Record Crowds Cause Unrest at Distribution Point

By Fred W. Baker III of American Forces Press Service   PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti :  You could hear the crowd before you could see it. Army Capt. Jon Hartsock stands in a crowd of women waiting for food and water to be distributed in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Jan. 19, 2010. Hartsock is assigned to the 82nd Airborne's 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, and runs the day-to-day distribution of humanitarian aid. DoD photo by Fred W. Baker III (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. From the top of the hill that serves as a landing zone for disaster relief here, the crowd looked massive, the largest yet at this U.S. military relief point. It spanned the base of the hill, stretching into the wooded areas to the east and west and sprawled deep into the survivor camp to the north. The calls and cries and dust from the crowd rose into the air as the desperation hit a high. The end of the day was near and it was obvious that many would leave empty-handed. It took the soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division's 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment here, alongside many local Haitian volunteers, several attempts to calm the crowd. It came dangerously close at times to spilling past the makeshift perimeter set up by the soldiers. A handful of elderly women were pulled from the crowd, overcome by the heat and the dust. Local Haitians walked the line with bullhorns trying to talk the crowd of women into sitting down but those in the back continued to push forward. The soldiers and volunteers on the perimeter at times held hands to form a human chain to hold the crowd back. Those passing out the food and water simply sat down, stopping the distribution, as a sign to the crowd that as long as they did not cooperate, they would get nothing. Eventually the crowd calmed and the distribution restarted, but the event was a likely premonition of relief efforts to come as the military here works to increase the number and push these points farther into the city. "Just that many people in a confined area you're going to get a little pushing and shoving. And you can understand. They're hurting for food and water," said Army Capt. Jon Hartsock, the commander in charge of the daily distribution here. Keeping it civil is the challenge, he said. The captain is not concerned about the locals trying to hurt his troops, but if the crowd gets out of control, some of the locals could be injured. And, in the end, the stronger would receive the aid, and the weaker would do without. "I don't want this turning into a free for all, throwing water and food and letting them fend for themselves. I want it to be orderly," he said. Part of the problem, officials said, is that word is getting out around Port-au-Prince that this is the place to come for food and water. Yesterday's estimate put 25,000 people at the base of the hill waiting for some sort of relief. The troops passed out more than 25,000 bottles of water and nearly 8,000 meals. All totaled in the few days the troops have been here they have passed out nearly 50,000 bottles of water and almost 15,000 meals. To avoid yesterday's crush on the distribution point, Hartsock wants to put distribution points away from the forward operating base here, initially into the survivor camp, and then beyond into the city. Already troops have taken food and water to a distribution point at a community center in the city. Hartsock meets today with a loosely formed "tent city council" made up of a local preacher who has been holding services there at night, and four leader volunteers. The group has agreed to divide the camp evenly and manage the distribution from there. This fits well in Hartsock's plan to put the distribution in the hands of the Haitians. "We want them distributing food. Our soldiers are out here just to maintain order on the lines," he said. Hartsock will finalize plans today and visit the proposed sites for distribution. He hopes to be able to start moving the food and water there in the next few days. There are still details to be worked, but most likely the soldiers will move the goods in the non-peak hours and stay to secure the distribution. Distribution between the points will be simultaneous and will actually go faster, Hartsock said. "There's more of a chance that the food and water will get out to everybody," he said. "Because right now, it's just the people at the front of the line." When it comes to Hartsock's military career, he said this is one of the most challenging jobs he's been assigned. While deployed to Iraq he ran small humanitarian missions, but nothing to this scale. "Every day we learn something new out here," he said. "We've tried different things. Sometimes it goes smooth. Sometimes it doesn't go smooth and it's about adjusting." "It's hard because one second I'm feeling good ... and other times it's frustrating." This mission is also difficult, because there is no enemy. And, because many of the soldiers have families, the cries of the women and children do not fall on deaf ears. "I've had to tell my soldiers to turn away the little boy who jumps to the head of the line. And that's tough," Hartsock said. "But it's something that we've got to do because if we let that one, then the next one and the next one and the next one [will jump the line] and then it's just chaos."  (Issued on: Jan 20, 2010)

Related Sites: Special Report: Haiti Earthquake Relief

A little girl peers through the legs of U.S. Army soldiers who form a human chain to secure the distribution of humanitarian aid in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Jan. 19, 2010. The 82nd Airborne's 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, provided security for the distribution point out of its makeshift forward operating base. DoD photo by Fred W. Baker III Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution An elderly woman overcome by the heat and the dust is lifted over the crowd by volunteers at a humanitarian aid distribution point in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Jan. 19, 2010. Soldiers assigned to the 82nd Airborne's 1st Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, partnered with a nongovernmental organization to pass out more rations. This resulted in record crowds for the site and toward the end of the day they became volatile. DoD photo by Fred W. Baker III Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution

