[Haiti Earthquake Emergency Assistance Flash Report] 3 Staffs begin assessment research in Haiti

This is Hirano, Deputy Director of Overseas Program Department.

I would like to deliver our first report from Haiti.

On January 20 (local date January 19), JEN’s 3 staffs (Cyril Cappai, Olivier de la Motte Saint Pierre, Masako Yonekawa) have entered the Haitian capital Port au Prince, from Dominican Republic after 8 hours drive.

Currently there is no accommodation available in Port au Prince, so the 3 staff are staying at an acquaintance’s place.

There are some aftershocks, but it is relatively safe in the buildings that remained after the earthquake.

There is a risk of mosquito-born diseases, so they are using mosquito nets at night.

The only means of communication is the one satellite cell phone they brought from Japan.

With 14 hours of time difference, when we contact them, it is always night time in Haiti.

What is more, the phone conversation always gets cut off every two minutes. The lack of electricity makes it difficult to even take notes during conversations.

The next day after arrival, they have visited the affected area. They also attend regularly attend UN coordination meetings with other NGOs.

They began conducting some research in a remote town about 10 km from the capital.

According to the Head of Mission in Haiti and Director of Overseas Program Department, Cyril Cappai, even for an emergency NGO expert like him, the sight in Haiti was as if “a bomb had been dropped”.

Every building is crushed to the ground, and many corpses lay untouched.

Through this assessment research, JEN will determine the contents of emergency assistance as well as the area in which we will conduct such aid.

Emergency goods will be imported from the neighboring state Dominican Republic.

We will continue reporting the progress of the Haitian situation through this flash report.

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