Timeline of relief efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake
Encyclopedia
The timeline of rescue efforts after the 2010 Haiti earthquake
of 12 January 2010 involves the sequence of events in the days following a highly destructive 7.0 Mw
earthquake with an epicenter
25 kilometres (15.5 mi) west of the nation's capital, Port-au-Prince
. With at least 70% of the city's buildings destroyed, the earthquake also caused damage and loss of life in other parts of the country. The Haitian government experienced a near-collapse, and affected persons were left mostly to their own resources until foreign aid arrived in the following days.
Initial death toll estimates ranged between 50,000 and 200,000.
The Argentine Air Force Mobile Field Hospital
, already deployed at Port-au-Prince, was the only medical facility still open. Argentine helicopters from the United Nations force were helping evacuate the gravely injured people to Santo Domingo
.
(Doctors Without Borders) reported that at least two hospitals were still in good shape, and their doctors would begin treating about 500 people who needed emergency surgery. Bodies of the victims were piled on the streets. Heavy equipment was needed to dig through the ruins; many people were still trapped in collapsed buildings. A triage
center was set up in a parking lot, but the wounded were forced to lie in medical tents to await treatment, due to the many patients, and water was scarce. In Pétionville, people used sledgehammers and their hands to dig through a collapsed commercial center.
Some rescue teams, such as the ones from Cuba, arrived in Haiti and started their mission. The Peruvian government sent rescue teams, dogs and 50 tons of food transported by two Peruvian Air Force airplanes. Peruvian companies were providing food donations and other basic aid. However, the scale of rescue and relief efforts was yet to meet the need. Because of difficulties reaching some affected areas, some rescue teams tried to enter Haiti through the Dominican Republic. The United States Coast Guard
deployed helicopters and several aircraft and cutters to the region to aid in relief work and perform reconnaissance flights over Haiti, which aided in assessing the worst damaged areas. The Coast Guard Cutter Forward
arrived in the waters off Port-au-Prince at about 8 a.m. on Wednesday, and together with a Maritime Intelligence Support Team was able to assess some of the damage caused to the port. The Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk
also arrived in the coastal waters of Haiti on Wednesday afternoon.
The International Committee of the Red Cross set up a special website to facilitate family contacts, which allowed people in Haiti and abroad to register the names of relatives whom they wanted to contact. It incorporated responses to those queries as they became available. Catholic Relief Services
, which has worked in Haiti for 50 years, prepared food and other aid to help those affected, committing US $5 million to help survivors.
visited Haiti to set up an emergency plan for assistance with president René Préval, to include reestablishing communications, rescuing the victims, burying the dead, clearing the rubble, reestablishing the supplies for electricity and water and coordinating the Dominican army with the United Nations Stabilization Mission for the relief operations. Colombia's military also contributed to the relief effort by sending relief flights. Jamaica sent a team of 168 military and medical personnel to Port-au-Prince.
Staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross already in the country distributed medical items to hospitals and two ICRC-chartered aircraft carrying specialized staff and 40 tonnes of relief supplies – mainly medical items – left Geneva for the island. At the same time, the organization made its forensic expertise available to organizations attempting to recover and identify the dead.
Communication and infrastructure problems were worsened by the destruction. Streets were clogged with debris and rubble, making it nearly impossible to distribute food, water, temporary shelter, and medical supplies that had been delivered throughout the day by international charities and governments to the airport. Ships were also unable to render aid because the port facilities had been too damaged. The Port-au-Prince morgue became overwhelmed with thousands of dead bodies that were laid outside on the streets and sidewalks. Aid workers began to concentrate on identification and disposal of corpses. Concerns were also raised by a representative from Oxfam
that aid workers may be overwhelmed with rampant crime from gangs who had taken over the country, which prompted the UN to intervene to restore some order.
Social networking became a significant response to the earthquake as Twitter
and Facebook
spread messages and pleas to assist; "Haiti", "Help Haiti", and "Red Cross" were among the most popular topics on Twitter. However, Haitians updating their Facebook statuses were blocked for repeatedly sending messages to tell people that they and their friends or family members were alive, which triggered spam guards on the website. The American Red Cross generated $7 million within 24 hours by offering an option to text message $10 donations by cell phone, setting a record for mobile donating. The OpenStreetMap
community responded by greatly improving the level of mapping available for the area using post-earthquake satellite photography provided by GeoEye
.
Cuba lifted airspace restrictions to allow US airplanes to save time transporting critically wounded Haitians to the US.
Médecins Sans Frontières
reported that the need for medical services at their two hospitals was "overwhelming". Although it had been badly damaged, the Hotel Villa Creole in Port-au-Prince was transformed into a hospital and media center; journalists used the drained swimming pool as an operating base, and Hope for Haiti and the International Medical Corps started a makeshift clinic for the wounded. The Dominican Institute of Communications set up a cell tower using a satellite link, to replace towers damaged by the quake.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper
announced that Canada will consider fast-tracking immigration to help Haitian refugees. In the US, Haitians were granted Temporary Protected Status
after Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano
called the earthquake "a disaster of historic proportions". Temporary protected status will allow about 100,000 Haitians in the United States illegally to stay for 18 months, will stop the current deportations of 30,000 more, but will not apply to Haitians outside the US.
