World Concern's disaster expert arrived in Port Au Prince today and began assisting with the complex humanitarian aid effort in Port Au Prince. Merry Fitzpatrick is leading a survey of neighborhoods, mapping out the needs and damage to assist with further relief from World Concern, the military, and the UN. Because an organized agency coalition is only beginning to develop, this proactive response will be crucial to intelligently administering aid.
World Concern's office in Port Au Prince will become a communication center and office for other agencies whose offices were destroyed. World Concern has hired an additional disaster response expert from the UK, and he should arrive within the next couple of days.
A security survey today by the InterAction Security unit states that looting and other violence is expected to substantially increase in the near future, due to a limited police presence and increasing anger due to a lack of aid. The scale of the need is tremendous. According to InterAction, the financial system is entirely broken.
Press and media should eventually have a contact to speak with on the ground, as Marketing Manager Derek Sciba (me) will be travelling to the Dominican Republic Sunday morning, then eventually to Port Au Prince, Haiti. The exact timeframe of making it to Haiti is unclear at this point (2-4 days?), as it appears he will initially be serving in a logistical aspect for relief between the Dominican Republic and World Concern Haiti. In his absence stateside, another PR person will be assigned with day-to-day inquiries.
For more information and to donate, visit www.worldconcern.org or call 1-866-530-5433 (LIFE)
Contact: Derek Sciba, Marketing Manager
206-713-5564 mobile
dereks@worldconcern.org
World Concern employs more than 100 people in Haiti, a staff of people native to the country, who are trained and ready to respond. Though they may have lost their own homes, and even relatives, they have begun their critical, life-saving work.
Seattle-based World Concern has worked in Haiti since 1978 and currently provides hope to 125,000 people. Our work with the poor includes microfinance, agriculture, disaster response and small business development. World Concern works with the poor in 24 countries, with the goal of transforming the lives of those we touch, leading them on a path to self-sustainability.
Worldwide, World Concern offers life, opportunity and hope to more than six million people.