Chartered Engineer and Goal Team Leader Darren Hanniffy reports from Haiti
Release date: Wednesday, 20 January 2010
Darren Hanniffy B.Eng, M.Sc,C.Eng, MIEI
GOAL’s Darren Hanniffy arrived on Wednesday from Honduras where he was Country Director for the aid organisation. This is what he has seen in his own words.
"Life in Haiti is a living nightmare for the three million people who survived last Tuesday’s earthquake. The capital Port-au-Prince has been levelled and every day is now a life and death struggle for those living in what was already one of the poorest countries in the world.
Thousands of people remain missing and few buildings remain standing.
Some roads are impassable. Others are blocked by rubble and smashed cars. The water supply in Haiti has mostly been cut off leaving people without safe drinking water which is currently the most critical issue for the survivors.
There is no electricity, no phone lines and food is in short supply.
The port has been destroyed. Many of the roads to neighboring Dominican Republic are impassable, and refugees are constantly on the road trying to flee the country.
The airport is the only lifeline – and it’s a slim lifeline. The airport is tiny. Its radar and control tower tumbled in the quake – and the US military have been running it since then. It has only one small runway, no room for parked planes, limited fuel supplies and there aren’t enough trucks to empty and ferry aid to warehouses.
Everything from generators, food, water purifying kits, shelter, and medical equipment will have to be brought in."
GOAL is preparing to start delivering some of the relief goods which have been stored in their warehouse in Port au Prince. A large consignment of supplies is expected to be delivered shortly from the US warship which is berthed in the bay, while the organisation is also primed to accept relief items being trucked in from neighbouring Dominican Republic .
GOAL is asking people to help by donating to the organisation. GOAL can be reached at GOAL,
PO Box 19, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin , by phoning 01-2809779 or by visiting www.goal.ie.
Engineers Ireland has been asked by Goal to source members interested in donating their expertise and time to aid the relief work in Haiti. If you are interested in volunteering to assist the work Goal are doing in Haiti please contact jkinahan@engineersireland.ie
GOAL’s Darren Hanniffy arrived on Wednesday from Honduras where he was Country Director for the aid organisation. This is what he has seen in his own words.
"Life in Haiti is a living nightmare for the three million people who survived last Tuesday’s earthquake. The capital Port-au-Prince has been levelled and every day is now a life and death struggle for those living in what was already one of the poorest countries in the world.
Thousands of people remain missing and few buildings remain standing.
Some roads are impassable. Others are blocked by rubble and smashed cars. The water supply in Haiti has mostly been cut off leaving people without safe drinking water which is currently the most critical issue for the survivors.
There is no electricity, no phone lines and food is in short supply.
The port has been destroyed. Many of the roads to neighboring Dominican Republic are impassable, and refugees are constantly on the road trying to flee the country.
The airport is the only lifeline – and it’s a slim lifeline. The airport is tiny. Its radar and control tower tumbled in the quake – and the US military have been running it since then. It has only one small runway, no room for parked planes, limited fuel supplies and there aren’t enough trucks to empty and ferry aid to warehouses.
Everything from generators, food, water purifying kits, shelter, and medical equipment will have to be brought in."
GOAL is preparing to start delivering some of the relief goods which have been stored in their warehouse in Port au Prince. A large consignment of supplies is expected to be delivered shortly from the US warship which is berthed in the bay, while the organisation is also primed to accept relief items being trucked in from neighbouring Dominican Republic .
GOAL is asking people to help by donating to the organisation. GOAL can be reached at GOAL,
PO Box 19, Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin , by phoning 01-2809779 or by visiting www.goal.ie.
Engineers Ireland has been asked by Goal to source members interested in donating their expertise and time to aid the relief work in Haiti. If you are interested in volunteering to assist the work Goal are doing in Haiti please contact jkinahan@engineersireland.ie