The U.N. World Food Programme
denied that its warehouses in the Haitian capital had been looted, contrary to earlier erroneous reports. A Russian search-and-rescue team said the looting and general insecurity were forcing them to suspend their efforts after nightfall. Aid organizations were urged by the Brazilian military to add security details. The destruction of the U.N. base by the earthquake added to problems keeping order; the U.N. Stabilization Force was in Haiti before the earthquake to assist with emergency relief efforts, necessary because the country has a significant gang presence.
The staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Haiti distributed medical aid, assessing water needs and prepared for the arrival of several Emergency Response Units sent by Red Cross societies from across the world. These include a field hospital, mobile health units and water and sanitation units. The ICRC began working with the Federation and the Haitian Red Cross to enable these arriving specialists to be operational.
The tracking website Ushahidi
joined social networking efforts, as messages from multiple sites were collected to assist Haitians still trapped or to get word to family members of survivors.
On the dawn of 15 January 2010, and her escort group began deploying their helicopters, after sailing from the US at full speed. During her first day on-scene, she transferred about 35,000 gallons of fresh water to shore; she has the overall capability to distill 400,000 gallons daily. Carl Vinson will also provide medical, air transport, and food preparation facilities; she offloaded combat aircraft in order to provide more space for relief supplies and an increased complement of 19 helicopters. The carrier is transporting 600,000 emergency food rations and 100,000 ten-liter water containers; 20,000 containers of water were distributed on 15 January 2010. The amphibious helicopter carrier has also been deployed to Haiti, along with three large dock landing ship
s and two survey and salvage vessels
, intending to create a "sea base" for the rescue effort.
On 15 January 2010, an Australian news crew assisted in the rescue of an 18-month-old baby girl from the rubble of her home. While the majority of the crew assisted from on top of the rubble, a man from the Dominican Republic working with the crew became frustrated with the pace and climbed into the rubble himself. He pulled the baby out. Her uncle was one of the people trying to rescue her. He said her mother was dead. Baby Winnie was seemingly unhurt from her ordeal of 68 hours in the rubble.
' Home Front Command established a field hospital which included specialised facilities to perform surgery, treat children, the elderly, and women in labour near the United Nations building in Port-au-Prince. It was set up in eight hours and began operations on the evening of 16 January.
French Navy
vessel Francis Garnier
left Martinique
on 15 January 2010 carrying 60 Army
personnel, land vehicles, and excavator
s. She stopped over at Guadeloupe
to load further resources, and departed for Haiti on 16 January 2010. French cooperation minister Alain Joyandet
had to liaise with the US embassador in Paris
after a French airplane carrying a field hospital
was prevented from landing at Port-au-Prince airport.
Canadian Forces announced that its jet transports would be scheduled to complete two relief flights per day, while their slower C-130's will make three flights every two days; for this operation Canadian response personnel have been primarily selected from French-speaking regions.
The hospital ship left the Port of Baltimore on 16 January 2010 bound for Haiti
. On 16 January 2010, the guided-missile cruiser headed toward Haiti, part of the US Navy's enlarging sea base directed at implementing disaster relief. Salvage ship is being dispatched with divers whose task is to assess the Port-au-Prince seaport damage. By 16 January 2010, US military helicopters were airdropping food and supplies to the survivors.
By 18 January 2010, approximately 10,000 US troops are expected to be off the shores of Haiti, while MINUSTAH retains primary responsibility for security in Port-au-Prince, according to Defense Secretary Robert Gates
. The US Dept. of Defense has created Joint Task Force Haiti to coordinate the Pentagon's relief efforts. Port-au-Prince's airport, now operated by the US military, can currently handle 90 flights a day, far short of what is needed; other distribution problems have become apparent, but despite the tension there are signs that aid is reaching those in need. Paratroopers from the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division set up a base for distributing water and food as the number of dead remains unknown.
International Committee of the Red Cross emergency experts assessed the capacity of the city's main medical facilities, the water and sanitation infrastructure of Port-au-Prince's Cité Soleil neighbourhood, and the assistance needs of those living in makeshift camps. ICRC teams also provided more non-food assistance to several local hospitals and places of detention.
The first Red Cross
basic health care emergency response unit (ERUs, designed to provide basic and immediate health care to 30,000 people) arrived on 16 January. It included water and sanitation units, logistic units, IT and telecommunication infrastructure, and a 250-bed hospital. Many more ERUs were to be deployed over the following days.
A Haitian woman gave birth to a healthy baby boy while on board during the afternoon of 16 January 2010; the cutter was transporting wounded survivors from Port-au-Prince to the still-functional medical facilities of Cap-Haïtien, to the north.
A minister for the Haitian government reported on 16 January 2010 that nearly 20,000 bodies had been recovered by government crews. In addition, some reports indicated total deaths may approach 200,000 with a further 250,000 injuries; other estimates showed as many as one million Haitians are now homeless.
Haitian Police officers opened fire on hundreds of looters, killing at least one. Episodes of looting continued, as aid officials feared a breakout of lawlessness unless US troops can deliver the needed aid to the up to three million survivors who have not received any.
USNS Grasp and USS Underwood resupplied at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay and then began operations in Haitian waters. Additional doctors and corpsmen were transferred from USS Carl Vinson offshore, to the inshore USCG cutters, with the objective of enhancing littoral medical access for injured Haitians.
