Sunday, November 28, 2010

Some highlights from todays elections, thanks to The Joint Operations and Tasking Centre of the UN...

For what it's worth, this note could also be titled "why I'm totally fine with the lock down, and spending the afternoon working on craft projects and laundry...)

Election matters:
On 27 November, in the early hours of Bahon (North Department), two unidentified suspects threw stones at the local electoral office.Later in the morning, suspects doused the building with gasoline but were unsuccessful in their attempts. No arrest was made.

On 27 November in the veining, gunshots were reportedly heard near Lycee Nationale and Serenett Voting Centers in Pignon (North Department). Military patrols were dispatched to the locations to control the situation. Upon their arrival the situation was calm. During the patrolling, a group of nineteen suspects were detained. Two pistols, two knives and two machetes were seized and the group was handed over to two HNP officers who, later, discharged the suspects.

On 28 November, at 05.50 hours, in Desdunes (Artibonite Department), 200 supporters from two political parties disputed over the elections.Automatic weapon fired occurred and four unidentified men were discovered dead from the gunfire.One victim was shot and killed at voting center #11 (Ecole Nationale Grandes Desdunes) and three were killed at voting center #10 (Ecole Nationale Grandes Desdunes). Both voting centers were closed momentarily but reopened mid-day. At voting center #8 (Ecole Nationale de Duclos) demonstrators threw stones against the voters and MINUSTAHvehicles. MINUSTAH military troops were dispatched from Gonaives to Desdunes and ensured the security in each voting center.

On 28 November, at about 07.30 hours, in Ecole Nation De Baille Tourible (Center Department), civil unrest at the voting center erupted and several citizens started throwing stone-like objects. HNP eventually controlled the situation. Similarly, at the Ecole Nat Henry Christophe De Thomonde (Center Department), unidentified people carrying AK-47-like rifles opened fire outside the voting centre while seven people tried to interrupt voting inside the voting center. Once peace was reinstituted, the situation returned calm in both places.

On 28 November, at about 08.40 hours, in Predot, Marigot commune (South-East Department) it was reported that at early morning at the voting center #118 (Ecole Nationale Saint Roc) members of rival political parties exchanged gunfire, after Inite supporters allegedly were caught stealing some 900 ballot papers. The voting center was closed at 07.45 hours and re-opened at 08.45 hours, after the situation returned calm. No information about the Ballot Papers. The HNP has identified the suspects. The investigation is ongoing.

On 28 November, at 09.30 in Verrettes (Artibonite) voting center #170 (Ecole National Moreau) was closed by the CEP authorities due the security measures were not well established.

On 28 November, at 09.50 hours, in Ouanaminthe (North-East Department) near voting centers #21 (Ecoles Communitaire Chienchiron), #22 (Ecole Communitaire Conception) and #23 (Ecole Communitaire St. Gabriel), an identified gunman fired gunshots against the deputy delegate of the City while onboard his vehicle and fled the scene. No injures nor arrests were reported.

On 28 November, at 10.30 hours, in Corail IDP Camp Voting Center #101 in Croix des Bouquets, PaP (West Department), unregistered voters became angry, attacked the voting center and attempted to break in. Rocks were thrown at MINUSTAH Military, UNPOL and electoral delegates. A soldier was struck by a rock and sustained a minor injury. At 12.50 hours the incident was still ongoing and the violence escalated. UNPOL & FPU were overwhelmed by the pressure from the attackers and evacuated Corail IDP camp. Subsequently, the UNPOL Sub Station was also evacuated and remains unsecured. The Sub Station contains MINUSTAH equipment such as computers and generators.

On 28 November, at 10.35 hours, in front of the Building 2004, on Airport Road PaP (West Department), about 300 people protested because they were not on the voting list and thus could not vote. HNP and FPU were dispatched to the scene. No further incidents reported.

On 28 November, at 11:00 hours, at Accra Nord voting center (154), in Delmas, PaP (West Department), an unidentified suspect attempted to burn the voting center by launching a “Molotov cocktail” and then fled the scene. No injuries were reported.

On 28 November, at 11:35 hours, at voting center #80 (Ecole Nati de Filles et Garcons) and #81 (Nouveau Ecole Professional) in Trou du Nord (North East Department) unidentified persons entered into the voting centers and began to shoot firearms in the air. The population and the HNP fled the scene. An exchange of gunfire between the MINUSTAH military and the suspects occurred. The suspects fled the scene. The situation returned calm, however only voting center # 80 was reopened.

