muslimhands.org/haitiFurther stories, picture galleries and video

Muslim HandsHaiti Earthquake Feedback

The day after the horrific quake struck Haiti, we were on our

way towards the disaster zone. Our goal was to make rapid first- hand assessments, as well as to establish supply lines to allow urgently needed aid to reach victims.

Very quickly we ran into problems: with airports and port entries out of action, we were forced to re-route our entry from Miami to Santo Domingo – the capital city of the Dominican Republic.

Here, through networking with local community organisations, we were able to purchase two truckloads of food, water and other essential aid items such as hygiene kits and basic medicine. Al-hamdulillah, we were also able to find and organise volunteers to help drive the convoy across the border and into Port au Prince.

At the border we saw many aid agencies delaying their entry in to Haiti, due to growing security concerns. Reports of sporadic outbreaks of looting and rioting were becoming more frequent- but with thousands of people

waiting desperately for supplies, we felt we couldn’t afford to wait any longer. We made the decision to go straight into Port au Prince without waiting for the armed guards we had arranged.

As we entered the city the desperation all around was truly heartbreaking–the worst struck areas had not received any help at all. It was very difficult to comprehend, let alone convey the scale of this catastrophe back to head office – mainstream media simply wasn’t able to show the world the worst hit area of the city.

EVEN BACK IN THE UK NOW, I AM STRUGGLING TO GET THE IMAGES OF SCORES OF DEAD PEOPLE LINING THE STREETS OUT OF MY HEAD.

We saw bodies stuffed in boxes and suitcases, wrapped in rugs and even stuffed into plastic bins, but most were left in the open

on the streets where they were gotten to by dogs and pigs.Already, makeshift camps – in some cases with thousands of people – had sprung up around the city. The conditions here were appalling and depressing. People had lost everything. Most had only the clothes they wore and many were injured. It became immediately clear to us that if we didn’t get clean drinking water and medicine to these people quickly, then disease and death would follow.

We arrived at our destination and immediately began packing our supplies into Family Aid Parcels. We worked through the night with torches and candles (electricity supply was down). The following morning we began distribution at the larger makeshift camps, one of which was adjacent to Masjid Fatiha, where over 2,000 people had gathered.

Al-hamdulillah, despite the logistical problems and dangers, MH had managed to ensure that vital aid supplies were now reaching victims.

Haiti Aid Mission: by UK aid workers Arslan Nurat and Irfan Akram

+44 (0)115 9117222 muslimhands.org

How your donationsare helping in Haiti__________________

Food, water and essential non-food items reach up to 20,000 people in 3 different communities across Port au Prince

Relief and rescue operation implemented to clear bodies from rubble and prevent the spread of disease

MH medical field clinic set up for quake victims

MH ambulance service to shuttle patients from field clinics to local hospitals

Community schools set up to support children suffering from shock and trauma

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Race to Save Lives

Haiti Earthquake Feedback Haiti Earthquake Feedback

Muslim Hands upscales aidefforts in hardest hit areas of Port au PrinceTwo weeks later, most of the world’s media had moved on, but the suff ering in Haiti worsened as aid agencies struggled to reach survivors.

During this period, Muslim Hands continues to upscale aid eff orts in Port au Prince and surrounding areas. The second team– focusing on Relief and Rescue–was despatched to the earthquake zone on 25th January 2010.

Led by Dr Sohail Nasti (a trained pilot and specialist in disaster relief and recovery) the team provided vitally-needed aid to the worst-stricken areas of Delmas-40b, Delmas-95 and Canapevert.

Dr Sohail describes the diffi culties the team faced in Port au Prince:

Safe Drinking Water supplyto camp sitesLack of safe water is still one of the biggest problems for Haiti: almost all supply links are damaged, so hospitals - both permanent and � eld-based, as well as temporary camps, are severely a� ected.

Our teams have distributed tankers of water to camp sites across Delmas and Canapevert as well as to patients admitted to hospitals.

Medical care for displaced childrenThousands of children are left without parents and are living amongst the rubble. Many have been left injured with little chance of accessing medical attention: it’s a truly heart-wrenching situation.

MH Haiti has so far provided almost 240 injured children with urgent medical attention including transport to the few remaining clinics and hospitals.

Arti� cial limbs and wheelchairs for physically handicapped children are also being made available.

Schooling and child welfare

Focusing on the needs of childrenA sense of routine for children is essential; providing them with a safe place is necessary to help restore their sense of mental well-being. But with thousands of schools out of order for the foreseeable future, urgent action is required.

