Report by ENS Kendra Titheridge originally from Blenheim - on assignment with the Canadian Navy.

It is 31 January 2010 and so far we’ve been at sea for 16 days - with HALIFAX assigned to the area of Jacmel to the northeast of Port au Prince. I joined the first working party ashore.  Initially there was a limited supply of malaria medication which meant alternating working days between the shore and ship. It was and still is, very hard work – particularly arriving to the humid, draining 48C heat of Haiti after having adjusted to the cold Canadian winter we had left behind.

We were all issued camelbaks, sunglasses, sunscreen and high-energy food.  After just 15 minutes of clearing rubble, you’re exhausted, soaked with sweat, and red from the sun. 

Conditions in town were bad.  Aftershocks, some up to 5.9 continued to hit the area, so there was always the constant worry of the already unstable buildings collapsing further.  Understandably the aftershocks discouraged many people from going back inside buildings. Initially we concentrated on clearing roads and there was plenty of work to keep us busy.  Town was full of destroyed brick buildings, with no running water or electricity, and very little food.

Our days ashore were spent undertaking reconnaissance missions, shovelling rubble from the streets, and clearing areas for make-shift hospitals.  Everyone in HALIFAX’s work party worked really hard and well together.  We experienced every emotion from sincere gratitude to anger and aggression.  Many of the local people seemed overwhelmed with the devastation the earthquake had caused, and just seemed to hopelessly wander and watch us at work.  We were assisted in our work by about ten local men in green bibs who were government-paid to help us clear the roads.  They worked hard and were a great help with knowing what needed to be done.

After a few days we had four teams capable of going ashore, which meant one day working ashore and three days working aboard.  Our focus has started to shift slightly towards helping the community restore some normalcy - although in reality this is easier said than done. Even before the earthquake hit Haiti it was an economically and socially depressed country. Many children didn’t receive schooling, healthcare was limited, and the country relied on aid from wealthier countries.

Our working parties were always accompanied by Armed Force Protection Personnel – and often Haitian men and women will join in and work alongside us.  Despite the devastating after-effects of the earthquake it still surprises me to see happy and smiling children – interested in seeing and touching our belongings.  It’s equally heartening when the elderly wave and greet us as we file past them with our axes, chainsaws and shovels.

Our priorities for now are restoring the local hospital, chopping trees at the Jacmel Airport to allow larger aircraft to land, clearing land for makeshift first-aid facilities, investigating and analysing the structural integrity of the still-standing buildings, and helping at displaced persons camps and orphanages.  Building and digging latrines is a particularly important task, as many of the Haitians have no running water or toilets.  More hygienic sanitation will also help to prevent the spread of diseases like typhoid and cholera.

On board there has been ship-handling, boat transfers and flight operations to keep us all busy, as the ship patrols up and down the coastline. As part of my transfer across to HMCS ATHABASKAN I flew in a Sea-King, and was able to experience first-hand a birds-eye view of the beauty of the shoreline and rural areas. The water along the coast is beautiful, with clear turquoise water, and we flew low enough so you could see all the coral formations, and coconut trees lining the shore. Men, women and children were carrying bundles of sticks, fishing or just playing.  It’s a side of Haiti I hadn’t seen yet – the happy, life as normal side. 

It has been fantastic being part of an operation and really feeling a sense of achievement.  Being able to help provide some humanitarian assistance is both an eye-opening and positive experience, and I feel privileged to have been part of it.

More...

Also read about Sub Lieutenant Nick Foster's time in Haiti.