Now Amurt is active in Haiti to assist

Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team AMURT is a part of Anand Marga and known for its services to the humankind. First AMURT group was formed about 34 years ago.Anand Marga was established by Shri Shri Anand Muurti who fasted on a liquid diet for more than 5-1/2 years and given a new socio-economic theory..currently providing emergency disaster relief in Haiti: Detail posted to me on Tue, Jan 19, 2010 at 10:49 PM is given below.   ---Rector Kathuria

AMURT & AMURTEL continues the work on the ground in Port Au Prince after the massive 8.0 earthquake last week by providing soup kitchens and canteens offering ready-to-eat meals and bringing in critical resources that are still virtually impossible to attain in Haiti, such as food and fuel. The feeding program is being extended and reinforced next week through several partnerships that will enable the team to offer meals to even more people, for an extended period of time, and in several different locations in the city. The emergency medical clinics and soup kitchen at the Ananda Marga Schools are providing much needed care to thousands of local residents. Most people have been staying outside as a result of the aftershocks.

AMURT & AMURTEL brought in the latest round of relief supplies through the Dominican Republic on Saturday, accompanied by several more team members. The additions to the team have been vital in setting up an additional office in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where many agencies are setting up their coordination centers. There is also a large shipment of medical supplies and other aid materials en route via Florida, scheduled to leave from Miami this Wednesday by boat to the Dominican Republic. These items will then be transported over land into Haiti. Additional medical teams and volunteers are scheduled for deployment within the week.

AMURT & AMURTEL have also made significant progress in contacting and partnering with other agencies on the ground, including Catholic Relief Services, the International Organization for Migration, and the World Food Program. Through these partnerships they will immediately start developing programs based on their objectives of targeting vulnerable and marginalized populations – people with disabilities, the elderly, women, and children. The programs will include easily accessible food programs and child friendly trauma evacuation centers.

AMURT & AMURTEL have more than two decades of experience with relief work in Haiti, and have facilitated many ongoing development projects there. AMURTEL particularly focuses on meeting the special needs of women and children in disasters. The teams are responding to this calamity as rapidly and effectively as possible, and will remain far after the triage and immediate relief has been completed.


Amurtel needs your donations to alleviate the suffering caused by this catastrophe. You can donate online on the websites given below:

http://www.amurt.us
http://www.amurt.net
http://www.amurtel.org

To provide humanitarian assistance....

U.S. Marines assigned to the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit embark aboard multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) Jan. 15, 2010, in Morehead, N.C., during preparations by the Bataan Amphibious Relief Mission for a disaster response effort in Haiti. Bataan departed Naval Station Norfolk, Va., to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster response in the aftermath of the Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kristopher Wilson, U.S. Navy/Released)

Hillary Clinton speaks to the media in Haiti

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks to the media during a trip to Troussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Jan. 16, 2010. Clinton met with U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Ken Keen, deputy commander of U.S. Southern Command, and Haitian President Rene Preval to discuss humanitarian aid assistance. (DoD photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Justin Stumberg, U.S. Navy /Released)

Remembering Professor Zahoor ul Akhlaq and Jahan Ara

I still remember it was 5th December, 2009;  on that day I was disturbed.and very depressed due to the firing at Ludhiana but I reached Amritsar to meet her.  It was my first meet with Sherezade Alam a female potter artist from Pakistan. She was looking very confident and smiling. She told about her visit, her art and her experiences. I was surprised that she was very happy and fresh even after a long journey from New Delhi. But then my cousin  Kanwal Sethi  who is a film director also, told me about the heaviest burden on her mind which was covered under her magic of smile. In fact it was a tragedy. not only for her.It was a tragedy with whole art world also which is devoted to create a better society. Her husband was murdered along with a daughter on January 18, 1999. Life chapter of a great artist was closed on Jan 18 in an inhuman violent act. Perhaps he was also a Prisoner of Conscience who established new ways of arts and raised his voice with his art.  Zhoor-ul-Akhlaq born in Delhi but shifted to Lahore during  the communal violence of 1947. He was a pioneering artist with a global approach and expanding his message for the betterment of society. Ardeshir Cowasjee quotes a family member that She has married an artist, Zahoor-ul-Akhlaq by name...it adds another 'character' to the family.

