A girl is helped by a Canadian medical group
People setting up tent on a street median
People find newly delivered aid won't be distributed until Thursday
Tent city outside the prime minister's office.January 21, 2010
First full day in Haiti, its amazing the devastation and how the Hatians are coping. Jordi and I set out for Leogand, a city about 30 miles west of Port-au-Prince. Fabien is our driver and like most Hatians seems to drive unbelievably fast but does get us there in his sturdy Mitsubishi suv.
Most of Leogand seems to be destroyed though not much aid is seen reaching people. A Canadian group has set up a medical camp and I see a small girl crying in pain with a broken leg as they try to carry her across the field. US Marine helicopters descend onto a field to pick up units deployed for security. Large groups of people gather to watch and be sandblasted as the machines land and take off.
Since AFP has a big European client base, we need to send photos by about 11am Eastern time to make 5pm Europe deadlines. So I work on my computer, much to the amazement of a gathering crowd of young boys. I set up the satellite phone on the hood of the car and in less than 30 minutes I send 11 pictures. Amazing technology.
We go back into town, see Argentineans treating injured people, Canadian soldiers, the first sign of clean up- huge construction equipment scooping up debris, men attacking a wood building (probably for scrap wood). Back in Port-au-Prince we stop on a wide street where people have set up crude tents on the median and in one lane of traffic. A horrible dusty place to exist. I manage to step ankle deep into a storm drain/sewer? not wanting to know what was in it.
Back at the bureau, I quickly give photo editor Ben my camera disks to edit and head to the bathroom to wash my feet, right shoe and sock, though not thoroughly disinfecting them. Jordi and I go back out to check out a mini-tent city in the park in front of the prime minister’s office. Darkness falls and we head back to the bureau.
Jenye, a friend from Scotland, sends a long email about her experience in Haiti many years ago and end it with, “Good luck Haiti… “
First full day in Haiti, its amazing the devastation and how the Hatians are coping. Jordi and I set out for Leogand, a city about 30 miles west of Port-au-Prince. Fabien is our driver and like most Hatians seems to drive unbelievably fast but does get us there in his sturdy Mitsubishi suv.
Most of Leogand seems to be destroyed though not much aid is seen reaching people. A Canadian group has set up a medical camp and I see a small girl crying in pain with a broken leg as they try to carry her across the field. US Marine helicopters descend onto a field to pick up units deployed for security. Large groups of people gather to watch and be sandblasted as the machines land and take off.
Since AFP has a big European client base, we need to send photos by about 11am Eastern time to make 5pm Europe deadlines. So I work on my computer, much to the amazement of a gathering crowd of young boys. I set up the satellite phone on the hood of the car and in less than 30 minutes I send 11 pictures. Amazing technology.
We go back into town, see Argentineans treating injured people, Canadian soldiers, the first sign of clean up- huge construction equipment scooping up debris, men attacking a wood building (probably for scrap wood). Back in Port-au-Prince we stop on a wide street where people have set up crude tents on the median and in one lane of traffic. A horrible dusty place to exist. I manage to step ankle deep into a storm drain/sewer? not wanting to know what was in it.
Back at the bureau, I quickly give photo editor Ben my camera disks to edit and head to the bathroom to wash my feet, right shoe and sock, though not thoroughly disinfecting them. Jordi and I go back out to check out a mini-tent city in the park in front of the prime minister’s office. Darkness falls and we head back to the bureau.
Jenye, a friend from Scotland, sends a long email about her experience in Haiti many years ago and end it with, “Good luck Haiti… “
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