| December
11, 2008 HLLN Update:
Governor Paterson's Timeline for delivery of donated goods for Haiti
storm victims
by Ezili Dantò/Marguerite Laurent for HLLN's Haitian
Perspective,
Dec. 11, 2008
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Click here for USAID
Nov. 14, 2008 report- pdf download
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According to Governor David Paterson's office, the following update
may be relayed to our Network and the Haitian and international community
Ezili's HLLN serves:
1. The total collected storm donation supplies for Haiti is more than
the 77 tons as previously reported to HLLN. The total collected supplies
donated for the September 2008 Haiti storm victims that are in the custody
of the State of New York are 84 tons.
2. The first package of
donated storm goods - approx. 8 tons, left New York on December 3, 2008,
via Airline Ambassador by boat and is scheduled to arrive between Dec.
20 - to Dec. 23, 2008. The shipping date is estimated between 17 to
20 days depending on which ship the goods went out on and if it has
stops along the way or not. But the arrival date is between Dec. 20
and Dec. 23rd. We will follow up with the Governor's office on those
dates and report to the Network. The NGO responsible for distribution
of the 8 tons of supplies shipped by Airline Ambassadors is Mission
Baptiste Eben-Ezer, which is expected to receive the goods and distribute
them. They plan to distribute them in communities in Gonaives. Of the
8 tons that went out on December 3, 2008 - 2 tons was clothing and the
remaining 6 tons are presumably donated food, medical and water supplies.
3. Fed. Express has donated
one plane, scheduled to leave before Friday this week (by Dec. 12) with
approximately 4 tons of food and the contracted recipient for distribution
is Catholic Relief Services. The Federal Express plane will fly the
4 tons from New York to Miami where it will be flown to Haiti by an
Ameri-Jet plane.
4. So 12 tons of the 84
is in the pipeline for delivery according to Paterson's office as stated
above. The bulk of the September Haiti donations - 72 tons - have been
dispatched as follows; there are now transport arrangements, and an
expected shipping date for 34 tons of that 72 tons. The remaining 38
tons have no transport or shipping arrangements as of yet.
5. According to Paterson's office, of the 84 tons donated, 40 tons were
clothing, 2 tons of which went out with the Airline Ambassador shipping
on Dec. 3, 2008. One explanation for the current lack of transport and
shipping arrangements for the remaining 38 tons of clothing is that,
according to Paterson's office, they are having problems finding a non-governmental
organization in Haiti that would receive and store and then distribute
the clothing. Catholic Relief Services, the Governor’s representative
indicates, would not take the 38 tons of clothing but "have been
more than generous to take over 30 tons of supplies and we are extremely
grateful for their efforts." Another explanation is that according
to USAID, clothing is not an emergency supply that is needed in Haiti.
Paterson's office offered to forward the USAID statement to this effect...
We've put, on our website for downloading, the USAID
report dated Nov. 14, 2008 shared with us on this issue.
Notwithstanding said USAID report, HLLN advised Governor Paterson's
representative that the children in the mountain village of Baie D'orange
need clothing and shoes URGENTLY and are dying not only of famine, disease,
but are COLD. We also advised Governor Patersons' representative that
the donated clothing were meant for Haiti and if these clothes are in
good condition, we could assist the Governor in locating a recipient
in Haiti since they are willing to pay for the transport. We have some
partners in Haiti and are pursuing this and pressing to express the
Haitian dignity and respect that would be extended by New York officials
if the Haitian Civil Preparedness and disaster authorities and their
devised procedure for donors to follow, were not summarily by-passed
by foreign NGOs. But, by cover of this post, we herein ask our Network
members to give us some advice if you'd like to make sure these goods
get to the hands of the most needy in Baie D'orange, Cabaret, Site Soley
and Gonaives, et al…. This is something we who work with the most
disenfranchised and poorest of the poor in Haiti could make sure about
and which the Governor's representative has stated they would welcome
our assistance in.
As you all already know,
HLLN advocates Haiti becomes less dependent on foreign aid and the foreign
NGOs and more economically self-sufficient. So, we did ask why the Haitian
government was not being utilized as the recipient of goods donated,
mostly by Haitians in the Tri-State area, as opposed to a foreign NGO
in Haiti. The answer was that New York State agency on this matters
work with US state agencies and that working with USAID on this and
being advised by USAID for the State Department, the upshot is that
New York was informed it could not have direct "diplomatic relations
with the Haitian government this way." This quote is an approximation,
but it is the gist of what we were informed. Notwithstanding this statement
HLLN was also told that "we have not had direct contact with the
Haitian government but again the Haitian consul general, Mr. Augustine,
has been an active participant in the process and we're pleased to be
working with him."