On 28 November, at 11.40 hours, in the vicinity of the voting center #175 (Eglise Grande Commission Chapelle Evang du Christ) (Artibonite), gunshots were exchanged after armed locals fired upon MINUSTAH troops providing security at the polling center. The report stated that alleged inaccurate voting lists did not have most people listed. No injuries were reported. The voting center was closed.

Today, as of 14.00 hrs, a restriction of movement was put in place for all MINUSTAH staff as a precaution against the possibility of encountering political related violence in the area of Port au Prince. Small peaceful groups of demonstrators have been spotted in Petion Ville, John Brown area and Rue Methelus. However, at the end of this reporting period 3,000 people were reported gathered in Petion Ville.

TOTAL LOCKDOWN

It's official, we are in total lockdown. Reports we're hearing are that polling stations were closed at 4pm, and 12 of the presidential candidates are calling for the elections to be canceled. Preval's party is being accused of massive fraud, and over 400,000 fake ballots have been intercepted coming over from the Dominican Republic.

The head of security at HRG just informed us of widespread manifestations; 35,000 people are marching through the streets protesting the election process. I suspect things will continue to be tense through the night.

Below are a few of the Flash reports from the JOTC

JOTC FLASH REPORT #6.1 – 28 November 2010 (1310 Hours)

Update 1250 hours: The rock throwing continues and the violence has escalated. UNPOL & FPU were overwhelmed by the pressure from the attackers and have evacuated Corail IDP camp.
Subsequently, the UNPOL Sub Station has been evacuated and is unsecured. The Sub Station contains MINUSTAH equipment and is also unsecured.


JOTC FLASH REPORT #9 – 28 November 2010 (1435 Hours)



WHAT: Voting Center attacked

WHEN: On 28 November at 1330 hours

WHERE: Voting Center #376 Ecole Communitaire de Merceron in Thomazeau (West Department)

WHO: Local people

WHY / HOW: Unknown reasons

ACTION TAKEN: UNPOL was dispatched to the scene and managed to control the situation.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Local people pelted with stones the mentioned voting center.

· One person was injured and transported to the hospital.

· The Polling is ongoing



Subject: ***JOTC Flash Report No 6-28 Nov --UPDATE Shooting in Grande Desdunes--***


Flash Report # 6 UPDATE Shooting in Grande Desdunes (Artibonite Department)


· It was confirmed that an other individual was killed during the early actions at the Voting Center # 10 (Ecole Nationale Grandes Desdunes)

· At about 0830 hours the Voting Center # 10 (Ecole Nationale Grandes Desdunes) was reopened.

· The MINUSTAH QRT has arrived and ensured Voting Centers 10, 11 and 8. currently moving to VC # 9 some barricades has been found and locals are throwing stones against MINUSTAH Troops.

· The situation is unstable. Information to come.


~PJ

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Cholera update, by the numbers, written on 23 November on the UN helicopter ride back to PaP from up north

Approximate numbers for the past 48 hours:

3 successful I/Os with 16 gauge IV/admix needles

1 unsuccessful code on a man who'd ingested an unknown poison

20 kids de-wormed (after seeing a few 5 inch or longer worms come out of kids butts, they all got a weight-based dose of pierazine)

about 100 patients seen/treated

and for almost 7 hours Terry and myself were the only providers and our 3 teenage translators and 1 lab tech were our junior nurses.

NO CHOLERA DEATHS ON OUR WATCH (though there are at least 3 children who would have died had we not been there)







~PJ

Monday, November 22, 2010

Cholera Update written 22 November from St. Louis du Nord (I couldn't figure out how to post this from my crackberry as a note!)

It's a little past 5am, and I'm up watching the sunrise on the roof of a special needs orphanage in St. Louis du Nord while getting ready for a full day of "cholera-palooza".

The ride here from Port de Paix last night was rather interesting. We drove through two parts of a political rally (elections are the 28th), and the second part was a mob of people who flooded the streets. We sat in the truck as literally a thousand or more locals marched, danced, and chanted around us that the opposition has cholera.

Don't worry, we were safe. We are a whole world away from the riots in CAP. Political demonstrations here are like street parties with a purpose - lots of music, people dancing/marching, t-shirts and posters of the candidate... Far more entertaining that watching a debate on TV...

Here at the hospital, the census is actually down from a week ago, but it has been rainy and stormy up here for days. And anyone who knows Haiti knows that this sort of weather keeps people at home. They are scared of the rain. Which means by the time we see them they are critically ill, or they die at home.

