Wednesday, March 31, 2010

I Am Back in Haiti and Conditions May Have Actually Worsened

I returned to Haiti two days ago.  It breaks my heart to see that if anything, things have worsened.  The supplies at Project Medishare are very very low and we have been instructred that we can no longer share supplies and equipment with outside organizations.  Very little is coming in.

Food is now being conserved in case none comes.  Apparently last week there was no food delivery at all.  We were notified in today's morning rounds that we should not expect to eat 3 times a day.  Sometimes the UN, which is just two miles away, sends us food, and sometimes it does not.  (I lost 32 pounds on my first trip and returned to the States slightly protein deficient.  Kleiman tried to pack protein powder for me but I jettisoned it in favor of TB medicine a friend had 'organized' from a Stateside infectious disease project.)

We often get food from our Haitian friends living in the city (and it's pretty amazing too). 

I've been back to the areas I lived and worked just after the earthquake and there is no UN presence - still.  The situation remains dire everywhere (with the earthquake affected areas especially bad off).  There remains no evidence of any organization.  No one on the ground believes that the  UN has any intention of helping.    As always, I would love to be wrong and if I am mistaken would be less critical.    

God, would I love to be wrong.

2 comments:

  1. I live next door to your Mom. What can I do?

    Sam

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  2. Got your emails - when I replied they bounced back. If waiting until the end of April beginning of May is okay - I'll get some ordered. I will also keep trying to find a church too.

    Sam

    ReplyDelete