The Church's international network plays a crucial role in responding to the emergency, writes Trócaire's Justin Kilcullen
Long before the emergency response teams and media arrive, survivors of a disaster like the one we are seeing in Haiti are always the first to reach out and help those around them. It's a woman dressing the wounds of her neighbour, or a young mother sharing her food with the family next door.
In an appeal made the morning after the earthquake, the scale of which was already becoming apparent, Pope Benedict XVI said he wanted to highlight the dramatic situation in Haiti following the ''devastating earthquake, which resulted in serious loss of human life, a great number of homeless and missing, and enormous material damage.
''I appeal to the generosity of everyone, so that our brothers and sisters receive our concrete solidarity and the effective support of the international community in this moment of need and suffering,'' he said.
Assist
He said the Catholic Church's charitable organisations would immediately move into action to assist those most in need. As the official overseas development agency of the Catholic Church in Ireland, Trócaire has been in action since news broke of the earthquake in the early hours of January 13.
Trócaire is a member of Caritas Internationalis, the international confederation of 162 Catholic relief agencies based in Rome, which offers particular advantages in an emergency like the one in Haiti.
The real strength of Caritas is its access to the network of parishes that gives us direct contact with communities who have already been helping each other cope since the earthquake. The networks provide a point from which we can provide help - often a church or a school or a community centre. In Haiti the church's structures provide an unparalleled access route to affected people.
Caritas Haiti is the local branch of the Caritas network and a partner of Trócaire. Even though Monsignor Joseph Serge Miot, the Director of Caritas in the capital, Port-au-Prince, was tragically killed by the quake, within hours their staff members and volunteers were giving food and temporary shelter to survivors.
20 years
Trócaire has worked in Haiti for almost 20 years and we know and respect the staff of Caritas. When you donate to Trócaire's Haiti appeal, 100 per cent of the money is spent on the response by organisations within the federation. Caritas Haiti, for example, runs over 200 hospitals and medical centres, all staffed by local people. Any supplementary technical expertise is provided by organisations such as Trócaire. This week a Trócaire staff member will travel to Haiti to support our partners there. But Haiti is no stranger to natural disasters and the local Caritas agency is experienced, able and well-placed to respond in an emergency in that country.
There has been much talk of co-ordination in Haiti, and the difficulties of getting life-saving aid to the people worst affected. Aid deliveries have been delayed because of a sheer backlog of supplies at the airport without a distribution network to take them further. The main port in Port-au-Prince was also badly damaged. Many roads are still blocked by rubble and earthquake damage to infrastructure means that aid delivery has been slow. How difficult can it be to get food, water and medicines to three million people? For such a large number of people in a country that was literally ripped-apart only a week ago, the answer is very hard.
Local partners
Trócaire's approach to development means working through local partners and community groups where possible. This means we have access to the people on the ground in the worst-affected areas. In such a difficult operating environment, having local people responding who know the region and how things operate is invaluable.
Within days Caritas had provided the equipment, electricity and staff for two operating theatres in the main Catholic hospital in Port au Prince. Caritas organisations around the world have already sent 200,000 blankets, 15,000 tents, water cans and purification tablets, as well as food, water and hygiene kits. On January 17 some 20 trucks of supplies left the Dominican Republic for the Haiti's capital, and plane loads of goods were en route from Caritas agencies in Holland and Germany.
Funds donated to Trócaire will be channeled through this network for greatest speed and impact. Trócaire's support to the people of Haiti will continue long-term once the relief efforts are over.
And not all hope is lost. Caritas rescuers pulled three people out of a collapsed building alive as late as Saturday, five days after the earthquake.
The plan now is to help an initial 50,000 people through the Caritas response at a cost of $30 million in the first four weeks. (To date the generous Irish public has donated over €400,000 to Trócaire). This will involve the distribution of aid, medicine and shelter in ten informal camps where large numbers of people have gathered. Every cent donated to Trócaire will support this life-giving work in Haiti.
Justin Kilcullen is Director of Trócaire.
