Activity of Rotarians in support of Haitians;

    “ Rotary clubs and districts worldwide are mobilizing resources to deliver urgently needed relief to the millions affected by Haiti's devastating earthquake. District 7020, which includes Haiti, has flown in 55 planes filled with more than 50,000 pounds of medical equipment and supplies into the cities of Pignon and Port-de-Paix to bypass logistical problems in the hard-hit capital of Port-au-Prince. …Dick McCombe, past district governor and Haiti liaison chair said, ’Rotary had an incredible infrastructure established before the quake, which has made our relief efforts very effective,…We're flying in supplies through backdoor channels and doing things a lot of agencies can't do.’

   “Rotarian Claude Surena, head of the Haiti Task Force and president of the Haitian Medical Association, is sheltering more than 100 injured people in his damaged home in Port-au-Prince. His house has become a makeshift hospital and medical distribution center. Within the next two weeks…a barge will be hired to transport 20 to 30 tons of clothes, blankets, folding beds, and other items to Haiti from Nassau, Bahamas. 
    “Rotary ShelterBox has already delivered more than 3,300 containers to Haiti, with another 1,000 or more scheduled to be deployed. ..with the largest, quickest, and most complex deployment in its history--- operations were organized across four countries to get ShelterBoxes to the people of Haiti quickly. Each box contains a tent that houses 10 people as well as a stove, blankets, and other essential items. Doctors have been using supplies from the containers to treat the injured. Hospitals in the capital city are using the tents to provide emergency shelter for postoperative patients. 

    “The Rotary Club of Tocoa, Colón, Honduras, has chartered three flights to send 25,000 to 30,000 pounds of food to Haiti. A six-person team from the Rotary clubs of Inwood, Manhattan, and New York is working with Comprehensive and Response Service to establish a staging area in the Dominican Republic for bringing medical supplies into Port-au-Prince.”