Haiti food distribution network fully operational

[EFerrari]

Source: CNN

Haiti food distribution network fully operational
By Moni Basu, CNN
February 5, 2010 -- Updated 0259 GMT (1059 HKT)

Port-au-Prince, Haiti (CNN) -- Long lines formed under the watchful eye of American and multinational troops as a wide-scale food distribution effort reached capacity Thursday in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Nearly 160,000 Haitian women each collected a 25-kilogram (55 pounds) bag of rice under a distribution plan coordinated by the United Nations, several private humanitarian agencies and the Haitian government.

The effort was launched Sunday but not all 16 fixed distribution points around the capital were operational until Thursday.

So far, 600,000 people affected by the devastating January 12 earthquake have been able to collect food under this plan, said Marcus Prior, spokesman for the United Nations World Food Programme.

Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/02/04/haiti.food.distribution/index.html?section=cnn_latest

[piedmont]

1. 55 pounds is an awfully large load for most women to carry very far.

I wonder whether most of them bring family along to carry their bag home, or just go it alone? And do they give out smaller bags to those who can't handle a big bag?

[EFerrari]

2. It does sound like a lot. On the other hand, the quantity

would seem to reduce trips to the distribution center. I carry 40lb bags of animal feed fairly easily. 50lbs would be harder, especially if you haven't been eating well for a couple of weeks.

[piedmont]

3. Yeah, I'm sure they have to strike the right balance between...

"too much to carry" and "too little to last very long." I would have thought 55 lbs to be on the "too much to carry" side, especially for smaller or older ladies or those like you point out who are weakened by the very food shortage we're trying to alleviate. There's probably more to it than the limited details in the article-- it just piqued my curiosity.

[EFerrari]

4. I was trying to figure out how much rice one person would consume in 1 day.

And got all tangled up. A pound of rice is about 3 cups which makes about 6 cups of rice, I think.

So, are they thinking a pound per person per day? I heard one lady say that her neighbor gave her some herbs to cook with her rice so it looks like people augment the rice for flavor but can't for nutrition much.

This is why I teach English.

[piedmont]

5. Depends on how much they are dependent on the rice and how many calories they need...

According to this link, a half cup of cooked white rice is 103 calories in 79 grams. It's 54% water, so only 36.34 g dry rice per half cup, or .08 lbs. If you only need 1500 calories per day from the rice then you need 1.17 lbs per day. A 55 lb bag would last 47 days per person, probably about two weeks for three people. They've got to diversify the diet pretty quickly, though, to avoid scurvy and to add protein to the diet. Maybe beans (protein) are being distributed or will be soon. Fresh fruit and vegetables might be hard to acquire and distribute effectively, so I don't know how they handle the scurvy issue in these situations-- maybe vitamin C tablets?

[EFerrari]

6. The latest Situation Report at ReliefWeb seems to call these "two week" rations

"The WFP food surge continues. Some 1 million people have been reached since the onset of the emergency; 338,000 people have received two-week rations of rice over the past 3 days."

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/MUMA-82C894?OpenDocument

[willing dwarf]

7. Details of relief effort from Catholic Relief Services

In response to a strong significant question -- when did relief agencies start putting paperwork above people's needs, Christopher Promis from CRS wrote this email. I think it gives some insight to what's going on in Port au Prince and beyond:

Although we can’t speak for all the international NGO’s, we are aware that in the best of times, it was not easy to get things done. So it has been especially difficult to not only get organized but to address such massive needs of food, water, shelter, sanitation and security for hundreds of thousands of people. There is also a need to attend to the spiritual and psychological wellbeing of the people. It takes time to bring order to the chaos of a destroyed city and a traumatized people. For people on the ground, like Ryan McCrory, this time frame can be frustrating and it is frustrating to us at CRS as well. So all I can say is what we have done to the present moment.

DISTRIBUTIONS
Port au Prince has been divided into 16 zones. CRS/Caritas Haiti is in charge of distributing rice in three zones. Starting Monday, February 1st, CRS will be distributing rice for more than 30,000 Haitians a day. The distributions are 55lbs of rice.

Up to Monday, February 1, CRS/Caritas Haiti has provided food to 113,978 people, and nonfood items to more than 20,000 people. These distributions are for family units, not individuals.

The large downtown rice distribution began on Jan. 31 in one of the CRS-designated camps (Palace/Champ de Mars) out of three of our designated sites. It is the most problematic site in terms of security but everything went well. The distribution, though longer than expected, was relatively orderly.

SHELTER
The last of the materials for shelter kits for 180,000 people are due to arrive today, February 1. The distribution of shelter kits at Pétionville Club and in other camps is set to start this week.

WASH
The water and sanitation materials for thousands of people arrived over the weekend, and include large water bladders, water treatment packs, building materials, tools, and other sanitation and construction supplies.

Major water and sanitation efforts are underway at the St. Francois de la Sale Hospital, where CRS/Caritas Haiti is carrying out a full sanitation plan. The CRS/Caritas Haiti team delivered cleaning supplies and buckets on Jan. 31 and started putting up screens around the operating room to protect patients from the flies. The full package of water and sanitation activities will take place at the hospital, including the construction of more latrines and showers, hand washing stations, clearing of drainage, management of waste, etc.

The CRS/Caritas Haiti team also selected camps downtown where today the team will start installing latrines. CRS/Caritas Haiti is identifying a local NGO with which to partner on participatory camp planning for water and sanitation in camps. The local NGO will help CRS/Caritas Haiti work with the camp committees to identify the locations for latrines, hand washing stations, showers, etc. In areas where digging is possible, latrines can be built within two days. For many of the urban camps set on concrete where digging is not possible, CRS/Caritas Haiti is contracting companies that rent portable latrines, and then will de-sludge the port-a-potties on a regular basis to maintain sanitation.

And just to quote some media on CRS:

From the Washington Post Jan 29: Perhaps the most successful food operation in the capital took place this week on a once exclusive golf course in the hills east of the crippled downtown. Catholic Relief Services teamed with soldiers from the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division to distribute more than 200 tons of food, principally lentils and bulgar, to about 6,500 families.

NPR to Sam Worthington, President and CEO, InterAction: “Reporters see chaos and lack of coordination, explain the discrepancy.”

Sam W.: From the beginning, there was significant dialogue in the UN system to set up clusters, rapid outreach to the NGO community and mobilization on the ground, reality of individuals and hospitals supported by NGOs. Significant challenge of ramping up. CRS great example of how it’s done.

So, yes, it can seem on the ground that nothing is happening or what is happening is chaotic, but there are developments and this is brief report is just about CRS. There are other agencies that are delivering resources as well.

Thank you and all the people of PiP. You have done great work and now more will be asked of you. My thoughts and prayers are with you all and with the people of Haiti !

Peace,
Chris


Rev. Christopher P. Promis, C.S.Sp.

Institutional Relations Officer

Catholic Relief Services

228 W. Lexington Street

Baltimore , MD 21201