After Isaac: Haitians holding on in the worst of times [Photos]

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – As soon as we heard that Isaac had left Haitian soil, I mobilized four IRC teams to undertake an assessment of damage suffered by camp residents and determine where emergency supplies were needed most.

 

The pictures you see here are from two of the largest camps where we work: Villambeta and Mega 4. Together these two camps are home to about 8,000 people, who must have spent a fearful night battered by fierce winds and heavy rain. 

 

As you can see, what we found was not encouraging: tents completely flattened, tin roofs peeled off of plywood shelters. But despite the serious damage we saw throughout the day, the Haitians we met were in good spirits and the mood in the camps was calm. 

 

The capacity of the Haitian people to endure crisis is truly remarkable.

 

I witnessed that resilience when I arrived in Villambeta with one of the teams this morning.  I went looking for Guerda, one of our Haitian volunteers who lives in the camp. Guerda welcomed us with open arms and immediately took us to an airy pavilion that served as one of the IRC's “child friendly spaces.” Normally a refuge for children in the crowded camp, today — as the rain continued to fall — it was a refuge for anyone who needed it.  

 

Guerda showed me that even though the camp was using the space as an emergency shelter, she had made sure that the materials the IRC had provided for the children's activities were tucked away, safe and secure. This made my heart sing, because it showed me that even in the worst of times, Haitians hold on to what they consider valuable.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Haiti is reeling from Tropical Storm Isaac, even as it struggles to recover from a devastating 2010 earthquake. International Rescue Committee teams in Haiti are responding with emergency relief.