The US Army
is sending two landing craft utilities
to help unload shipments from larger vessels, while the facilities at Port international de Port-au-Prince
are not usable.
The first of three massive Red Cross Red Crescent basic health care emergency response units (ERUs) arrived on 16 January 2010. The ERU is designed to provide basic and immediate health care to 30,000 people. So far, 14 ERUs have been deployed to Haiti, with most expected to arrive in the coming days. They include water and sanitation units, logistic units, IT and telecommunication infrastructure, and a massive 250-bed hospital.
Two aftershock earthquakes measuring 4.6 and 4.7 struck an area about ten miles West of the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince.
It was announced that Canada would send 1,000 soldiers from Royal 22e Régiment
to help secure a rapidly deteriorating Haiti in addition to about 200 Canadian soldiers already on the ground there (Operation Hestia
).
with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit
(MEU) - joined under the Bataan Amphibious ready group
(ARG) - begin arriving in Haiti in order to conduct a Humanitarian-Assistance Disaster-Relief (HADR) mission. The ARG consists of the USS Bataan, and . Units within the MEU consist of 1,600 Marines with the Combat Logistics Battalion 22
, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461 and the MEU Command Element. 150 Marines aboard the joined the 22nd MEU as well. Ships arriving off Port-au-Prince on 18 January 2010 included the first vessel of the proposed seabase, USS Gunston Hall, along with the cruiser USS Normandy and salvage ship USNS Grasp.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines has begun using scheduled ports of call in northern Haiti to transfer emergency supplies using extra space on its liners.
Long-awaited air drops have begun by the US air force in the countryside. Three sites were secured. If air drops are successful, the method will be used more widely. It was originally feared that air drops with no security would cause riots and other problems. By 18 January 2010, 5,800 US troops were in Haiti or offshore on naval vessels, and 7,500 Marines were sent to join their effort.
On 18 January, 100 US troops were transported by helicopter onto the lawn of the Presidential Palace to help restore order and distribute aid. An airfield near Jacmal was prepared to take incoming flights to increase aid to more isolated towns west of Port-au-Prince.
Canada is sending to Jacmel
and to Léogâne
.
Spain is dispatching the amphibious warfare ship Castilla to Haiti.
The Dutch warship Hr. Ms. Pelikaan
arrives at Port-au-Prince with relief supplies.
. The US Navy Listed its assets in the area as "17 ships, 48 helicopters and 12 fixed-wing aircraft;" this was in addition to 10,000 sailors and Marines.
With help of technicians from Radio France
and TDF
who installed a new transmitter, MINUSTAH FM, the radio of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti
is emitting again, including programs by Haitian journalists from other destroyed radios.
A 22-day-old baby girl was found in the ruins of the Jacmel
hospital's maternity ward, by Colombian rescuers. Her parents were unable to get news about her since the earthquake struck. The girl was found many days beyond the usual survival period of three days without water.
Canada's 8 Air Communications and Control Squadron
installed runway lighting at Jacmel Airport
, enabling aircraft to land at night, with radar control of the airspace provided by the nearby in the Bay of Jacmel. Opening the Jacmel airfield 24 hours-a-day was intended to help relieve congestion at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince.
Italy dispatched the aircraft carrier Cavour to Haiti for earthquake relief.
Haitian burial workers continued to fill mass graves. Earth-moving equipment was used to dig the graves, and up to 10,000 bodies were buried in a single day.
Downhillers for Haiti was set up, the bibs of alpine skiers for the Saturday event at Kitzbühel were to be auctioned off on the internet. They would be signed by the skiers.
and air traffic control
services are activated by the Canadian Forces
at Jacmel Airport
, located near the city with the same name on Haiti's south coast, Jacmel
, in order to start 24-hours-a-day flight operations. This will relieve congestion at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince. An air traffic control facility was established at the airport, runway lighting installed, and as of 22 January the airport could accommodate a mix of 160 military and civilian fixed-wing and helicopter flights per day. Further expansion of the airport is underway, with a view to accommodating heavy-lift transporters such as C-17 Globemasters
.
Cuba has opened its airspace up to relief flights to fly directly from South Florida to Haiti.
In a TV interview made by C5N channel, the Commander of the Argentine force in MINUSTAH declared that the different countries of the world
had already transported to Haiti 14 million field rations.
2010 Haiti earthquake
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake, with an epicentre near the town of Léogâne, approximately west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital. The earthquake occurred at 16:53 local time on Tuesday, 12 January 2010.By 24 January, at least 52 aftershocks...
of 12 January 2010 involves the sequence of events in the days following a highly destructive 7.0 Mw
Moment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale is used by seismologists to measure the size of earthquakes in terms of the energy released. The magnitude is based on the seismic moment of the earthquake, which is equal to the rigidity of the Earth multiplied by the average amount of slip on the fault and the size of...
earthquake with an epicenter
Epicenter
The epicenter or epicentre is the point on the Earth's surface that is directly above the hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or underground explosion originates...
25 kilometres (15.5 mi) west of the nation's capital, Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The city's population was 704,776 as of the 2003 census, and was officially estimated to have reached 897,859 in 2009....
. With at least 70% of the city's buildings destroyed, the earthquake also caused damage and loss of life in other parts of the country. The Haitian government experienced a near-collapse, and affected persons were left mostly to their own resources until foreign aid arrived in the following days.
