GRESSIER40-50% destroyed

Population 25,000

CARREFOUR40-50% destroyed

Population: 334,000

PETIT GOAVE15% destroyed

Population: 254,0001,077 people killed

PORT-AU-PRINCE

Population: 2,000,000500,000 located in 447 makeshift settlements

LEOGANE80-90% destroyed

Population: 134,0005,000-10,000 people killed

HAITI EARTHQUAKE STASTICS230,000 deaths200,000 injuries1,000,000 displacements2,000,000 in need of food assistance3,000,000 affected

January 12, 2010: Earthquake in

Haiti

Media Penetration in Haiti

Haiti's 9.6 million people possessed only 108,000 landlines in 2009 (142nd in the world per capita) compared to 3.6 million cell phones.

Radio ownership in Haiti is virtually universal: 97 % of respondents own a working radio.

Almost 10 % of Haitians described as "Internet users“ – but infrastructure problematic.

Haiti's newspapers have been hampered by the country's 52 % literacy rate.

Media and Communications Ecosystem

Satellite Image of Port-au-Prince

Map of Port-au-Prince

An ad hoc coalition quickly took shape, anchored by a group of graduate students at Tufts University in Boston.

Tufts-Ushahidi and Mission 4636

Ushahidi-Haiti

The coalition of Haitian diaspora, technology volunteers and companies created a solution to transform crowdsourced data to actionable information.

• Short Code 4636 provided as free service by Haitian telecom

Digicel• Over 1000 Creole speaking

volunteers translate SMS messages

• Messages then streamed back to relief groups in Haiti.

• Two weeks after the earthquake, Crowdflower took over management

Mission 4636

Mission 4636: SMS Messages

SMS to shortcode

4636

Translation

Geolocation

Categorize

Verification

Mapping

Report

Example of anSMS Emergency Report

The following SMS message was sent by a doctor with the Tufts/Mission 4636 group to the United States Coast Guard to

follow up with assistance.

[1/24/10 5:17:47 PM]

D. R– S-----: Two persons are trapped under the rubble at the Caribbean Market. One of them, Regine M-- - here is using this number: (+1+ 305 --- ---- to call for help.

Coordinates: 18.522547, -72.283544.

[names withheld to protect privacy]

Example of anSMS Message in Creole

The following SMS message was sent in Creole with the Shortcode 4636 to the Ushahidi platform to follow up with

assistance.

[1/21/10 23:59]

Jodi a fe 4 jou mwen pa mange tanpri mouin grangou mouin kay yon moun nan sain marc rue louverture numero 75.

kowodone: 19.10196, -72.69954

[Very rough translation: Today haven’t eaten for 4 days, please in a basement Saint Marc Rue L’Ouverture #75]

Humanitarian Media Response

Local Haitian media helped to connect international organizations to the Haitian

public.

Humanitarian information engagement in Haiti was notable for its preparedness,

speed of response and attempts to integrate into local popular culture.

Radio: Access can be shared easily and relatively cheaply among many people, serves both literate and illiterate populations.

Haiti has over 250 commercial and community radio stations.

Signal FM was the only radio station that stayed on the air continuously, broadcasting to an audience of nearly 3 million throughout the crisis.

Radio: Signal FM

Humanitarian Media Initiatives

International organizations supported local humanitarian media initiatives. They included:

InternewsIMS

AMARCInternational Federation of Journalists (IFJ)

UNESCOReporters sans Frontiers

These groups provided facilities for local journalists, cash grants, and technical equipment and training.

The show began on 11 stations

ENDK: News You Can Use

• The show began on 11 stations

• The show reported on:

• Water distribution points• Status of displaced persons

camps• Public health advisories

• The program became available on 27 stations within a few weeks

On January 21, Internews set up a humanitarian reporting project to report critical information.

U.S. Marine Corps. 22ND Marine Expeditionary Unit

Craig Clarke, a civilian analyst for U.S. Marine Corps, worked with crisis mapping platform Ushahidi, to provide support for Marine rescue units on the ground.

Reports from Ushahidi helped Marines:

• Supply water in a displaced persons camp

• Distribute devices to sanitize drinking water

• Police areas and ensure barricades were not blocking aid from reaching victims

Media and Communications Ecosystem