Aftershocks hit Haiti
21 January 2010
As aftershocks hit Haiti once more, aid agencies are working round the clock to meet the needs of the Haitian people.
Urgently needed assistance is reaching older people affected by the massive earthquake in Haiti. A week after the devastating damage to Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas, survivors were still being found, including one older woman who had been trapped in the rubble of a church.
As part of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC), Age Concern and Help the Aged are working with other agencies to raise funds and coordinate emergency efforts. This cooperation helps increase the effectiveness of relief work on the ground.
Essential support for Haiti's older people
Our sister organisation HelpAge International is in Port-au-Prince coordinating vital supplies to vulnerable older people. Programme Officer, Bertin Meance, has liaised with the city’s Mayor to coordinate help to older people in the Municipal Home and other centres.
Bertin Meance reported that relief teams from the UK and Jamaica have now arrived despite travel difficulties. Our relief teams are essential to older people, as Bertin explains:
'They cannot queue for hours for food and emergency items. Nor are they the loudest demanding to know when aid will come. Our partners on the ground have been working with older people for many years, but they themselves have been severely affected by the earthquake.
'Over the next few days we will ensure that the protection of the most vulnerable older people is a priority for humanitarian organisations.'
Doctors and nurses from a local partner are providing medical attention. Food and water have already been distributed through local partner CARPA to hundreds of older people, and transport to hospitals is being coordinated.
Bertin Meance and Mark Gorman, HelpAge’s Director of Strategic Development, are writing a blog, reporting back from Haiti - read HelpAge's Haiti blog
Fear of aftershocks
In the middle of an extremely challenging aid operation where many survivors are already terrified of aftershocks, the news of today’s tremors are of grave concern. The DEC are assessing the impact of the aftershock to see if there has been further large-scale disruption to survivors and aid operations.
Disaster Emergency Committee Chief Executive Brendan Gormley said:
'Despite continuing logistical and communications challenges, our 13 member agencies have been working round the clock to meet the needs of the Haitian people but there is still a huge amount of work to be done.
'However, vital aid is starting to get through to in larger quantities, with some hospitals and clinics starting to receive life-saving medical supplies, food and water.'
The DEC's agencies in Haiti continue to closely monitor the security situation.
Over 2.2 million people live in the most affected areas where around 200,000 are feared already dead, and many more injured or buried under rubble.
Further information