Initial death toll estimates ranged between 50,000 and 200,000.
12 January 2010
People dug through rubble, rescuing survivors and recovering bodies. The bodies were laid out in the streets, some in piles. During the night, many people digging through the rubble used flashlights.The Argentine Air Force Mobile Field Hospital
Argentine Air Force Mobile Field Hospital
The Argentine Air Force Mobile Field Hospital is a field hospital operated by the Argentine Air Force. It is one of three health centers of its kind worldwide .- Description :...
, already deployed at Port-au-Prince, was the only medical facility still open. Argentine helicopters from the United Nations force were helping evacuate the gravely injured people to Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
.
13 January 2010
Haitian Rescuers searched for collapsed buildings for victims. The wounded were taken to hospital in ambulances, police pickup trucks, wheelbarrows, and improvised stretchers. Many hospitals collapsed: on 13 January 2010, the Argentine military field hospital remained open in Port-au-Prince, and it was struggling to attend to the huge numbers of injured. Médecins Sans FrontièresMédecins Sans Frontières
' , or Doctors Without Borders, is a secular humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic diseases. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland...
(Doctors Without Borders) reported that at least two hospitals were still in good shape, and their doctors would begin treating about 500 people who needed emergency surgery. Bodies of the victims were piled on the streets. Heavy equipment was needed to dig through the ruins; many people were still trapped in collapsed buildings. A triage
Triage
Triage or ) is the process of determining the priority of patients' treatments based on the severity of their condition. This rations patient treatment efficiently when resources are insufficient for all to be treated immediately. The term comes from the French verb trier, meaning to separate,...
center was set up in a parking lot, but the wounded were forced to lie in medical tents to await treatment, due to the many patients, and water was scarce. In Pétionville, people used sledgehammers and their hands to dig through a collapsed commercial center.
Some rescue teams, such as the ones from Cuba, arrived in Haiti and started their mission. The Peruvian government sent rescue teams, dogs and 50 tons of food transported by two Peruvian Air Force airplanes. Peruvian companies were providing food donations and other basic aid. However, the scale of rescue and relief efforts was yet to meet the need. Because of difficulties reaching some affected areas, some rescue teams tried to enter Haiti through the Dominican Republic. The United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
deployed helicopters and several aircraft and cutters to the region to aid in relief work and perform reconnaissance flights over Haiti, which aided in assessing the worst damaged areas. The Coast Guard Cutter Forward
USCGC Forward (WMEC-911)
USCGC Forward is a United States Coast Guard medium endurance cutter. Named for Walter Forward, fifteenth United States Secretary of the Treasury, she was constructed by Robert Derecktor Shipyard Incorporated, Middletown, Rhode Island was delivered in May 1989, and commissioned 4 August 1990...
arrived in the waters off Port-au-Prince at about 8 a.m. on Wednesday, and together with a Maritime Intelligence Support Team was able to assess some of the damage caused to the port. The Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk
USCGC Mohawk (WMEC-913)
USCGC Mohawk is a United States Coast Guard medium endurance cutter. She was launched on September 9, 1989 at Robert Derecktor Shipyard Incorporated of Middletown, Rhode Island and commissioned in March 1991...
also arrived in the coastal waters of Haiti on Wednesday afternoon.
The International Committee of the Red Cross set up a special website to facilitate family contacts, which allowed people in Haiti and abroad to register the names of relatives whom they wanted to contact. It incorporated responses to those queries as they became available. Catholic Relief Services
Catholic Relief Services
Catholic Relief Services is the international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Founded in 1943 by the U.S. bishops, the agency provides assistance to 130 million people in more than 90 countries and territories in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and...
, which has worked in Haiti for 50 years, prepared food and other aid to help those affected, committing US $5 million to help survivors.
14 January 2010
Medical aid for the Haiti earthquake became a military-style operation. At least 20 countries provided manpower, supplies or financial aid to Haiti, while the most immediate foreign assistance was being provided by military and humanitarian contingents from neighboring Dominican Republic. Dominican president Leonel FernándezLeonel Fernández
Leonel Antonio Fernández Reyna is a Dominican lawyer, academic, and the current President of the Dominican Republic since 2004. He held the same office from 1996 to 2000...
visited Haiti to set up an emergency plan for assistance with president René Préval, to include reestablishing communications, rescuing the victims, burying the dead, clearing the rubble, reestablishing the supplies for electricity and water and coordinating the Dominican army with the United Nations Stabilization Mission for the relief operations. Colombia's military also contributed to the relief effort by sending relief flights. Jamaica sent a team of 168 military and medical personnel to Port-au-Prince.
Staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross already in the country distributed medical items to hospitals and two ICRC-chartered aircraft carrying specialized staff and 40 tonnes of relief supplies – mainly medical items – left Geneva for the island. At the same time, the organization made its forensic expertise available to organizations attempting to recover and identify the dead.
