On Tuesday January 12th 2010 a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit just outside the Haitian capital, Port-Au-Prince.
Its affects on the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere were devastating. It is estimated 200,000 people died and more than 1.5 million were made homeless.
One of the biggest humanitarian operations in history was launched but the rollout of aid to those who needed it was criticised as being too slow.
Newstalk’s Ger Gilroy sent this series of reports on the situation as it developed in Haiti.
1) A 360 degree perspective
Ger Gilroy told Newstalk Breakfast about getting to the top of a tall multi-story building that survived the quake and having a 360-degree panoramic of the destruction…
2) Irish aid the first to flow
Ger Gilroy reports that the Irish aid agencies are in full disaster mode and are rolling out their operations successfully but, like other NGOs, are getting stuck in an admin bottleneck with the UN coming under growing criticism…
3) Water – Vital, but not everyone can get aid
Ger Gilroy reports that aid agencies say Haiti has a strong community spirit and reject that civil unrest will hamper the aid effort…
4) The Aftermath – Bodies burn in the street
Ger Gilroy reports on the appauling sight of bodies burning in the streets in Haiti and says that half of all medial procedures carried out in the last ten-days have been amputations…
Ger Gilroy deserves a Radio Award for his reports from Haiti – he was absolutely brilliant and the passion and anger that he felt came through on his reports. Well done Ger on a magnificent job in very trying circumstances.
January 28, 2010 at 9:39 pmHi There,
I’ve been working on a new spatial planning tool which could offer significant advantages in the organisation of emergency relief encampments in Haiti.
SYSTEM FEATURES;
- Capable of structuring relief encampments of any scale
- Generates efficient administration and distribution networks at all stages of development
- Fosters a network of social support for a population under extreme stress
- Ensures the security of the population it serves
- Can produce healthy, stable, and sustainable settlements where longer term accommodation is required by those displaced
For further information please refer to Section 3.7 of the presentation document available at the following link;
http://cid-f1b07cc49da4a688.skydrive.live.com/browse.aspx/Fractal%20Matrix%20Planning%20System
Or alternatively you can review our Facebook page at;
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fractal-Planning-Solutions-Ltd/109017094107?ref=share
I would appreciate if you could pass this information on to those currently involved in the planning of emergency accomodation, as I feel it may be of real benefit.
Regards,
Padhraic Moneley
January 30, 2010 at 11:38 pmM.D. Fractal Planning Solutions Ltd.