With extensive experience in disaster relief, MH recognises the need to � ll the vacuum and provide education and child rehabilitation centres in these circumstances.

Temporary schools, such as the ones that have proved so successful in Darfur, Sudan and Northern Pakistan, have been set up to provide safe and supportive environments for children between the age of 4 and 15 years.

One such community school in Delmas-32 supports 300 students aged 6-10. Here children attend daily classes and are provided with food, clean drinking water, hygiene kits, school bags, stationery and a safe play area.

Many more schools are being implemented over the coming weeks and these will require generous support from MH donors.

Continuing schooling is one of most important ways to protect against long-term shock and trauma

muslimhands.org/haitiFor current updates of the ongoing work in Haiti

Several tons of food aid containing staple food items feed the homeless

In the aftermath of any large scale disaster such as Haiti, longer term aid projects need to be established early to help communities back on their feet

Camp hospitals are set up to tend to injured victims. Patients are transported for treatment and

medication. Specially trained emergency doctors are fl own in

Haiti Earthquake Feedback Haiti Earthquake Feedback

Muslim Hands upscales aidefforts in hardest hit areas of Port au PrinceTwo weeks later, most of the world’s media had moved on, but the suff ering in Haiti worsened as aid agencies struggled to reach survivors.

During this period, Muslim Hands continues to upscale aid eff orts in Port au Prince and surrounding areas. The second team– focusing on Relief and Rescue–was despatched to the earthquake zone on 25th January 2010.

Led by Dr Sohail Nasti (a trained pilot and specialist in disaster relief and recovery) the team provided vitally-needed aid to the worst-stricken areas of Delmas-40b, Delmas-95 and Canapevert.

Dr Sohail describes the diffi culties the team faced in Port au Prince:

Safe Drinking Water supplyto camp sitesLack of safe water is still one of the biggest problems for Haiti: almost all supply links are damaged, so hospitals - both permanent and � eld-based, as well as temporary camps, are severely a� ected.

Our teams have distributed tankers of water to camp sites across Delmas and Canapevert as well as to patients admitted to hospitals.

Medical care for displaced childrenThousands of children are left without parents and are living amongst the rubble. Many have been left injured with little chance of accessing medical attention: it’s a truly heart-wrenching situation.

MH Haiti has so far provided almost 240 injured children with urgent medical attention including transport to the few remaining clinics and hospitals.

Arti� cial limbs and wheelchairs for physically handicapped children are also being made available.

Schooling and child welfare

Focusing on the needs of childrenA sense of routine for children is essential; providing them with a safe place is necessary to help restore their sense of mental well-being. But with thousands of schools out of order for the foreseeable future, urgent action is required.

With extensive experience in disaster relief, MH recognises the need to � ll the vacuum and provide education and child rehabilitation centres in these circumstances.

Temporary schools, such as the ones that have proved so successful in Darfur, Sudan and Northern Pakistan, have been set up to provide safe and supportive environments for children between the age of 4 and 15 years.

One such community school in Delmas-32 supports 300 students aged 6-10. Here children attend daily classes and are provided with food, clean drinking water, hygiene kits, school bags, stationery and a safe play area.

Many more schools are being implemented over the coming weeks and these will require generous support from MH donors.

Continuing schooling is one of most important ways to protect against long-term shock and trauma

muslimhands.org/haitiFor current updates of the ongoing work in Haiti

Several tons of food aid containing staple food items feed the homeless

In the aftermath of any large scale disaster such as Haiti, longer term aid projects need to be established early to help communities back on their feet

Camp hospitals are set up to tend to injured victims. Patients are transported for treatment and

medication. Specially trained emergency doctors are fl own in

Donations and Enquiries +44 (0)115 9117222 Secure Online Web www.muslimhands.org

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MH Haiti remains committed and focused on the immediate needs of survivors – food, water, shelter and medical aid.However our responsibility towards the needy in Haiti also extends well beyond the provision of short-term and immediate aid.

Our experienced teams have been coordinating with other NGOs to initiate programmes which will help towards long-term recovery.

With over 600 schools around the world– many set up in times of crisis like this– MH has also now started temporary camp schools for displaced children in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Please continue to give generously

HAITI Earthquake Appeal £_______

TOTAL ENCLOSED £_______

Yes! I will help continue the urgent relief work in Haiti

“They live amongst rubble which lines the roads and streets for mile after mile, neigh-bourhood after neighbourhood.”

Arslan Nusrat, Projects Manager

Haiti Feedback 020210