Jan. 25, 2010 6:15 am (HAITI)
Haiti's hungry need food and water, but with the desperation comes unwanted consequences when delivering aid. Seattle-based humanitarian organization World Concern is discovering a method to both minimize the risk to its staff from riots and ensure that the most vulnerable people receive help.
During the past few days, World Concern has organized food and water distributions in Port Au Prince through churches and neighborhood groups, similar to blockwatches. World Concern enlists the help of these community groups to identify families in need. At a designated time, these groups send a representative from each family to pick up their food at a secure location off the street, such as a church courtyard or a gated area near an office. Once the group leaves, another arrives.
Yesterday World Concern provided food and water to 500 people using this method.
"The way we did it was entirely different from normal," says Peter Nuttall, World Concern disaster coordinator. "We are trying to keep ahead of the game."
Because of the success, the organization is adopting it for much wider use this week, as it plans to serve about 30,000 people. Additionally, the organization proposes these methods for use by other agencies.
World Concern's team in Haiti has distributed all food acquired so far, and will begin its distribution to up to 30,000 people as soon as it gains access to that food supply. In the meantime, World Concern staff will purchase rice, beans and oil for about 3,000 people today to try and deliver help families quicker.
World Concern's disaster response leaders see that they can both multiply their human resources and help ensure safety by engaging the community with a distribution.
"We should not underestimate what they can do," says Merry Fitzpatrick, senior director of technical support.
World Concern has emptied its warehouse of food, water and medical supplies, aiding thousands of people since the earthquake. Additional shipments of food and water have gone to people who have lost their homes and are living on the streets.
Photos, video clips and interviews are available on World Concern's pages on Flickr and YouTube. Updated content should be available today. World Concern gives media organizations permission to use the materials with proper attribution.
World Concern's communications director, Derek Sciba, is available for phone interviews today from Haiti, and given a steady internet connection, Skype interviews. Additionally, World Concern President David Eller is available for interviews at the Seattle headquarters.
Seattle-based World Concern has worked in Haiti for more than 30 years and currently provides hope to 125,000 people. Our staff of more than 100 in Haiti 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.
To schedule an interview with World Concern President David Eller, contact Ben Wilson at: 206-546-7487, or at bwilson@crista.net
To schedule an interview with staff in Haiti, e-mail Derek Sciba at dereks@worldconcern.org
Link to World Concern's Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/worldconcern/
Link to World Concern's YouTube page: http://www.youtube.com/user/WorldConcernVideos
Attached photo: Flosiane Roger received rice and water from World Concern at a Port Au Prince food distribution Sunday.
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