· January, 2010

Stories about Humanitarian Response from January, 2010

Haiti: Online Maps Shift from Charting Damage to Targeting Aid

Marc Herman takes a closer look at some maps that humanitarian aid responders are using to communicate the evolving situation in Haiti’s earthquake zone. Nearly a week after the disaster -- and aftershocks equal to major temblors -- the maps and satellite imagery are proving some of the most reliable information available.

18 January 2010

Senegal offers free land to Haitian earthquake survivors

Senegalese president, Abdoulaye Wade, has been making headlines by offering free land to any Haitian earthquake survivors who wish to "return to their origins," according to a spokesperson. Online, the proposal has been received with almost universal ridicule.

17 January 2010

Haiti: Waiting for water

Nearly six days after the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti, a severe shortage of drinking water in Port-au-Prince hampers relief efforts. Pleas for water issued via Twitter and other media highlight the severity of the situation.

17 January 2010

Haiti: Hoping for Miracles

“This city is more densely populated than I can fathom. The work ahead in Port and other areas is mind-numbing. I know there are tons of efforts being made —...

17 January 2010

Japan: For Haiti it may be too little, too late

In an odd twist of fate, the worst earthquake to hit Haiti in two hundred years has erupted within days of the 15th anniversary of Japan's worst earthquake since the second world war: the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995. Given the timing of the catastrophe, one might have expected a strong Japanese presence in Haiti. To the frustration of many in Japan, the opposite was in fact the case.

17 January 2010

USA: Haitian Nationals Granted Temporary Protected Status

Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a special status given by the United States to foreign nationals from specific countries where there has been some sort of recent turmoil or trauma, such as war or an earthquake. Yesterday, the Obama administration granted TPS to Haitians for the next eighteen months. Jillian C. York looks at blog reactions.

17 January 2010

Haiti: Remembering Jacmel

“I couldn’t help remembering how Jacmel looked like at 4:50pm on a regular day. Normally, you have people sitting in their homes, walking in and out, working in their businesses,...

16 January 2010

Bahamas: The Easy Way Out?

Bahamian Nicolette Bethel takes issue with the alleged statements of her Prime Minister when it comes to helping Haiti: “The message that [he] is sending is that it is all...

16 January 2010

Cuba, Haiti: The Time to Help

“It especially frightens me that three months from now the suffering will no longer be a headline in any newspaper and people will have ceased to feel the urgency of...

16 January 2010