Haiti Rescuers Are Racing Against Time

by Una M. · 2010-01-13 14:58:00 UTC
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Haitian rescuers are working against the clock to free those trapped in the rubble of a 7.0 earthquake that brought down most of the capital city of Port-au-Prince. The city is reminiscent not so much of Banda Aceh after the Asian tsunami, as of a city that has been heavily bombed.

My colleagues, Daniel and Mike Jones, have two posts up (here and here) about how to donate to the relief effort and stay informed, and options for getting in touch with someone in Haiti.

Information is still leaving Haiti slowly, and it's nearly impossible to get anyone on the phone.

The Haitian Government doesn't yet know how many people may have died, or how many are still trapped in collapsed buildings, but both figures are likely in the tens of thousands.

Medecins Sans Frontieres, which is on the ground providing emergency medical care, has released a podcast briefing on the situation in Haiti. Mark Goldberg at UN Dispatch wrote earlier today: "On a conference call with Medicines sans Frontieres moments ago, a representative in Haiti said that all of the hospitals to which it would normally refer patients have either collapsed or are otherwise unusable.  All MSF can do at the moment is administer first aid."

Watching amateur footage of the devastation, I'm awe struck. Everything has crumbled or caved in. People are running, screaming, stumbling dazed in the streets covered in blood.

(WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES)

MINUSTAH, the UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti, has sent peacekeepers to help with the rescue efforts. The UN mission itself has been hard hit. More than 100 people are reportedly still trapped in its collapsed headquarters, including chief of mission Hedi Annabi.

Are you in Haiti?

Change.org will feature firsthand accounts on this blog as rescue and relief efforts continue. If you have a story, email Una[at]change.org.

Photo credit: Globovision

Una M.
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