18454: Esser: IRC Haiti: Situation alarming (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. Esser torx@joimail.com

International Red Cross
11-02-2004  ICRC News 04/14
Haiti: Situation alarming

The Haitian Red Cross and the ICRC are working together to meet
humanitarian needs arising from the crisis that has engulfed Haiti
for the past three months.

Each day wounded people in dire need of medical care are being rushed
to hospitals in Port-au-Prince and other cities. These have neither
the staff nor the equipment to cope with such an emergency. The ICRC
is particularly concerned by repeated incidents of armed individuals
breaking into hospitals, endangering the lives of both staff and
patients.

The Haitian Red Cross, with ICRC support, is continuing to evacuate
the wounded, despite increasingly restricted access to them. Since
December 2003 the ICRC and the National Society have provided medical
facilities with first-aid material in sufficient quantities to treat
250 wounded. The ICRC is currently evaluating needs in the main
public and private hospitals and already plans to supply enough
surgical material to treat 500 wounded.

Wherever possible, the ICRC is also continuing to visit detainees.
The organization has increased its staff in Haiti, and now has six
delegates working there.


For further information, please contact:
Felipe Donoso, ICRC Haiti, tel. ++ 509 256 78 24
Adolfo Beteta, ICRC Mexico, tel. ++ 5255 52 43 55
Eros Bosisio, ICRC Geneva, tel. ++ 4122 730 21 01