Communication and infrastructure problems were worsened by the destruction. Streets were clogged with debris and rubble, making it nearly impossible to distribute food, water, temporary shelter, and medical supplies that had been delivered throughout the day by international charities and governments to the airport. Ships were also unable to render aid because the port facilities had been too damaged. The Port-au-Prince morgue became overwhelmed with thousands of dead bodies that were laid outside on the streets and sidewalks. Aid workers began to concentrate on identification and disposal of corpses. Concerns were also raised by a representative from Oxfam
Oxfam
Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organizations working in 98 countries worldwide to find lasting solutions to poverty and related injustice around the world. In all Oxfam’s actions, the ultimate goal is to enable people to exercise their rights and manage their own lives...
that aid workers may be overwhelmed with rampant crime from gangs who had taken over the country, which prompted the UN to intervene to restore some order.
Social networking became a significant response to the earthquake as Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
and Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
spread messages and pleas to assist; "Haiti", "Help Haiti", and "Red Cross" were among the most popular topics on Twitter. However, Haitians updating their Facebook statuses were blocked for repeatedly sending messages to tell people that they and their friends or family members were alive, which triggered spam guards on the website. The American Red Cross generated $7 million within 24 hours by offering an option to text message $10 donations by cell phone, setting a record for mobile donating. The OpenStreetMap
OpenStreetMap
OpenStreetMap is a collaborative project to create a free editable map of the world. Two major driving forces behind the establishment and growth of OSM have been restrictions on use or availability of map information across much of the world and the advent of inexpensive portable GPS devices.The...
community responded by greatly improving the level of mapping available for the area using post-earthquake satellite photography provided by GeoEye
GeoEye
GeoEye Inc. is a commercial satellite imagery company based in Herndon, Virginia that is the world's largest space imaging corporation....
.
15 January 2010
A reported 9,000 corpses were cleared off the street by Haitian government crews, and buried in mass graves, with thousands more awaiting burial in the streets and outside the morgue. Search and rescue teams from eight nations were employed to attempt to find survivors still trapped in buildings. Transportation into the affected areas remained problematic, as a bottleneck blocked aid arriving from the Port-au-Prince airport. Some organizations landed in Santo Domingo and drove into Haiti on rugged dirt roads. Pilots were told that any flights coming in to Port-au-Prince should expect to circle the airport for at least an hour, and that no jet fuel was available.Cuba lifted airspace restrictions to allow US airplanes to save time transporting critically wounded Haitians to the US.
Médecins Sans Frontières
Médecins Sans Frontières
' , or Doctors Without Borders, is a secular humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic diseases. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland...
reported that the need for medical services at their two hospitals was "overwhelming". Although it had been badly damaged, the Hotel Villa Creole in Port-au-Prince was transformed into a hospital and media center; journalists used the drained swimming pool as an operating base, and Hope for Haiti and the International Medical Corps started a makeshift clinic for the wounded. The Dominican Institute of Communications set up a cell tower using a satellite link, to replace towers damaged by the quake.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
announced that Canada will consider fast-tracking immigration to help Haitian refugees. In the US, Haitians were granted Temporary Protected Status
Temporary protected status
Temporary protected status is a temporary immigration status to the United States, granted to eligible nationals of designated countries.In 1990, as part of the Immigration Act of 1990 , P.L...
after Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano
Janet Napolitano
Janet Napolitano is the third and current United States Secretary of Homeland Security, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She is the fourth person to hold the position, which was created after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the 21st...
called the earthquake "a disaster of historic proportions". Temporary protected status will allow about 100,000 Haitians in the United States illegally to stay for 18 months, will stop the current deportations of 30,000 more, but will not apply to Haitians outside the US.
The U.N. World Food Programme
World Food Programme
The World Food Programme is the food aid branch of the United Nations, and the world's largest humanitarian organization addressing hunger worldwide. WFP provides food, on average, to 90 million people per year, 58 million of whom are children...
denied that its warehouses in the Haitian capital had been looted, contrary to earlier erroneous reports. A Russian search-and-rescue team said the looting and general insecurity were forcing them to suspend their efforts after nightfall. Aid organizations were urged by the Brazilian military to add security details. The destruction of the U.N. base by the earthquake added to problems keeping order; the U.N. Stabilization Force was in Haiti before the earthquake to assist with emergency relief efforts, necessary because the country has a significant gang presence.
The staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Haiti distributed medical aid, assessing water needs and prepared for the arrival of several Emergency Response Units sent by Red Cross societies from across the world. These include a field hospital, mobile health units and water and sanitation units. The ICRC began working with the Federation and the Haitian Red Cross to enable these arriving specialists to be operational.
The tracking website Ushahidi
Ushahidi
Ushahidi, Inc. is a non-profit software company that develops free and open source software for information collection, visualization and interactive mapping....
joined social networking efforts, as messages from multiple sites were collected to assist Haitians still trapped or to get word to family members of survivors.
On the dawn of 15 January 2010, and her escort group began deploying their helicopters, after sailing from the US at full speed. During her first day on-scene, she transferred about 35,000 gallons of fresh water to shore; she has the overall capability to distill 400,000 gallons daily. Carl Vinson will also provide medical, air transport, and food preparation facilities; she offloaded combat aircraft in order to provide more space for relief supplies and an increased complement of 19 helicopters. The carrier is transporting 600,000 emergency food rations and 100,000 ten-liter water containers; 20,000 containers of water were distributed on 15 January 2010. The amphibious helicopter carrier has also been deployed to Haiti, along with three large dock landing ship
Dock landing ship
A Dock landing ship or Landing ship is a form of amphibious warship designed to support amphibious operations. These amphibious assault ships transport and launch amphibious craft and vehicles with their crews and embarked personnel...
s and two survey and salvage vessels
USNS Grasp (T-ARS-51)
USNS Grasp is a , the second United States Navy ship of that name.Grasp was laid down on 30 March 1983 by Peterson Builders, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin; launched on 2 May 1985; and commissioned on 14 December 1985....