But later, in the course of another conversation after we'd again relayed
our strong concern that the Haitian government not be by-passed, Governor
Paterson's representatives also said that "We cannot reach out
to the Haitian government but if the Haitian government reaches out
to us, then we will work with them." Apparently there is precedent
for working directly with the Haitian government as the recipient and
distributor of relief goods from the State of New York. Governor Paterson's
representative mentioned a specific instance in the past, before February
29, 2004, where relief goods where sent to Haiti and received for distribution
not by a foreign religious NGO but directly by the Haitian government.
Obviously, the use of foreign NGOs to by-pass the duly elected Haitian
government does not make sense to HLLN and we do see the need to change
the current paradigm and have the US State Department and USAID stop
going over the heads of the sovereign government of Haiti to empower
the foreign NGOs to the detriment of Haitian public policy and safety.
This episodes highlights the work yet to be done, and need for the new
US-Haiti relationship we at HLLN have been advocating for in:
What
Haitian Americans Ask of the New US Congress and President.
We've asked for the opportunity to educate Governor Paterson's office
and representatives on the concerns of Haiti community organizers, activists
and Haitian legal advocacy representatives for a self-sufficient and
economically viable, just, non-dependent and progressive Haiti. We hope
this is the beginning of that relationship.
But, the bottom line is
that Paterson's office has not given up trying to see how to get the
clothes to Haiti. They are working on a number of options through a
FEMA established list of possible NGOs and other state agencies. Governor
Paterson's representative told Ezili's HLLN that "although
we don't yet have shipping arrangements for clothing, I can assure you
that we are working every potential option and we remain optimistic
that we will find arrangements."
6. Governor Paterson's
representative indicates that they have made arrangements for the remaining
34 tons of food, medical and water supplies. The New York National Guard
soldiers are in the process of packaging and loading, into Conex containers,
this 34 tons and it is scheduled for SHIPMENT by boat through Sebourne
Marine.
The expected date of arrival
will depend on the completion of loading and if the Sebourne Marine
ship that ends up being used has a direct or stopover routes. But, no
projected date of arrival was confirmed. What is confirmed is that the
EXPECTED completion date for loading the duly packaged 34 tons into
connex containers is this Friday, Dec. 12, 2008. If the loading is done
by this Friday, then probably the 34 tons will be shipped sometime next
week (Dec. 15 to 19). We shall follow up with Governor Paterson's office
on this and report back to the Network.
Governor Paterson's representative
did not know which port the items shipped through Airline Ambassadors
and Sebourne Marine will be delivered to in Haiti, but will let us know
when they get this information in-hand.
The contact person for
Governor David Paterson's office who provided this updated and final
information is Ms. Jennifer Givner, Chief of Staff for Public Safety.
Ms. Givner has expressed an admirable commitment to see through the
timetable above outlined. We will follow up with Governor Paterson's
office on this next week when the remaining 32 tons are expected to
leave port and advise our community of the progress. The Govenor's office,
through Ms. Givner, expressed concern and consternation when we mentioned,
referencing the 3-months delay, that at least 26 children starved to
death in an isolated mountain region of Baie d'Orange Haiti. She underlined
that her office is not indifferent to the struggle to feed the starving
victims. In particular, she said "I would really like the community
to know that we're appreciative of their donations and committed to
getting these donations to the people that need them most."
Obviously some of this may have gone better if HLLN had been involved
with assisting the Governor's office on this at the beginning in September.
But, as you all know, we've been very busy, assisting the storm victims
ourselves, pushing for a stop to deportations, asking for TPS, countering
the endless negative colonial-narratives on Haiti of the mainstream
media, working on the vote for the Obama election and putting together
the position paper that will launch HLLN into the 2009 change that's
coming with:
What
Haitian Americans Ask of the New US Congress and President
Moreover, it's fair to also say, we were told our help wasn't needed
because others had this matter well in hand. But last week, rumors were
confirmed and we learned the September donated storm relief items had
yet to leave New York! This update and our two previous postings on
this since Monday, Dec. 8, 2008 reflects HLLN's public paper trail of
our contact with the authorities working on this at the Governor's office,
and, our efforts to forthwith assist in salvaging what's possible at
this juncture to: 1) meet the Haitian community's interests for reliable
information, and 2) for salvaging what's possible at this juncture in
terms for getting the relief goods into the hands of those most vulnerable
in Haiti, in every way possible.
