The role of a grassroots Haitian organization in emergency health response after the 2010 hurricane

• In Event: Health response in precarious times and places

Abstract

A massive toll of human life is always devastating, but even more so when preparation could have prevented deaths. The 2010 hurricane in Haiti took 250,000 lives, some which could have been prevented.

Participant observation of a grassroots Haitian response organization (Rezo Medikal Ayisyen), which focuses on training First Responders, highlighted their strengths and weaknesses in the hurricane’s aftermath. Rezo brought local language skills, familiarity with terrain, knowledge of community power structures, and a great eagerness to help with no compensation. However, their lack of official status or reputation limited their effectiveness. Limited language ability kept them from participation in the UN Cluster meetings, lack of resources (including computers) prevented completion of official documentation from recognition within the government and lack of an informal backchannel network into the established NGOs meant not being notified of coordination meetings outside of the UN Cluster System. While Rezo raised funds directly after the hurricane, they were unable to maintain a sufficient operational budget when donor fatigue reduced inflow of donations.

In the United States, recognized Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) have been documented as effective operational structures in densely populated areas. Brennan & Flint (2007) have advocated for the increase and expansion of CERTs in rural communities. I propose the need for training and mobilization of CERTs in developing countries, such as Haiti, where they can serve as official liaisons between the government and community, advocate more effectively for increased funding, participate in intra-CERT networking and link with other community development efforts.

Author

• Emma R Sacks, University of Michigan/Ann Arbor