(For the record, Haitians would not do well in the Pacific Northwest.)

I got the link below from Jen, the doctor I work with over at Heartline Ministries.

http://biosurveillance.typepad.com/haiti_operational_biosurv/2010/11/notes-from-the-epicenter-we-are-out-of-everything-cholera-haiti.html

We are hearing stories like this from all over the country. Yesterday we came in on a very small plane that Big Dave and I crammed full of Lactated Ringers and other lifesaving supplies. We had to shuffle cases of LR over to a hospital in Port de Paix last night because they literally didn't have enough to make it through the night.

The UN report (OCHA Haiti) on the November 16th stated:

"The Ministry of Health reports 1,039 dead and 16,799 hospitalised cases of cholera."

From what I've seen, I am sure that those numbers are way too low - many of the smaller facilities are so understaffed and overwhelmed, there is no time to report cases.

~PJ

Cholera Update written 22 November from St. Louis du Nord (I couldn't figure out how to post this from my crackberry as a note!)

It's a little past 5am, and I'm up watching the sunrise on the roof of a special needs orphanage in St. Louis du Nord while getting ready for a full day of "cholera-palooza".

The ride here from Port de Paix last night was rather interesting. We drove through two parts of a political rally (elections are the 28th), and the second part was a mob of people who flooded the streets. We sat in the truck as literally a thousand or more locals marched, danced, and chanted around us that the opposition has cholera.

Don't worry, we were safe. We are a whole world away from the riots in CAP. Political demonstrations here are like street parties with a purpose - lots of music, people dancing/marching, t-shirts and posters of the candidate... Far more entertaining that watching a debate on TV...

Here at the hospital, the census is actually down from a week ago, but it has been rainy and stormy up here for days. And anyone who knows Haiti knows that this sort of weather keeps people at home. They are scared of the rain. Which means by the time we see them they are critically ill, or they die at home.

(For the record, Haitians would not do well in the Pacific Northwest.)

I got the link below from Jen, the doctor I work with over at Heartline Ministries.

http://biosurveillance.typepad.com/haiti_operational_biosurv/2010/11/notes-from-the-epicenter-we-are-out-of-everything-cholera-haiti.html

We are hearing stories like this from all over the country. Yesterday we came in on a very small plane that Big Dave and I crammed full of Lactated Ringers and other lifesaving supplies. We had to shuffle cases of LR over to a hospital in Port de Paix last night because they literally didn't have enough to make it through the night.

The UN report (OCHA Haiti) on the November 16th stated:

"The Ministry of Health reports 1,039 dead and 16,799 hospitalised cases of cholera."

From what I've seen, I am sure that those numbers are way too low - many of the smaller facilities are so understaffed and overwhelmed, there is no time to report cases.

a cholera clinic in a bible college



the other half of the cholera clinic



treating pediatric cholera patients on the floor of the library



where we stayed in St. Louis



hanging out with some of the street kids in St. Louis du Nord


~PJ

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Heading up to St. Louis du Nord, written on 21 November

I'm typing this on my way to St. Louis... Du Nord, not Missouri. As many of you have heard on the news, the cholera situation is getting worse. Fabienne (MTI), Terry and I are on a small UN plane headed up North with cases of life-saving LR and supplies.

I don't know what the cell coverage will be like, but wanted to send this quick update. I'm safe, and promise to STAY THAT WAY while up in the hot zone.

And FYI - while it looks much closer on a map, we will actually be 4-6 hours drive away from CAP, where all the rioting is happening, so I don't expect to be caught in the middle of any civil unrest... I want to "Save the World", but I don't want to die in the process!

I'll write more when/if I can, and expect to return to PaP with plenty to be thankful for in time for Thanksgiving.



~PJ

Heading up to St. Louis du Nord, written on 21 November

I'm typing this on my way to St. Louis... Du Nord, not Missouri. As many of you have heard on the news, the cholera situation is getting worse. Fabienne (MTI), Terry and I are on a small UN plane headed up North with cases of life-saving LR and supplies.

I don't know what the cell coverage will be like, but wanted to send this quick update. I'm safe, and promise to STAY THAT WAY while up in the hot zone.

And FYI - while it looks much closer on a map, we will actually be 4-6 hours drive away from CAP, where all the rioting is happening, so I don't expect to be caught in the middle of any civil unrest... I want to "Save the World", but I don't want to die in the process!

I'll write more when/if I can, and expect to return to PaP with plenty to be thankful for in time for Thanksgiving.

(the photo is of the small plane we flew up on)




~PJ