Earlier today, we were thrilled to find out that President Bill Clinton mentioned ONE in his award acceptance speech to Physicians for Peace.
Each year, Physicians for Peace — an organization devoted to building peace and international friendships through medicine — grants the Charles E. Horton Award for Humanitarian Service to the individual who has demonstrated “extraordinary and selfless humanitarian service to alleviate human suffering, particularly in low-income societies.”
Shortly after discussing relief and development efforts in Haiti at the ONE Global Poverty Forum at Hampton University, Rep. Bobby Scott (D, VA-3) boarded a plane to see the on-going humanitarian operation for himself! It was announced today that Rep. Scott is leading a congressional delegation to the recovering country. Turns out that the ONE forum could not have been more timely – fellow panelist, Gen. Ron Sconyers, gave the congressman some pointers for his trip based upon Physicans for Peace’s experience on the ground.
ONE thanks our partners at Physicians for Peace and Congressman Bobby Scott for their efforts to help the people of Haiti. As ONE members, we have to continue our advocacy efforts to support long-term development goals for Haiti and for countries throughout the developing world. Click here to take action!
Wednesday night in a community at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia’s 3rd district, Congressman Bobby Scott discussed US development efforts in another port city thousands of miles away in Haiti, but close in spirit and thought, as concerned constituents gathered on Hampton University’s campus for a ONE panel discussion on global poverty. The panel also featured Brig. General Ron Sconyers of Physicians for Peace and Keren Dongo, ONE Sr. Manager of Community Engagement. They discussed the immediate need for humanitarian relief in earthquake-ravaged Port-au-Prince and also relief in the broader context of long-term commitments to development in Haiti and the poorest countries in the world.
While applauding Americans’ swift and generous response after the natural disaster in Haiti, Congressman Scott was quick to remind us that “global health and poverty are important every day, not just in times of crisis.” He added, “We must find a way to translate our concern for humanity into sustained policy efforts that will strengthen the global community and lead to a safer and healthier world.” The congressman emphasized that helping the poorest countries in the world lift themselves from extreme poverty is not only a moral imperative, but in our own national security interest.
The panel echoed this sentiment and asked the audience to continue their advocacy to fight poverty and preventable disease throughout the developing world. Hampton University students immediately responded with plans to start an OCC chapter on campus! Watch out, Power 100! More news from HU, including video of the panel discussion, to come!
AmeriCares
Chief of Staff Carol Shattuck recounts her experience on AmeriCares first emergency airlift to help Haiti with earthquake and humanitarian relief.
Concern Worldwide
Program Officer Susan Finucane offers a video update of Concern’s work on the ground in Port-au-Prince.
Leon H. Sullivan Foundation
“In the aftermath of the largest earthquake to hit the Caribbean nation of Haiti in more than two centuries, the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation has initiated a relief effort to help meet the population’s immediate needs and participate in long-term efforts to restore normalcy to a country plagued by natural disasters.
“To merely replace the unsound buildings and feed people temporarily will not be enough. My organization is working on projects to help Haiti and its people become more self-sufficient over the long term,” said Hope Masters, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Sullivan Foundation. “We who have so much must never forget to help those who have so little.”
TransAfrica Forum
An online resource for the latest news on the earthquake and its aftermath. TransAfrica Forum also held a candlelight vigil at the Haitian Embassy in Washington DC earlier this afternoon.
World Food Programme
“Within the next week, we aim to move the equivalent of 10 million ready-to-eat meals so that people whose homes have been destroyed, and who have no access to cooking facilities, can feed their families,” said WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran. “We are also procuring 4.2 million rations of supplementary ready-to-use foods specifically designed to give children the calories and nutrition they need each day.”
Our friends at Physicians for Peace have a couple of first-hand accounts from the aftermath in Haiti worth reading. You can find a full list of ONE’s partners here, many of whom are continuing to assess the situation and provide much needed relief to the region.
From Physicians for Peace:
News continues to come in from our partners in Haiti about the incredible devastation and the challenges of treating those in need. Dr. Lisbet Hanson, an Ob/Gyn who has done extensive work in Haiti to help expectant mothers, sends these reports from her Blackberry:
“Internet out today. Too busy anyway. Going to lie down for a while, then head back to help. Delivered twins, have set bones, helped with amputations, sutured, started IVs, washed wounds, done emergency ultrasounds… So much trauma, not enough of us to go around. Mirabelais standing room only. Patients are leaving Port-au-Prince any way they can. We are triaging patients in ED and church here in Cange. Stepping over people in shock with arms dangling, bones exposed.. It’s unbelievable…”
“Unbelievable day and its just getting started as people find their way out of Port-au-Prince to other hospitals. So many traumatic amputations, open fractures, puncture wounds and crush injuries…. We need orthopods and anesthesia people, lots of them. And more mattresses as wards full and churches filling. Will try to send photos when I can. If Partners In Health team can get here to replace us we are thinking of heading to DR end of the week. Will stay in touch. Thanks for support.”
If you have a few minutes today, be sure to check out the Physicians for Peace blog which in recent weeks has been posting correspondence from Robin Jones. She is a Registered Nurse and Women’s Health Care Nurse Practitioner who has been working with local clinics to assist in midwifery education.
It’s a fascinating, on-the-ground look at the progress being made to improve child and maternal health. You can read her reports here.
If you have a few minutes today, definitely check out the Physicians for Peace blog where they’re chronicling a medical mission trip to Zaria, Nigeria made up of a team of PfP volunteers and headed by Robin Jones, a registered nurse and women’s health care nurse practitioner.
The volunteers are working with local clinics there as part of a larger goal of helping sub-Saharan African countries reach the Millennium Development Goals. They are also there to provide education “so that those who are assisting during labor will have the knowledge they need to help prevent trauma to the mother and protect the health of the baby.”
Robin documents days 1 and 2 of her trip here, and days 3 and 4 here. She also managed to snap these great photos:
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