        Despite the appalling and senseless murders of Professor Zahoor ul Akhlaq and his daughter Jahan Ara, which took place at the Alam residence in Lahore, Pakistan, ....April 3rd saw the compound resound to a joyous wedding. The ceremony was conducted by Asma Jehangir, a leading feminist lawyer and chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. The couple were Natasha Alam and Qasim Shafi, children of two well known Lahore families.

      In his studio, which houses art treasures from around the world, a drawing (circa 1960) is reclaimed from fragments found in the artist's studio after his untimely death says Niilofur Farrukh in Tribute to a Master.
Remembering the great artist Zahoor another writer Raza Rumi says that it is not easy to write about Zahoor ul Akhlaq , an artist whose life and work in so many ways encapsulates the troubled soul of Pakistan. Ten years ago, on a grey, brutal January day, the great artist Akhlaq and his gifted daughter, Jahanara, were shot dead. Ali Adil Khan also wrote about the passion of Zahoor. Noorjahan  Akhlaq says it was a Death in the Garden of  Paradise . A well-known Pakistani commentator & human rights campaigner I.A.Rehman also linked the incident with another murder story. Rehman said, " "A brutal killing," "senseless" "cold-blooded murder," shouted women activists, human rights defenders, media personnel, et al. Certainly not for the first time. Were they crying out in vain?

         They had cried out when Kanwar Ahsan was shot and critically wounded on the premises of a court in Karachi-targeted because he and an adult women had decided to live together in marriage.
        They had cried out when the country's most outstanding painter, Zahoorul Akhlaq, and his talented daughter, Jahanara, were mercilessly gunned down in Lahore. And they cried out each time a women fell victim to the evil custom of karo kari. Samia's murder demonstrates only too graphically how each time their cries were in vain.
        Is there a link between Samia's murder, the killing of Zahoorul Akhlaq and Jahanara, the murderous attack on Ahsan and the increasing incidence of karo kari killings?"

       After this brutal murder The Tribune India said that Violence stuns Pakistan’s arts world . whole story also covered by other sections of media. The Shelley family also said that it was a senseless murder.

      Someone told me that where there is great love there are always miracles and it is a matter of new hope that the love and art spirit of Professor Zahoor is still active in Sherezade Alam, Noorjahan and his followers like Niilofur. So miracles are inevitable.                           --Rector Kathuria

USNS Comfort Begins Race to Haiti

By Jim Garamone American Forces Press Service ABOARD THE USNS COMFORT :   The USNS Comfort cast off lines this morning in Baltimore to begin the race to aid the people of Haiti. Tugs push the USNS Comfort from its pier in Baltimore harbor as the U.S. Navy hospital ship heads to Haiti. Dod photo by Jim Garamone (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The hospital ship is loaded with medical expertise and supplies. Sailors from medical facilities all over the United States have arrived and are planning how to best deliver medical care. "At this juncture the leadership of USNS Comfort is making every effort to expedite our arrival in Haiti, said Navy Lt. Bashon Mann, the ship's public affairs officer. "The expected arrival date is Thursday (Jan. 21,) but we are moving as fast as we safely can to hasten the arrival in Haiti to begin delivering patient care." The Comfort is a large white ship with red crosses painted on it. Haiti was a stop on its last deployment in 2009 and that is helping the medical professionals now as they head to the nation. "We have people in contact with people in Haiti planning on how we will be able to help when we arrive," Mann said. Medical planners are using the transit time to flesh out plans. The medical staff and crew are working to be able to immediately start delivering care once the ship arrives in Haitian waters. Two helicopters will fly aboard the ship later this afternoon. The choppers will join a growing fleet of aircraft operating to aid Haiti. Red Cross officials fear that the magnitude 7 earthquake that struck Jan. 12 killed between 40,000 and 50,000 people. Many thousands have been injured and most hospitals in Port-au-Prince, the nation's capital and epicenter of the quake, have been destroyed. The comfort brings 19 operating rooms, and intensive-care facility, and hundreds of beds to the humanitarian mission. Getting the Comfort ready was a rush job, to say the least. The Navy notified most of the personnel that they would deploy on Jan. 13. Buses brought the medical staff to the ship yesterday, and sailors searched for their berths, muster stations and workspaces until late in the night. Cranes lifted medical supplies, equipment and foodstuffs onto the helipad, and sailors lifted and heaved to store the supplies even as the ship began moving.      (Issued on : Jan 16, 2010)

Passengers aboard the USNS Comfort take photos as the hospital ship passes under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge near Annapolis, Md., on its way to provide humanitarian care in Haiti. DoD photo by Jim Garamone Download screen-resolution Download high-resolution