June 9 - UN meetings

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Wednesday June 9

Apparently, Henk is intent on giving me all kinds of new experiences. Today, I was assigned to attend two meetings at the UN Logistics Base. The UN base is built next to the airport and is built almost entirely of large 'containers' and quonsot huts. The base is walled, with watch towers and is heavily guarded. Lots of vehicles, lots of firepower. I understand there is 5 battalions there. Most NGO meetings are held here for security reasons.

I attended a Security/NGO meeting first; then a Humanitarium Forum. Most of the complaints at the Forum are about the difficulties and long delays in releasing shipping containers from the customs at the port. All organizations are experiencing the same problems we (the Salvation Army) are strugglling with. We have a new joke - there is our time and then there is Haitian time! One of the interesting discussions at the Forum was centered around debris clearance. When I finally get to posting some more street pics, you will see the massive amounts of debris within the city. Citizens have been encouraged to clear debris from sites and place in the streets for the government to pick up for disposal. The problem is that this isn't happening very quickly, so now rubble piles are accumulating in the streets, impeding traffic even more! Anyway, at the meeting this statistic was presented: it will take 1,000 trucks per day for the next 3 years to clear the rubble from PaP! This staggers the mind, doesn't it?

Anyway, it was an interesting experience, as I met people from all kinds of organizations here in Haiti, doing whatever they can do help, just as we are. It somehow helps to grasp the fact that there are many people here with a good heart that God is using in so many, many ways.

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