By Yves Ducher
CSMS Magazine correspondent
Port-au-Prince—Eight days after the apocalyptic earthquake that left Haiti crippled, the anticipated-much-needed help has yet to materialize. While television pictures continue to show footages of people being rescued, the reality is that more than half of the victims now being pinned down under the rubble have not been recovered. There are now grave concerns that unrecovered bodies could trigger serious health hazard, once they begin to disintegrate.
Port-au-Prince is city in ruin. Life is becoming more and more impossible to bear. The stench, the heat, the hunger, the thirst are the main catalyst behind a mass exodus of people fleeing the city in whatever way they can. Mile upon mile outside of Port-au-Prince, one can see long lines of people trying to get out of town. They have decided to walk because they simply could not afford to buy a bus fare. The city is being decentralized, creating a demographic explosion, compressing the meager resources of the provincial towns and cities where the internal refugees are migrating to. Those who can’t flee are roaming, scavenging aimlessly for that tiny piece of food and that drop of water that will ultimately appease the hunger and quench the thirst.
The raw misery is forcing many people to lose their human decency, as the quest for survival is slowly replacing self-pride and human dignity. This morning in the Acachon neighborhood in Carrefour few miles south of down town Port-au-Prince, two neighbors fought to the bitter end over a hot meal. When their children and other bystanders moved in to separate them, one of them, who realized how low her self-esteem has become, threw self against a chain-link fence where she nearly bled to death.
In Delmas, haggard children roam the streets like stray dogs, looking for what they could find to stay alive. The nights are long, uncomfortable and scary. Almost everyone refuses to sleep inside, fearing a repeat of what happened on Tuesday. They have good reason to be afraid, for the aftershocks continue unabated as it were the case of a 6.1 one registered on the Richter’s scale early this morning. The shock sent shockwaves to millions of Haitians, who ran for cover as the ground was shaking under them. But sleeping under the starry sky only pleases romantic adventurers, not poverty-stricken refugees.
Meanwhile, Haitian President René Préval, who sought refuge at a friend house in an undisclosed location in the capital, declared to a French journalist this morning that he was on war footage. Many who saw the interview claimed that the Haitian president looked more like a control freak intoxicated by alcohol induced gratification, rather than being a respectable statesman working to alleviate his people’s suffering. His speech was slur, and he moved in erratic steps. There is a sense of resignation among the people that their lives have been chattered forever. To many residents who suffer from psychological trauma, there are not enough social workers to deal with patients who suffer from anxiety and chronic depression. The country looks like a dazed loser after a devastated cockfight.
Note: Yves Ducher is CSMS Magazine newest correspondent. He lives and works in Port-au-Prince.
Also, anyone who is willing to donate can click on one of these links below.
Click here to watch this video made by the cast and crew of the movie “Mary Jane.”
DROP OFF LOCATIONS AND PHONE NUMBERS
1.To Drop off at Konbit Kreyol (FAU CAMPUS BOCA RATON), can contact Sandy Isaac at (954) 701-5853
2. Ragaman is also collecting to make containers to send to Haiti, we will be using our location in 1404 NW 23 St to send any dry goods, plywood, clothes, or people can call us to come pick up anything, 305-637-0816
They can offer their facility to make containers to ship to Haiti..
3. 183 NE 166th Street, N. Miami Beach, Fl (Cereals, powdered milk, baby food, cans, etc..)
4. 3989 Pembroke Road, Hollywood, Fl 33020 (Medical Supplies).
Note: These links are a courtesy of shakaitutu@gmail.com.
Also see Will Haiti recover?
Port-au-Prince in ruin as thousands feared dead
Bill Clinton: The new proconsul for Haiti?
Despite the great show of support: the future of Haiti still rests into the hands of its children