, intending to create a "sea base" for the rescue effort.
On 15 January 2010, an Australian news crew assisted in the rescue of an 18-month-old baby girl from the rubble of her home. While the majority of the crew assisted from on top of the rubble, a man from the Dominican Republic working with the crew became frustrated with the pace and climbed into the rubble himself. He pulled the baby out. Her uncle was one of the people trying to rescue her. He said her mother was dead. Baby Winnie was seemingly unhurt from her ordeal of 68 hours in the rubble.
16 January 2010
A rescue team sent by the Israel Defense ForcesIsrael Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
' Home Front Command established a field hospital which included specialised facilities to perform surgery, treat children, the elderly, and women in labour near the United Nations building in Port-au-Prince. It was set up in eight hours and began operations on the evening of 16 January.
French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
vessel Francis Garnier
Francis Garnier (L9031)
The BATRAL Francis Garnier is the second of a series of five vessels. She was launched on 17 November 1973 and commissioned on 24 October 1974. She is the fifth vessel of the French Navy named in honour of the officer and explorer Francis Garnier.The BATRAL vessels are able to ferry over...
left Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
on 15 January 2010 carrying 60 Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
personnel, land vehicles, and excavator
Excavator
Excavators are heavy construction equipment consisting of a boom, stick, bucket and cab on a rotating platform . The house sits atop an undercarriage with tracks or wheels. A cable-operated excavator uses winches and steel ropes to accomplish the movements. They are a natural progression from the...
s. She stopped over at Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe
Guadeloupe is an archipelago located in the Leeward Islands, in the Lesser Antilles, with a land area of 1,628 square kilometres and a population of 400,000. It is the first overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. As with the other overseas departments, Guadeloupe...
to load further resources, and departed for Haiti on 16 January 2010. French cooperation minister Alain Joyandet
Alain Joyandet
Alain Joyandet is a French politician who was appointed Secretary of State for Cooperation and Francophony in the government of François Fillon from March 18, 2008 to July 2010. Prior to that, he was CEO of the Société Nouvelle des Éditions Comtoises , a publisher of weekly newspapers and journals...
had to liaise with the US embassador in Paris
Embassy of the United States in Paris
The Embassy of the United States in Paris, France, is the United States oldest diplomatic mission. Benjamin Franklin and some of the other Founding Fathers were the earliest United States Ambassadors to France.It is located at 2 avenue Gabriel, on the northwest corner of the Place de la Concorde,...
after a French airplane carrying a field hospital
Field hospital
A field hospital is a large mobile medical unit that temporarily takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent hospital facilities...
was prevented from landing at Port-au-Prince airport.
Canadian Forces announced that its jet transports would be scheduled to complete two relief flights per day, while their slower C-130's will make three flights every two days; for this operation Canadian response personnel have been primarily selected from French-speaking regions.
The hospital ship left the Port of Baltimore on 16 January 2010 bound for Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
. On 16 January 2010, the guided-missile cruiser headed toward Haiti, part of the US Navy's enlarging sea base directed at implementing disaster relief. Salvage ship is being dispatched with divers whose task is to assess the Port-au-Prince seaport damage. By 16 January 2010, US military helicopters were airdropping food and supplies to the survivors.
By 18 January 2010, approximately 10,000 US troops are expected to be off the shores of Haiti, while MINUSTAH retains primary responsibility for security in Port-au-Prince, according to Defense Secretary Robert Gates
Robert Gates
Dr. Robert Michael Gates is a retired civil servant and university president who served as the 22nd United States Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011. Prior to this, Gates served for 26 years in the Central Intelligence Agency and the National Security Council, and under President George H. W....
. The US Dept. of Defense has created Joint Task Force Haiti to coordinate the Pentagon's relief efforts. Port-au-Prince's airport, now operated by the US military, can currently handle 90 flights a day, far short of what is needed; other distribution problems have become apparent, but despite the tension there are signs that aid is reaching those in need. Paratroopers from the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division set up a base for distributing water and food as the number of dead remains unknown.
International Committee of the Red Cross emergency experts assessed the capacity of the city's main medical facilities, the water and sanitation infrastructure of Port-au-Prince's Cité Soleil neighbourhood, and the assistance needs of those living in makeshift camps. ICRC teams also provided more non-food assistance to several local hospitals and places of detention.
The first Red Cross
International Committee of the Red Cross
The International Committee of the Red Cross is a private humanitarian institution based in Geneva, Switzerland. States parties to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977 and 2005, have given the ICRC a mandate to protect the victims of international and...
basic health care emergency response unit (ERUs, designed to provide basic and immediate health care to 30,000 people) arrived on 16 January. It included water and sanitation units, logistic units, IT and telecommunication infrastructure, and a 250-bed hospital. Many more ERUs were to be deployed over the following days.
A Haitian woman gave birth to a healthy baby boy while on board during the afternoon of 16 January 2010; the cutter was transporting wounded survivors from Port-au-Prince to the still-functional medical facilities of Cap-Haïtien, to the north.
