This document was just released by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. It contains information current as of January 31. As you can see, the needs are still great. Over 3 million people were affected by the earthquake. Over 112,000 people are confirmed killed and another nearly 200,000 injured.
By Myriam Annette, read part 1 of Myriam's
“Thanks to TSF’s calling operation, I could call my uncle in Venezuela. It was essential to reassure him about my family, to tell him that we all are alive. For me, the most important thing for survival is to keep the family connections, whatever the situation.”
In a bizarre post at the New Republic, Editor in Chief Marty Peretz denigrates the contribution of Arabs and Arab states to the Haiti relief efforts.
The Arabs don't care a fig, not for their impoverished and backward own, and certainly not for strangers. That's why their presence in Haiti amounted to a couple of bucks from Saudi Arabia and maybe from some other sheikhs.
The Haiti earthquake not only collapsed buildings and killed as many as 200,000 people, it also destroyed the already fragile economy around Port-au-Prince. Now that the search and rescue phase has concluded, the UN is trying to jump-start the cash economy in areas affected by the earthquake. To that end, the United Nations Development program launched a "cash for work" program in which Haitians are hired on a day-to-day basis to help clear rubble and clean the streets. From the UN New
By Mariko Hall, Consultant, Advocacy (IT Emergency Preparedness and Response Branch)
A new public service announcement on Haiti from the UN Foundation shows how the UN is helping Haiti.
If that headline strikes you as surprising, you are not alone. I, for one, thought that the IAEA had enough on its plate acting as the world's nuclear watchdog, but, it turns out, they also run a "Department of Technical Cooperation," which fosters "the role of nuclear science and technology in sustainable development." How cool?
Just a taste of some recent projects:
At Small Wars Journal, Gary Anderson offers some advice to military personnel trying to provide humanitarian assistance in Haiti. It’s a great article – plain spoken and based on personal experience. His recommendations run from getting permission to fly non Department of Defense personnel in military airplanes to not starting air drops.
Two points really stood out for me:
Earlier today, the United States formally entered into an agreement with the United Nations on a division of responsibilities in Haiti. The "Memorandum of Understanding," obtained by UN Dispatch, enumerates the tole of a U.S.