Only vaccinated for Haiti support team

The Barbados-based Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) will only deploy fully vaccinated persons to assist in the relief efforts in Haiti.

This position was stated by CDEMA’s Executive Director Elizabeth Riley at a briefing on Monday to give an update on the relief efforts to assist those dealing with the devastating effects of the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit that French-speaking CARICOM nation on Saturday.

As of Monday evening, the death toll stood at 1 419 and the number of injured had climbed to 6 000. Some 14 000 families have been displaced with several buildings either destroyed or damaged.

The impact has been most severe in the departments of Nippes, Grand’Anse and Sud, which account for 16 per cent of the country’s total population.

Riley disclosed that coming out of discussions with Haiti and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) on Sunday, an official request was made for assistance with coordination support. This will take the form of personnel who will support the national emergency operation centre in Port-au-Prince.

Riley explained that it was determined that only persons who have received their first and second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and have undergone the requisite two-week post-vaccine period, can be deployed. This is especially important given the fact that of all CARICOM states, Haiti has the lowest percentage of vaccine coverage and only recently received the first vaccine shipment.

“This is based on the guidance from CARPHA, so this is one of the stipulations that we are absolutely looking at. In addition, as we have done for all deployments that we have undertaken since COVID-19 – and we’ve deployed safely into St Vincent and the Grenadines for La Soufriere as well as into Guyana in the aftermath of the flood – I am happy to say that all persons on those deployments returned safely,” Riley said.

“So in keeping with the guidance from CARPHA, we will be briefing personnel who are being deployed on the health protocols and the health regimes that should be followed to minimize risks of contracting COVID-19. The requisite personal protective equipment is a standard part now of what we provide our personnel when they deploy.”

While the CDEMA executive director said it was too early to have an estimate of damage in Haiti, she noted that the situation in Haiti is being complicated by Tropical Depression Grace which is forecast to affect that country Monday and into Tuesday. The Miami-based National Hurricane Centre has projected significant rainfall accumulation of about five inches. There is the possibility of flash flooding and mudslides.

However, at this time humanitarian items are not requested.

“A principle that we operate by is that we do not wish to flood the country with relief items in a situation where the supply chain has not been broken and relief items can, in fact, be procured in country. So, in this regard, the Government of Haiti has guided that they are requesting cash donations and that national relief drives are not being encouraged. This is the indication that they’ve given us at this time. Of course, with Tropical Depression Grace pending, there is a possibility that that situation may change,” Reid said.

With respect to the directing of the cash donations, Riley said this was still being worked through with the Government of Haiti and details would be communicated at a later date. (KC)