IRISH AID EFFORT:GOAL CHIEF executive John O'Shea has called on the US to take immediate action to ensure aid can at last begin flowing into Haiti to tackle the growing humanitarian catastrophe in the country.
He has also praised the generosity of the Irish public, which has donated more than €1 million since the earthquake struck Haiti on Tuesday, killing and wounding tens of thousands of people.
“We’ve received at least €350,000 in donations in the first two days of the campaign, which is exceptionally generous. But no one wants to see this money sitting in bank accounts and unable to be used because aid can’t get in,” said Mr O’Shea, who warned security would be a big problem as people became really desperate.
“People are putting up roadblocks of piled-up dead people because they are desperate because the aid isn’t getting in. We need the 7,000 US troops promised today. If there was an invasion you certainly wouldn’t see the type of logjam at the airport that you see now,” he said.
Donal O’Reilly, a Dubliner working for the Catholic Relief Services who arrived in Haiti yesterday, said distribution of aid was slow because the airport had limited capacity and the main port was damaged. He said some semblance of everyday life was gradually returning to Port-au-Prince with market stalls popping up among the rubble of buildings but there were also reports of looting.
“We are conscious that things could deteriorate,” he added.
Many aid workers remain stranded in the Dominican Republic waiting for flights to get into Haiti and there are huge logistical problems with distributing aid to people in need.
Martin Ruppenthal, Latin America director with CBM International, an NGO focusing on helping people with disabilities, has been waiting in the Dominican Republic for 36 hours for a flight.
“It is extremely frustrating. We really hope to be in Haiti in the next 12 hours,” he added.
But some aid is getting through.
“Oxfam has started distribution of shovels and picks to help people dig and look for survivors and we hope to get two massive water tanks out today in the city, providing water to close to 2,000 people,” said Oxfam’s Louis Belanger, who warned looting was a problem in Port-au-Prince.
All the big Irish aid agencies reported a huge public response to their appeals. Concern has raised €750,000, Unicef €220,000, Goal €350,000 and Trócaire €90,000 in just three days.