A minister for the Haitian government reported on 16 January 2010 that nearly 20,000 bodies had been recovered by government crews. In addition, some reports indicated total deaths may approach 200,000 with a further 250,000 injuries; other estimates showed as many as one million Haitians are now homeless.
17 January 2010
USNS Grasp and USS Underwood resupplied at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay and then began operations in Haitian waters. Additional doctors and corpsmen were transferred from USS Carl Vinson offshore, to the inshore USCG cutters, with the objective of enhancing littoral medical access for injured Haitians.
The US Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
is sending two landing craft utilities
Landing Craft Utility
The Landing Craft Utility is a type of boat used by amphibious forces to transport equipment and troops to the shore. They are capable of transporting tracked or wheeled vehicles and troops from amphibious assault ships to beachheads or piers....
to help unload shipments from larger vessels, while the facilities at Port international de Port-au-Prince
Port international de Port-au-Prince
The is the seaport in the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince. It suffered catastrophic damage in the 2010 Haiti earthquake.Some of docks and warehouses are operated by the government's Autorité Portuaire Nationale , and some are run by private companies.- History :On 13 June 1872, a German fleet...
are not usable.
The first of three massive Red Cross Red Crescent basic health care emergency response units (ERUs) arrived on 16 January 2010. The ERU is designed to provide basic and immediate health care to 30,000 people. So far, 14 ERUs have been deployed to Haiti, with most expected to arrive in the coming days. They include water and sanitation units, logistic units, IT and telecommunication infrastructure, and a massive 250-bed hospital.
Two aftershock earthquakes measuring 4.6 and 4.7 struck an area about ten miles West of the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince.
It was announced that Canada would send 1,000 soldiers from Royal 22e Régiment
Royal 22e Régiment
The Royal 22nd Regiment is an infantry regiment and the most famous francophone organization of the Canadian Forces. The regiment comprises three Regular Force battalions, two Primary Reserve battalions, and a band, making it the largest regiment in the Canadian Army...
to help secure a rapidly deteriorating Haiti in addition to about 200 Canadian soldiers already on the ground there (Operation Hestia
Operation Hestia
Operation Hestia is the name of the Canadian Forces humanitarian response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake which struck Haiti on 12 January, 2010. Operation Hestia is the military component of an interagency response that also involves Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada and the Canadian...
).
18 January 2010
US MarinesUnited States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit
22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit
The 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit is one of seven Marine Expeditionary Units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. The Marine Expeditionary Unit is a Marine Air Ground Task Force with a strength of about 2,200 personnel...
(MEU) - joined under the Bataan Amphibious ready group
Amphibious Ready Group
An Amphibious Readiness Group of the United States Navy consists of a Navy element—a group of warships known as an amphibious task force —and a landing force of United States Marines , in total about 5,000 people. Together, these elements and supporting units are trained, organized, and equipped...
(ARG) - begin arriving in Haiti in order to conduct a Humanitarian-Assistance Disaster-Relief (HADR) mission. The ARG consists of the USS Bataan, and . Units within the MEU consist of 1,600 Marines with the Combat Logistics Battalion 22
Combat Logistics Battalion 22
Combat Logistics Battalion 22 is a logistics battalion of the United States Marine Corps. They are part of Combat Logistics Regiment 27 and the 2nd Marine Logistics Group...
, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines, Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 461 and the MEU Command Element. 150 Marines aboard the joined the 22nd MEU as well. Ships arriving off Port-au-Prince on 18 January 2010 included the first vessel of the proposed seabase, USS Gunston Hall, along with the cruiser USS Normandy and salvage ship USNS Grasp.
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines has begun using scheduled ports of call in northern Haiti to transfer emergency supplies using extra space on its liners.
Long-awaited air drops have begun by the US air force in the countryside. Three sites were secured. If air drops are successful, the method will be used more widely. It was originally feared that air drops with no security would cause riots and other problems. By 18 January 2010, 5,800 US troops were in Haiti or offshore on naval vessels, and 7,500 Marines were sent to join their effort.
On 18 January, 100 US troops were transported by helicopter onto the lawn of the Presidential Palace to help restore order and distribute aid. An airfield near Jacmal was prepared to take incoming flights to increase aid to more isolated towns west of Port-au-Prince.
Canada is sending to Jacmel
Jacmel
Jacmel, also known by its indigenous Taíno name of Yaquimel, is a town in southern Haiti founded in 1698. It is the capital of the department of Sud-Est and has an estimated population of 40,000, while the municipality of Jacmel had a population of 137,966 at the 2003 Census.The buildings are...
and to Léogâne
Léogane
Léogâne is a seaside town in Ouest Department, Haïti. It is located in the eponymous arrondissement, the Léogâne Arrondissement. The port town is located about West of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. The town was at the epicenter of the 12 January 2010 earthquake, and was catastrophically...
.
Spain is dispatching the amphibious warfare ship Castilla to Haiti.
The Dutch warship Hr. Ms. Pelikaan
HNLMS Pelikaan (A804)
HNLMS Pelikaan is an DAMEN Logistic Support Vessel 6513.The ship was built and designed special for the Caribbean seas, it functions as a support ship for the Royal Netherlands Navy in the area. The ship is permanently moored off the Rima-pier at the naval base parera at Curaçao. She came in...
arrives at Port-au-Prince with relief supplies.
