Rotary District 7020 – to which the Rotary Club of Anguilla belongs – is doing an outstanding and awesome job providing relief to Haiti after the devastating earthquake of Tuesday, January 12.

A disaster committee, headed by Past District Governor Dick McCombe of Nassau, is working round the clock to help the locals on the ground. Support comes from all corners of District 7020, which includes 10 countries in the Caribbean. The stories are amazing and uplifting. Here is an example – excerpts from the daily updates provided by PDG Dick McCombe.

Rotary is awesome!

We were able to communicate by phone with a couple of our Team in Haiti today, but our satellite phones did not work. It did not matter; we knew what we had to do.
Dr. Claude Surena, Haitian Rotarian, who has been one of our primary contacts in the Haiti disasters, has been designated as the National Coordinator of the Health Commission. That is a huge responsibility that he accepted at the insistence of the President Preval. Congratulations are due to him.

Our priorities remain Money, Medical Supplies, Blankets, Clothes, Shelter, Food and Water.

The Bahamas Clubs have collected in excess of 50,000 lbs of medical supplies, blankets and food. We sent out 5 twin engine flights to Cap Haitien, of which 2 were scheduled to go on to Les Cayes. Tomorrow we have 10 twin engine flights and one DC-3 leaving loaded with medical supplies to be dropped in Cap Haitien and Les Cayes. We are working closely with the Methodist Ministries and they are bringing back departing missionaries on the return flights. We have another 6 flights scheduled for Monday.

The Jamaica Clubs, together with their military connections, are flying in supplies and returning with Jamaican nationals. Their proximity and the availability of these resources make them extremely effective. They are coordinating the flights with inbound supplies and staffing with Dr. Claude Surena as well.

Many of the regions have raised large sums of money. These fund-raising initiatives are VERY important.

Last week, we got 11 flights off the ground and in the air for Haiti. Of those flights, 10 went into Haiti and one to Inagua. The flight time from Inagua is less than an hour and much easier for the small planes so we are stockpiling there.
One flight has left from the BVI and is going through Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic and on to Cap Haitien. The hope is, that after clearing in Cap Haitien, it can fly on to Pignon.

We have 3 pallets of medical supplies in Vero Beach and are working on the flights to get that to Nassau and on to Haiti with our Bahamas Methodist Habitat partners.

Turks & Caicos has organized some more Shelter Boxes and they will be sent shortly.

On Monday of this week, we got 7 flights off the ground and in the air for Haiti. Of those flights, 6 went into Haiti directly and the 7th, the Caravan, did a second run from Inagua. We dropped in at Cap Haitien, Les Cayes and Jeremie. The Methodist group were able to get 20 or more of their missionaries out on these flights.

One flight from the BVI arrived in Cap Haitien around noon full of medical supplies. They return tomorrow with one Orthopaedic Surgeon (and his tools), medical supplies and one EMT. They will be clearing and going through to Port de Paix.

We are also looking at 3 flights into Cap Haitien. We are going to do a trial run into Pignon tomorrow to see how it works. It is closer to Port au Prince and will eliminate the ground transportation cost for that distance south. The supplies will be sent on to Claude in Port au Prince.

We have 2 very specific medical supply lists that we are filling now for Port au Prince and Les Cayes, and will have them ready to fly Wednesday morning. The balance of our donated medical supplies will be gone, and we will begin to send the blankets and food as the main items. We do send in water but, at $0.50 a lb, it follows medicines and food on the priority chain.

Our Team is doing well in Haiti given the situation. Pray for them as they work almost around the clock.
- Press Release

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