Most Popular Choices
Share on Facebook 14 Printer Friendly Page More Sharing
Life Arts    H4'ed 11/3/10

Time to Rebrand Haiti's Tent Cities as Tomas Approaches

By       (Page 2 of 2 pages) Become a premium member to see this article and all articles as one long page.   No comments
Follow Me on Twitter     Message Georgianne Nienaber
Become a Fan
  (47 fans)

It is not news that Corail-Cesselesse is not safe, but it should be news that there are at least 1.5 million victims of the January 2010 earthquake that killed upwards of 300,000 still living under tarps in other camps.


Copyrighted Image? DMCA

- by Georgianne Nienaber
Wide shot of Camp Obama/Canaan

In fact, in May we looked just over the valley and saw over 5,000 residents of "Camp Obama" were still living under blue tarps and shreds of flapping clear white plastic that were more suitable for shopping bags than shelter. We had visited with them in March and not much had changed except the name. Leaders told us they had changed the camp name to "Obama" from "Canaan" in hope that they would get some help. It had not been forthcoming. Let's re-brand living conditions in Haiti and describe them accurately. The tent cities are really tarp cities and should be described as such. The media re-branded the BP oil "spill" as a "catastrophe" and a "disaster," and we can do the same for the Haitian tarp dwellers.


Copyrighted Image? DMCA

- by Georgianne Nienaber

The recent cholera outbreak has added a new fear to the equation as health workers struggle to contain it.

1.5 million people have nowhere to go. Please examine the OCHA (United Nations) spreadsheet on relocation shelters. Do the math. Maybe, just maybe, the shelters can handle 50,000. 1.5-1.7 million are in the tarp cities. Millions more are still in their homes on hillsides vulnerable to flooding and landslides.

To suggest that they have options is ludicrous, but that is exactly what the press is doing.

We will be back in Haiti on Saturday and hope this time to use photos, each representing a thousand useless words, or more.

For further reports on Camp Canaan and Camp Corail, check out Mac McKinney's photo-essays on each:

1) Camp Canaan

2) Camp Corail

Photos by G. Nienaber with copyright removed in Haiti's interest.
Follow Georgianne Nienaber on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nienaber

Next Page  1  |  2

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).

Supported 1  
Rate It | View Ratings

Georgianne Nienaber Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter Page       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram Page

Georgianne Nienaber is an investigative environmental and political writer. She lives in rural northern Minnesota and South Florida. Her articles have appeared in The Society of Professional Journalists' Online Quill Magazine, the Huffington (more...)
 

Related Topic(s): Haiti Earthquake; Haitian Earthquake Crisis; Hurricane Tomas; Hurricane Victims Haiti; Hurricanes; Present_Day_Haiti; Tent Cities; US-Haiti Policy, Add Tags
Add to My Group(s)
Go To Commenting
The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
Writers Guidelines

 
Contact AuthorContact Author Contact EditorContact Editor Author PageView Authors' Articles
Support OpEdNews

OpEdNews depends upon can't survive without your help.

If you value this article and the work of OpEdNews, please either Donate or Purchase a premium membership.

STAY IN THE KNOW
If you've enjoyed this, sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to get lots of great progressive content.
Daily Weekly     OpEd News Newsletter
Name
Email
   (Opens new browser window)
 

Most Popular Articles by this Author:     (View All Most Popular Articles by this Author)

Recently Leaked Documents Confirm Clinton Haitian Gold Scheme

Dian Fossey and the Gorilla Killings

Should the World Boycott the Beijing Olympics? The Horrific Story of the Falun Gong

Haiti Watch: Disease Threatens Infants and No Plans to Stop It

Murder, Mayhem and Mexican Mafia Stalk the Bakken Oil Fields

Bakken Oil: Fighting for Control of Fort Berthold and the Three Affiliated Tribes

To View Comments or Join the Conversation:

Tell A Friend