Geography Blog

Inside the displaced persons camps in Port-au-Prince

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by

averslui

I am conducting interviews with people living in the displaced persons camps in Haiti. Here are a few photos from yesterday and today.

A displaced persons camp not far from where I used to live in Port-au-Prince. Hundreds of thousands of people lost their homes and are living in these camps and on the street. This camp is on what was Haiti's only golf course.
The people I talk with in the camps are not receiving a lot of assistance–many haven't received a tent or tarp, and maybe about half report getting food aid. There must, however, be a lot of counting of people in the camps by various organizations and the Haitian government–this girl was "playing census."

Comments

4 responses to “Inside the displaced persons camps in Port-au-Prince”

  1. Mark Bjelland Avatar
    Mark Bjelland

    Powerful pictures. The news media has moved on, but how long will these people be displaced?

    Reply
  2. Toni Avatar
    Toni

    It is so very frustrating and heartbreaking to know that it’s raining on so many people there who have no tents, tarps, plastic to keep them dry and their feet out of water, yet people on the ground there say tents, tarps and plastic are sitting in Port-au-Prince! UN personnel drive around in new white SUVs while Haitians suffer!

    Reply
  3. Becca Avatar
    Becca

    Thank you, Anna, for your hope and insight.

    Here’s some news of what other people are doing around the country to help. In my hometown, beetles are eating away at the Ponderosa pine forests, and a man has opted to donate some wood from this issue to Haiti to help build places to live. Bits of progress at a time!

    http://summitcountyvoice.com/2010/03/11/colorado-beetle-kill-wood-headed-for-haiti/#more-4030

    Reply
  4. Patric Giesler Avatar
    Patric Giesler

    I very much appreciated your presentation, the slide show, and thoughtful answers to questions. The point about the local agencies at work is a particularly important one.

    Reply

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