Haiti: Experiences of the Earthquake · Global Voices
Marc Herman

So far the casualty reports from Haiti's earthquake have focused on the terrifying statistics, but very few names had been attached to those numbers. Unfortunately, today, popular Dominican blogger Guillermo Peña confirmed he lost his father, Guillermo Peña Sr., in the disaster. The elder Peña was working in Port au Prince as an engineer with the Santo Domingo construction firm Mera, Muñoz & Fondeur. A coworker of Mr. Pena's also died. A third was injured but has been successfully evacuated to Plaza de la Salud hospital in Santo Domingo and is receiving treatment. Many Dominican and Spanish-language bloggers have already expressed their condolences to Guillermo Peña, Jr., who is posting his thoughts via Twitter.
The DR is feeling the quake’s aftermath in other ways. Dominican blogger Jose Sille’ claims, also via Twitter, that CESFRONT, the Dominican border patrol, is beginning to encounter Haitians desperate to flee the country.
se jodio la vaina, confimado eso de que se perdio el control en la frontera por mi hermana que esta por esos lados
The rumor of survivors moving to cross the border are unconfirmed, but the Dominican government has announced that the border crossings were open as normal. Dominican hospitals in Barahona and those operated by the military forces are open to receive all Haitians that need medical assistance, and aid centers are opening in Verón, Bávaro, a popular tourist destination. In the same area, according to reports in Santo Domingo media, an Italian resident has set up a collection center for donations at a hotel, the Luna del Caribe, and will transport it to a border crossing at the town of Jimaní. The Haitian embassy in Santo Domingo is reported to be providing transportation for Haitians wishing to go to their country.
Land lines are reported still down: Haiti's cell phone service has fared better. Large carrier Voila’ sustained damage but is still working, according to Voila’’s parent company, Trilogy International Partners of Seattle, Washington, USA.
Eddyson Volcimé, who lives in Nantes, France, was able to use a cell phone to call his mother in Port au Prince shortly after the ‘quake. He gave an interview to a local news channel:
EV:….She is fine. She has no news about the rest of the family though…given that no transport is functioning everybody is on foot, so its really difficult to communicate.
Interviewer: And your mother, whereabouts on the island was she at the time?
EV: She was in Port-au Prince itself, the epicentre of the quake.
Interviewer: She told you what happened on the telephone?
EV: She told me what happened to her, we can't tell what it was like everywhere.
She was in a restaurant at the time the earthquake started, so there was a lot of panic. Some people died in the restaurant itself, as it caved in. She managed to get out.
Since then…well, since then, people are in the streets…well, those who had not had injuries that were too serious in any case.
Interviewer: Are you worried?
EV: For my mother- well, she is ok, everything is fine.
For the rest of the family… we just don't know at the moment, we haven't heard anything…we are waiting for news. There have been victims,  and many injured…
Interviewer: And psychologically is your mother ok?
EV: My goodness!  She has seen a lot in her life, but she is ok, she is alright.
On the ground in Port au Prince, others are still collecting themselves. Survivor Jean Francois Labadie posted his recollections of the disaster a few hours after midnight this morning:
13/01/2010 00:25
As of this afternoon, the first aid flights are reported to have landed at Haiti’s main airport.
Global Voices’ Special Coverage Page on the earthquake in Haiti is here.