An appeal for Urgent Help for the victims of Haiti's earthquake

SOS: Urgent Help for Haiti

The ACP Civil Society Forum is totally disturbed about the slowness with which needed aid is getting to the Haitian people. We are well aware that tremendous financial aid is presently being committed to the cause, with the EU contributing approximately three million Euros to the relief efforts.

There is clearly a problem with coordination, and frankly, the United States of America have taken control of the airport and borders, thus having under its management all ports of entry into Haiti. This has been apparently accepted by CARICOM, but Jamaica has been designated and confirmed the hub of all relief efforts heading to Haiti, as such, it is our firm belief that the ACP Civil Society prepares itself to offer meaningful and organized aid for the Haitian people.

There is another crisis on hand : in a couple of days many Haitians will flood the borders of Jamaica and other Caribbean countries in boats. The Caribbean countries, already facing serious economic crises, will shelter the refugees.

It is imperative that we are funded to carry out a strategic and proactive response programme that will see to the sustained development of the State in crisis. ACP Civil Society Forum is therefore proposing:

1. Since there seems to be a problem with logistics, we need to partner with agencies such as the Salvation Army and the Red Cross to transport resources that have already been collected across the Caribbean region, so that shipment can be arranged and delivered in an orderly and timely manner.
2. ACP Civil Society must ensure that there is a team dispatched to Haiti, to assist with recovery, but most importantly, rebuilding. We are not interested in being put up in hotels etc, the main interest is to get there and help, this is pivotal.
3. We have identified a Salvation Army owned property in Port-au-Prince that could house volunteers; as such we need help with securing tents for volunteers.
4. Of greater importance is the sustainable rebuilding and development exercise. The ACP Civil Society Forum therefore needs to meet and implement an extensive youth and community development exercise that would incorporate issues relating to the affective.

We are therefore appealing for donations which will be spent on the most immediate need which is Transportation to get the relief there and medical and sanitary supplies. Apart from getting relief in, there is the problem of getting people with severe injuries out of Haiti where they could get special medical attention.

Barbados is setting up a portable medical facility in Haiti which will be fully outfitted with operating theatres, and medical personnel. This facility will need to be constantly supplied with large amounts of medical and sanitary supplies.

Here is a list coming out of Haiti of those needs which we are told are urgently needed for at least 100,000 people:

1. Ace bandages, gauze pads, bandage & tape
2. Water purification tablets & Rehydration salts
3. antibiotic and antifungal (Mycology) creams
4. anti-allergy medication (i.e. Benadryl)
5. anti-parasite medication
6. Tylenol; children's tylenol
7. pampers for children
8. cold and cough medicine
9. diarrhea medication
10. eye drops
11. insect repellent
12. hydrogen peroxide
13. skin disinfectant spray
14. hydrogen peroxide
15. feminine hygiene products
16. tampons, pads, underwear
17. condoms and the morning-after pill for those who will be raped , given the situation in Haiti and with the additional influx of males
18. an urgent request is made for female peacekeepers.

Three Bank Accounts will facilitate your aid, they are as follows:

Account Name: Kingston and St. Andrew Action Forum (umbrella organization for Civil Society in Jamaica)

Account #: 4410317200193012

Name of Bank: RBTT Jamaica Limited

Swift Code: RBTTJMKN

Account name: BANGO (Barbados Association of NGOs)

Acc#: 31018001

Name of Bank : RBC Royal Bank of Canada, Hastings, Christ Church, Barbados, Caribbean

Swift Code: ROYCBBBB

Transit No: 09545

Account Name: Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action (CAFRA)
Account #: 511086815
Name of Bank: Bank of St. Lucia
Swift Code: BOSLLCLC

Further information will be forwarded as we get more information to make it easier for you to donate to Haiti.

January 17, 2010

Lawman Lynch, Chairman ACP Civil Society Forum,  Jamaica

lawmanlynch@yahoo.com

Roosevelt O King, Secretary General

Barbados Association of Non Governmental Organisations haiti@bango.org.bb

Flavia Cherry

Chair of CAFRA (Caribbean Association for Feminist Research and Action)

St. Lucia , cafraslu@hotmail.com