Update #2, 21/01/10
For more information visit: http://www.amarc.org/haiti
Headlines
- SAKS office (PP) destroyed, staff alive and well, contact re-established by email and phone
- REFRAKA office (PP) destroyed, staff alive, one injured
- At least 12 community radio stations assessed to be strongly or severely affected
- First AMARC/SAKS Urgence-Haiti international mission to arrive
- Port-au-Prince 24/01/10
- Immediate priority to assess worst affected areas including Grand Goave,
- Petit Goave, Leogane
- Unprecedented response in offers of support from international community radio movement
Detail
SAKS (Sosyete Animasyon ak Kominakasyon Sosyal) - office (34 rue
Dalencourt, PP) was totally destroyed, re-established telephone contact on
18/01 with Sony Esteus, Executive Director SAKS and Vice President AMARC,
all staff reported as alive and well, re-established email contact with
Sony on 19/01. Communications remain difficult and intermittent. Seeking
to establish temporary office.
REFRAKA (Haiti Community Radio Women’s Network) - office (36 rue
Dalencourt PP) was totally destroyed, one member of staff, Marie Guyrleine
Justin, reported as injured.
Community radio stations - 12 stations identified as being in strongly or
severely affected areas including 6 AMARC members - Radyo Saka (Grand
Goave), Radyo Zetwal Peyizan (Leogane), Radyo Echo (Petit Goave), Radyo
Kominote Klofa Pye (Vallue, Petit Goave), Radyo Flanbo (Cayes Jacmel),
Radyo Kominote Bel Ans (Belle-Anse) - and 6 other community radio stations
identified - Radyo Boukman (Cite Soleil, PP), Radyo Kenskoff Inter
(Kenskoff), Radyo Men Kontre (Petit Goave), Radyo Azuie Inter (Fond
Parisien), Radyo Fondwa (Fondwa) and Radyo La Vallee Jacmel (La Vallee,
Jacmel). Radyo Fondwa report of building destroyed and two staff died.
Reports of Radyo Saka journalists involved in local relief organisation.
No other news from the above despite repeated attempts to contact by phone
and email.
Of 40 other community radios in Haiti, a further 8 are nearby and may have
experienced moderate effects and/or are in areas where significant numbers
of people are seeking refugee. AMARC has prepared a list of 20 community
radio stations to prioritise with immediate attention to worst affected
areas outside PP.
See http://www.amarc.org/haiti for a map, impact assessment, and contact
details for the radios.
International mission - Preparation underway in Santo Domingo. For the
first mission we have a team of 5 people: Eduardo Garcia (UDECA/Radio
Santa Maria/ALER) and Adoniz Mendez (Radio Santa Maria) are in Santo
Domingo and assisting with logistics (transport etc). Francesco Diasio
(Amisnet/AMARC-Europe) and Jane Regan will arrive in Santo Domingo on 23
January. Sony Esteus is in Port-au-Prince and arranging local logistics.
This is an assessment mission with some basic repairs capability and small
items including one emergency replacement FM transmitter, repair kits,
reporter kits, netbooks.
The mission is scheduled to travel into Haiti on 24 January and will aim
to coordinate with other media support organisations in PP on 25 January,
before commencing assessment visits outside PP. Objectives to assess the
status of the community radios and their personnel, to assure (where
possible) their integration into the humanitarian information network
(including basic repairs and basic guidance on humanitarian relief
reporting), to assist re-establishment of SAKS community radio support
centre.
Immediate priority is to travel outside Port-au-Prince to a cluster in
some of the worst affected areas - around Leogane, Grand Goave and Petit
Goave - where there are 5 community radios. After that, to visit other
clusters of radios in areas badly affected - including La Vallee Jacmel,
Cayes Jacmel, Fondwa, Belle Anse, Grand Saline, Kenscoff, Fonds Parisien
and Verette - then return to Port-au-Prince.
The first assessment mission is to be completed by 2 Feb but Francesco
will remain in the field to provide additional support to Sony/SAKS and to
prepare the ground for further incoming support.
Unprecedented international media solidarity - initial mission is a
multinational effort with mission team volunteers from US, Italy,
Dominican Republic and Haiti, supported by AMARC offices in Montreal,
Buenos Aires, Rome, Kathmandu and with partners and supporters including
ALER (Latin America), Amisnet (Italy), FMYY (Japan), BHN (Japan), Austin
Airwaves (US), Combine (Indonesia), UDECA (DR), Radio Santa Maria (DR),
Radio Enriquillo (DR), Free Voice, Open Society Institute. Offers of
technical support and international volunteers have been received from all
continents. BHN, a Japanese communications NGO with extensive emergency
experience, are sending two technical experts to arrive Haiti 23 or 24
Jan, for initial assessment with potential follow-up to provide community
mini FM radio station, distribution of radio receivers, simple community
address system with loudspeakers and microphone. Combine, Indonesian
community media NGO with experience in Aceh and Yogjakarta, have offered
technical expert with disaster relief communications experience and FM
broadcast equipment. Austin Airwaves (Texas) have offered an international
volunteer to bring and install a complete FM broadcast unit including
antenna. Free Voice have offered to provide emergency replacement
equipment and technical assistance. Free Voice and Open Society Institute
providing joint financial support to initial emergency response.
For further information follow:
http://www.amarc.org/haiti
Contacts for first mission:
Francesco Diasio
+39 3939674999
fdiasio@amisnet
Jane Regan
jane@janevregan.org
In Santo Domingo
Eduardo Garcia
Radio Santa María: 809 573 2722 y 809 573 3900;
Cell: 809 284 3680.
egatamayo@codetel.net.do
In Port au Prince
Sony Esteus
SAKS / AMARC Haiti
509 3701-5029, 509 3409-5029
saksht@yahoo.fr, sonikoeste@hotmail.com
AMARC International Secretariat (Montreal)
Marcelo Solervicens, Secretary General
secgen@si.amarc.org
AMARC Latin America and Caribbean (Buenos Aires)
Paula Castello, Projects Coordinator
paulacastello@amarc.org