Haiti earthquake: victims, voices and tweets

“The population was already in panic. I saw scenes you normally only see in films: children dead in the arms of mothers; fathers who asked for help when they saw our vehicle; people dead in the middle of the road; houses completely destroyed; old people needing urgent medical attention.

“Halfway to the Hotel Christopher, headquarters of Minustah, we had to stop — our convoy couldn’t get past the ruins of all the houses. So I decided to lead the convoy on foot until we finally reached our objective and I came across a small Haitian holocaust. I didn’t believe what had happened — [the UN building] had simply been reduced to ruins.

“There was a Brazilian [army officer] buried about four or five metres in the ruins. I told him my name and he immediately asked me not [to] abandon him. I said I was only leaving with him. Another officer [dug his way out] and he and an excellent contingent of Bolivian soldiers helped me.

“After four hours we saved my friend. We hugged and cried with happiness and shouted Brazil, Bolivia, Blue Beret!

“When I went back to the log base it was dawn and that was when I realised what the earthquake had done to the country. I don’t have words to describe what more this people could suffer. It was simply devastation.”

Susan Westwood
Scottish nurse at orphanage, outside Port-au-Prince

“We have now been working for almost 40 hours without sleep to make sure that the children receive the care that they need.

“We have heard from most — though not all — of our staff members who were off shift and in the Port-au-Prince area at the time that the earthquake struck. Three of them report that their homes have been destroyed. Many of the staff who were on shift have gone home to check on their friends and family members. Some have lost family members.

“Our main concern in terms of the running of the orphanage over the following days and weeks is whether we will be able to access fresh water, food and fuel to power our generators. We have assessed our supplies today and we have enough food to last for two weeks. However, our water and fuel supplies are likely to run out after four days. Some of our staff members will be trying to source supplies of purified water and diesel tomorrow. Our water is usually delivered by truck as there is no piped water to our area. This water comes from a mountain reservoir. We received news this morning that part of that mountain face collapsed during the earthquake. It is therefore unclear whether the water in the reservoir is still accessible.

“We had a brief staff meeting today and our director advised that it is likely that Haitian social services will ask God’s Littlest Angels to admit as many of the children orphaned by the earthquake as we possibly can. We are preparing to accept these children.

“Our US board are hoping to ship a container of supplies to Haiti with essential items such as baby milk and medicine. Many of the grocery stores and warehouses in Port-au-Prince have been destroyed by the earthquake so these items may be difficult to find. We have a surplus of blankets and plan to donate these, together with any other supplies for the people in our area who have been impacted by the earthquake.”

Rezene Tesfamariam director of Plan Haiti

“The present situation is that people are trying to recover bodies from buildings all over the city. The emergency services are overworked and most of the bodies are being recovered by loved ones. They are using whatever they can, their bare hands or rudimentary tools like shovels or pickaxes.

“Makeshift camps are springing up across the city and Plan International is involved in assessing people’s needs. There is so much to be done and the organising starts now.

“A group of ladies stopped me and asked me to help them rescue children who were buried under the rubble of a school. It was so traumatic. I was shouting to them telling them help was on the way. I then went and got some UN soldiers to help dig them out.

“We’ve been helping to retrieve dead bodies. I’ve been in the street and people have been just running away panicking — others are just crying.

“I’ve seen refugees fighting for their lives and floods destroy communities. But I’ve never seen anything like this.”

The streets are crowded. Hundreds of thousands of people without homes. People walking everywhere.

Tweets: ‘Hundreds of thousands have no homes’

The streets are crowded. Hundreds of thousands of people without homes. People walking everywhere.

Firesideint

there are thousands of people in the airport. & there are only three tents which house only about 50 people each

Yatalley

Yesterday there was only one gas station operating in town that I saw and it was a mob scene. No violence but it was very intense.

TroyLivesay

Church groups are singing throughout the city all through the night in prayer. It is a beautiful sound in the middle of a horrible tragedy.

TroyLivesay

I’m starting to see international activity. I hear from staff that bodies are starting to decompose. Don’t know what to do with excess bodies.

RAMHaiti

signing out . . this is all a bit much ! . . still getting aftershocks.. possibly sleeping outside again today :/ ..emotionally exhausted

IsabelleMorse

Overheard: No, I cant share this water w/you. Since dawn I’ve been searching for water for my family. I just found some, and we’re lucky — we will drink.

Bhatiap

At base camp in Port au Prince - UNREAL - Dead bodies everywhere. City starting to smell like rotting flesh . . .

Firesideint

Help is needed!
People still alive
under College Canap? Vert are screaming
for help to get them out of the rubbles . . . just came back
from the streets. People are fighting over water, food and meds.

fredodupoux

they made the refugee camp move from the airport to a soccerfield . . . in order for planes to come

yatalley

Death is everywhere. Death is all over P-au-P. Doors as stretchers. Camionettes as ambulances.

RAMhaiti