

44. They gave pots and pans and instant rations

pots and pans are needed, since rations coming in from places like mexico are like oh rice and beans. They kind of need water and cooking.

They are trying to distribute things as they go. Not easy.

[BeFree]

45. heh

So the people told them to stick their pots and pans up....

Well, hope they learned a lesson.

Its amazing that a dirt poor country like Mexico, itself on the verge of hell, giving supplies to Haiti. Amazing.

[nadinbrzezinski]

46. No, they did not tell them to stick it

the gangs physically attacked a team, which beat a hasty retreat.

And what is so surprising? Mexico is contributing about the same we are to the effort when you look at GNP, population and Military Budget.

Oh and here is the photo of some of this

[lunatica]

14. Thanks! You've been great on DU! One of our resident experts.

One of the go to people on Du.

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. I am scouring the Mexican media now... it is like they are

actually posting the UN, ICRC and other bodies communiques.

Yes I could go to the UN... but their website is not like the easiest to navigate.

:-)

[malaise]

23. +1,000

In a disaster I want nadinbrzezinski on my team. :D

[nadinbrzezinski]

31. Nothing personal, but I'd rather not be in one

I am waayyyy too old to physically do it anymore.

:hi:

And my body is too broken.

[malaise]

37. Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

Same here :D

[lunatica]

53. That's why we oldies end up supervising the young ones

What we lack in physical strength and ability we more than make up for in experience and knowledge.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

18. Question.

Could you quickly summarize the difference between being in charge of logistics and coordinating the humanitarian response.

[Merchant Marine]

38. The US is using military assets to move goods in country,

organize a supply chain to distribution centers and provide security for that process.

The UN then takes those supplies and distributes them. They're also coordinating with doctors and the other folks doing the humanitarian thing so that the US can get the supplies to where they're needed.

[nadinbrzezinski]

41. Yeah we are essentially playing Cargo distribution to Walmart

I hate to use this analogy but is a real world analogy that might work for people not used to this.

We bring it in, somebody else distributes.

[Parker CA]

22. Thanks for the update and details!

[DevonRex]

25. Nadin thank you so much for your hard work and your posts. They keep us

informed.

[nadinbrzezinski]

28. Oh you welcome what CNN is doing is disaster porn

with no analysis. And it is like this is not hidden. I got that from the Mexican Press, a reporter translated a UN release from bureocratise to Spanish. CNN should be able to do this too. They do post their releases in languages like oh English. (And I mean English not American... perhaps that is where the problem is. All them extra "u's

[TxRider]

33. Yes and it's awful

Especially when the U.N. and DOD releases, the big players, are there for anyone to go read.

[DevonRex]

35. They need somebody like you on staff. You know your stuff.

Maybe I'm being silly in assuming they would want to put the facts out there with some good analysis to go with it. Your point about disaster porn is well taken.

[Uncle Joe]

32. Thanks for the update, nadinbrzezinski.

:thumbsup:

[SidDithers]

42. K&R...

Good info, as always.

Sid

[tammywammy]

47. k&r n/t

[nadinbrzezinski]

48. MORE INFO

they are now distributing 200,000 rations\day

They expect to hit one million soon

The port is expected to open soon. (The Grasp crew must be making progress, I read this less than a week)

Their water capacity is also increasing

Realize the Vinson was the first on station. But the Bataan has that capacity too, and for example the MAR Huasteco is expected to get there today, and has 10 units on board.

Point is that knowing these other details helps.

They will be OUT of the first phase withn a week and then starts the real long haul.

http://www.prensaescrita.com/adiario.php?codigo=&pagina=http://www.el-universal.com.mx

On and they also went into building the efficient distribution system... translation somebody seating down with the kids, read all NGO reps, large and small, and lay down the law.

[SidDithers]

49. Additionally, the two Canadian ships have 3 NOMAD water purification units...

Each with the ability to produce 36,000 gallons per day.

Sid

[nadinbrzezinski]

50. I know isn't it amazing, it is not just the Americans

I have not emphasized your side of the border, since I figured you'd add.

By the way, this is a historical note. When the Mexico City Quake hit Mexico did NOT have the civil defense infrastructure... it was all willy nilly.

I am amazed, a generation later they are sending teams... not just to this, but the Tsunami...

(I had a small hand in some of that early on, but still it is amazing to watch)

[jeanmarc]

52. Glad to hear that some progress is being made somewhere

and especially in Haiti.