19 January 2010
It was announced USS Bataan, USS Fort McHenry, and USS Carter Hall sailed into Haitian waters, putting most major elements of the sea-base on scene, except for USNS Comfort which is scheduled to arrive within the next 24 hours; Comfort has expanded its intensive-care center from 50 to 80 beds while en-route, in anticipation of Haitian needs. Another large French vessel was ordered to Haiti, the Landing Platform Dock SirocoSiroco (L 9012)
The Siroco is a Foudre class amphibious assault ship of the French Navy.Siroco was deployed to East Timor as part of the Australian-led INTERFET peacekeeping taskforce from 10 October to 25 November 1999....
. The US Navy Listed its assets in the area as "17 ships, 48 helicopters and 12 fixed-wing aircraft;" this was in addition to 10,000 sailors and Marines.
With help of technicians from Radio France
Radio France
Radio France is a French public service radio broadcaster.-Mission:Radio France's two principal missions are:* To create and expand the programming on all of their stations; and...
and TDF
TDF Group
TDF is a French company which provides radio and television transmission services, services for telecoms operators, and other multimedia services: digitization of content, encoding, storage, etc.Its headquarters are located in Paris.It is the dominant partner in the HDRR WiMAX consortium...
who installed a new transmitter, MINUSTAH FM, the radio of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti
United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti
The United Nations Stabilisation Mission In Haiti , also known as MINUSTAH, an acronym of the French translation, is a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Haiti that has been in operation since 2004. The mission's military component is led by the Brazilian Army and the force commander is...
is emitting again, including programs by Haitian journalists from other destroyed radios.
A 22-day-old baby girl was found in the ruins of the Jacmel
Jacmel
Jacmel, also known by its indigenous Taíno name of Yaquimel, is a town in southern Haiti founded in 1698. It is the capital of the department of Sud-Est and has an estimated population of 40,000, while the municipality of Jacmel had a population of 137,966 at the 2003 Census.The buildings are...
hospital's maternity ward, by Colombian rescuers. Her parents were unable to get news about her since the earthquake struck. The girl was found many days beyond the usual survival period of three days without water.
Canada's 8 Air Communications and Control Squadron
CFB Trenton
Canadian Forces Base Trenton , is a Canadian Forces base located northeast of Trenton, Ontario. It is operated as an air force base by the Royal Canadian Air Force and is the hub for air transport operations in Canada and abroad...
installed runway lighting at Jacmel Airport
Jacmel Airport
Jacmel Airport was the sixth busiest airport in Haiti by passenger volume prior to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, located near the city with the same name, Jacmel, on Haiti's south coast. The airport's timezone is GMT –5, and is located in World Area Code region #238 Jacmel Airport was the sixth...
, enabling aircraft to land at night, with radar control of the airspace provided by the nearby in the Bay of Jacmel. Opening the Jacmel airfield 24 hours-a-day was intended to help relieve congestion at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince.
Italy dispatched the aircraft carrier Cavour to Haiti for earthquake relief.
20 January 2010
USNS Comfort arrives in Haiti.21 January 2010
The delivery of aid to those suffering in Haiti remains problematic.Haitian burial workers continued to fill mass graves. Earth-moving equipment was used to dig the graves, and up to 10,000 bodies were buried in a single day.
Downhillers for Haiti was set up, the bibs of alpine skiers for the Saturday event at Kitzbühel were to be auctioned off on the internet. They would be signed by the skiers.
22 January 2010
RadarRadar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
and air traffic control
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
services are activated by the Canadian Forces
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
at Jacmel Airport
Jacmel Airport
Jacmel Airport was the sixth busiest airport in Haiti by passenger volume prior to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, located near the city with the same name, Jacmel, on Haiti's south coast. The airport's timezone is GMT –5, and is located in World Area Code region #238 Jacmel Airport was the sixth...
, located near the city with the same name on Haiti's south coast, Jacmel
Jacmel
Jacmel, also known by its indigenous Taíno name of Yaquimel, is a town in southern Haiti founded in 1698. It is the capital of the department of Sud-Est and has an estimated population of 40,000, while the municipality of Jacmel had a population of 137,966 at the 2003 Census.The buildings are...
, in order to start 24-hours-a-day flight operations. This will relieve congestion at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince. An air traffic control facility was established at the airport, runway lighting installed, and as of 22 January the airport could accommodate a mix of 160 military and civilian fixed-wing and helicopter flights per day. Further expansion of the airport is underway, with a view to accommodating heavy-lift transporters such as C-17 Globemasters
C-17 Globemaster III
The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a large military transport aircraft. Developed for the United States Air Force from the 1980s to the early 1990s by McDonnell Douglas, the C-17 is used for rapid strategic airlift of troops and cargo to main operating bases or forward operating bases throughout...
.
Cuba has opened its airspace up to relief flights to fly directly from South Florida to Haiti.
23 January 2010
The Haitian government declares an end to rescue efforts.In a TV interview made by C5N channel, the Commander of the Argentine force in MINUSTAH declared that the different countries of the world
Humanitarian response by national governments to the 2010 Haiti earthquake
The humanitarian response by national governments to the 2010 Haiti earthquake included numerous national governments from around the world pledging to coordinate and send humanitarian aid to the Haitian people affected by the disaster...
had already transported to Haiti 14 million field rations.