LOCAL non-profit group Is There Not A Cause (ITNAC) is mobilising to do what it can to help the people of Haiti in the wake of a 7.2 magnitude earthquake there on Saturday. A Washington Post report on Sunday said Haiti's civil protection office has reported at least 724 people were killed in the quake, the vast majority of them in the southern and western areas of the country.
The report also said at least 2,800 people were injured and nearly 7,000 have been left homeless. ITNAC founder Avonelle Hector Joseph said she is currently in the United States co-ordinating the group's efforts to send relief to Haiti.
[caption id="attachment_907503" align="alignnone" width="1024"] A woman walks in the rubble of her earthquake destroyed home as she attempts to recover her belongings, in Camp-Perrin, Les Cayes, Haiti, Sunday. AP PHOTO -[/caption]
"We have already dispatched funds for in-country purchase."
Joseph said the group has no information about whether any Trinidad and Tobago nationals are in Haiti at this time. She added that the timing of the quake could not have come at a worse time for Haiti.
Haiti is still to recover from a devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake in 2010 that killed tens of thousands of people and left many more homeless. Before Saturday's quake, Haiti was still dealing with the political upheaval from the assassination of its president Jovenel Moise at his private residence on July 7 and the socio-economic effects of the covid19 pandemic.
In a statament on Sunday, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres' spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said Guterres was saddened to about the tragic loss of life and injuries caused by the quake. "The United Nations, together with the humanitarian community in Haiti, is supporting the government’s efforts to assist those affected by the earthquake and stands ready to provide further backing to the response."
[caption id="attachment_907504" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Locals recover their belongings from their homes destroyed in the earthquake in Camp-Perrin, Les Cayes, Haiti, Sunday. AP PHOTO -[/caption]
Dujarric said Guterres has extended his deep condolences to the families of the victims, the government and people of Haiti.
In a statement on Saturday, the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) said it has sent a team of experts from its office in Port-au-Prince (Haiti's capital city) to evaluate damage and co-ordinate an appropriate health response following the quake.
PAHO Director, Dr Carissa F Etienne said, “Our team of experts is on the ground and stands ready to assist in all aspects of health response,” she added. Etienne added, "Our hearts go out to the people of Haiti on this truly sad day."
PAHO said it is preparing several emergency medical teams (EMTs), as well as medical supplies and other strategic equipment that can be deployed if needed. EMTs are teams of health professionals that provide direct clinical care to people affected by emergencies and disaste