We thank Governor David Paterson and Ms. Jennifer Givner for this latest
update, timetable and information and look forward to assisting them
in their stated commitment "to getting these donations to the
people that need them most." However, we must also note that,
once again the Haitian people have been dealt an undeserved blow from
those in positions of trust and power, who, for inexplicable reasons,
could not, for over two interminable months, properly coordinate this
relief effort within a reasonable time frame, get competent assistance
with identifying a receiving entity in Haiti or get airspace clearance
from the Federal government and thus were unable to deliver relief goods
within the urgent parameters hurricane-devastated Haiti demanded and
the donors of the goods expected. The organizations that participated
in making these
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| Venecia
Lonis, 4, who suffers from malnutrition, is weighed at the Doctors
Without Borders hospital in Port-au-Prince, Wednesday, Nov. 19,
2008. Aid workers fear hunger is worsening in rural Haiti after
at least 26 children died of conditions exacerbated by a lack of
nutrition, raising concerns that a grave food crisis may be brewing
following four devastating tropical storms. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) |
donations were owed greater
care from all the officials involved. To our view at Ezili's HLLN, the
role of Bush's federal government and USAID, towards Haiti is capricious,
arbitrary and simply untenable. As we've already reported, we were told,
upon inquiring why these donations were not flown out as urgency demanded,
that the Federal Government declined transport and even when New York
offered to pay for transport, their National Guards were denied airspace
clearance. This sort of treatment of Haiti and US-Haitians, who were
trying to help their families and friends in Haiti with donated relief
goods, is confounding, mean-spirited, callous and further underlines
the necessity for change,
as articulated by President-elect Obama, who has said his administration,
shall be "unrelenting in our desire to create a relationship of
mutual respect and partnership with countries."
(See, A
success story: Relief Goods from New York to Haiti
).
DISTRIBUTION CONCERNS
Now, we'd like knowledgeable members in our Ezili Network to take on
the task of asking the foreign NGOs like Catholic Relief Services who
will handle these donations in Haiti to commit, to the donating organizations
in the Tri-State New York area, to deliver the goods they shall receive
to the most vulnerable of victims in Haiti and perhaps provide us with
a report of where the items were distributed and how. We'd also like
to ask that they work with Madame Alta Jean Baptiste, Director of the
Civil Protection and that Director Jean-Baptiste and other important
Haitian government officials, charged with storm relief, civil protection
and preparedness in Haiti, are not set aside but be intricately involved
in the coordination process of these distributions. Our work as Haitian
human rights workers, lawyers and activists is to empower civil servants
in Haiti not participate in their disempowerment or marginalization,
however indirectly. The NGO subcontractors of USAID have a history of
supporting coup d'etats and dictatorships, remaining silent while the
Haitian masses are being terrorized, thriving from the anarchy through
grants of USAID foreign "aid' contracts and approvals, and in the
case of certain foreign religious-based NGOs, a history of denying Haiti
- a Vodouist,
African country - freedom of religion
and the right of its own indigenous legacy and culture. And, since a
great many of the folks HLLN gives voice to, donated some of these goods,
we have a vested interest and would like to be sure their intentions
in this matter are respected by organizations such as Catholic Relief
Services (CRS). This is an opportunity for these foreign NGOs to begin
to change their current
reputation with the people on the ground in Haiti and in
the Diaspora and lead by showing respect for Haitian leaders and desires
to serve the poorest of the poor. That is a matter we shall have to
follow up on with your help. Please advise.
Ezili Danto/Marguerite Laurent
Haitian Lawyers Leadership Network
December 11, 2008
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HLLN
on oversight needed on USAID
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Click here for USAID
Nov. 14, 2008 report- pdf download
**************
HLLN's
counter-colonial narrative on deforestation,
Haitian
Perspectives, Oct. 25, 2008
**********************
Children
dying in Haiti, victims of food crisis
Life
gets worse for Haiti's hungry children
U.N.:
High food prices creating more hunger
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Ezili's
counter-colonial narrative on Vodun
By
Ezili Dantò,
Dec. 6, 2008
Background
- Vodun Link
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A
success story: Relief Goods from New York to Haiti
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|
Little
Girl 
