7.0 Earthquake Hits Haiti Hospital Collapses

[LinasK]

1 hr 29 mins ago
By now, most of us have seen and heard about the profound devastation and suffering wrought upon Haiti last week after a massive earthquake. So you'd probably think there's no way that cruising tourists could have returned to frolicking on Haiti's beaches mere miles from where people are trapped beneath the rubble of a decimated city. Unfortunately, you'd be wrong.
On Sunday, the Guardian reported that Florida-based Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines is docking ships at the "picturesque wooded peninsula" known as Labadee, which it leases on Haiti's northern coast. At Labadee, passengers "enjoy jetski rides, parasailing, and rum cocktails delivered to their hammocks." The British paper also reported that passengers can spend their time "shopping for trinkets at a craft market" while armed guards stand at the entry to the complex to guarantee their safety.
Despite the fact that the ships have delivered relief supplies to the island, some passengers on the ships are reportedly "sickened" over the decision to dock there. One passenger took to an Internet message board to protest the idea of vacationing where "tens of thousands of dead people are being piled up on the streets, with the survivors stunned and looking for food and water."

When Royal Caribbean announced its decision to resume stops at Labadee last week, a company executive cited the economic importance of the resort to the local citizens as well as the opportunity to deliver much-needed supplies. "We also have tremendous opportunities to use our ships as transport vessels for relief supplies and personnel to Haiti," said associate vice president John Weis. "Simply put, we cannot abandon Haiti now that they need us most." more at link:http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/20100119/ts_ynews/ynews_ts1063

 

[Woe.be.gone]

Yesterday I saw an interview with two young American sisters from PA. They are running an orphanage in Haiti and have over thirty young children in their charge. They have no shelter at the moment and their food/water is being rationed. The reporter asked them if they told the authorities that they look after all these children and they replied "they don't care." They fear that their neighbors, who they have lived peacefully with for three years, know that they have some supplies and will begin stealing from them as someone was trying to scale the wall into their yard.

My prayers go out to them. I wish there was some way to get them a safe shelter and assure that they have the food and water they need to nourish themselves and the children.

Good news. I just heard on CNN and I quote, "After this story aired, Jamie and Aly McMurtrie received permission to fly the 150 children at the BRESMA orphanage to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania." Source: Associated Press

This is incorrect info. They state on there facebook page that it was inaccurate information being posted, that as of yet they have no clearness to enter the US with the kids.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=253060986318&ref=ts

CNN just updated the above. Gov. Rendell of PA helped to make connections with the right people on behalf of the sisters and the children. A private citizen arranged and paid for a chartered plane to fly the group out. Everything was set it seemed until they ran into problems securing all the paperwork. The chartered plane had to leave as it was taking up space. There are 47 children who already have adoptive parents lined up in Spain, Canada and the US. Seven other children were not going to be allowed out but the sisters did not take no for an answer and somehow they were allowed clearance, 54 children total.

They were ready to leave but the chartered plane had left. US Major Miller was able to arrange for the group to fly on a C-17 (cargo plane that had brought a crane to Haiti) to Orlando. Suddenly, someone in the group realized that the head count was off by one child. One of the sisters would not leave without little Emma, age 2, who had fallen asleep on the bus and had been missed upon boarding. The rest of the group took off in the C-17 while one of the sisters went to collect Emma. The Governor said they should be enroute to the US now. What a story.

Wishing Jamie and Aly and the children many blessings. One day they will know what you did for them. Bless you and all who made this happen.

 

[Woe.be.gone]

Hi LinasK. That is a sticky situation regarding the cruise ship. It's one of those where you can understand both views. If they are bringing aid (I don't think they stay there very long), the passenger has to endure the decision. Maybe instead of partying they could use that time to reflect upon their own good fortune and view it as an opportunity to keep that small piece of Haiti operating. On the other hand, the cruise could divert for a month or so. It could pose a danger to the paying passengers and would be a valid concern imo. What do you think?

 

[LogicalMinds]

Hi LinasK. That is a sticky situation regarding the cruise ship. It's one of those where you can understand both views. If they are bringing aid (I don't think they stay there very long), the passenger has to endure the decision. Maybe instead of partying they could use that time to reflect upon their own good fortune and view it as an opportunity to keep that small piece of Haiti operating. On the other hand, the cruise could divert for a month or so. It could pose a danger to the paying passengers and would be a valid concern imo. What do you think?

Well...I posted the truth about RCI and Labadee...which is about the ONLY cruise/resort area in the whole country..that employs about 200 people

I am on "cruise forums"...and the cruisers are bringing/donating items/money...the ship is bringing in goods and money...and hopefully people will be able to get up from Port au Prince to Labadee (Cap Haitian) if they have relatives there

the beach Labadee is ONLY accessable to the cruisers...and I am sure they will up the normal round of guards..and it is 100 miles from PaP

however...why on earth should people who waited to cruise and paid for it "reflect"..??? sorry...the people going "east" to St Thomas etc won't "reflect"...nor will those on west coast cruising the Mexico Riviera..

why on earth would anyone expect cruisers to not have a good time/??

just by being there they are bringing money in...and trust me everyone on RCI route to Labadee
is planning to bring money, food, toiletries and much much more

are we all going to sit home and "reflect" on Haiti this weekend?? I am not

I am attending a fundraiser...and I am helping host a fundraiser to collect canned goods...but I am going to not have a good time and why should anyone do that??

IMHO it is ridiculous for people to begrudge what RCI is doing..they were the ONLY cruiseline to even stop there (Lina....no cruise line ever stopped at Port au Prince contrary to what you had said)

My guess is that Yahoo is just making a big deal out of this..just sensational journalism...they don't know the facts...they don't realize that NO cruise ships ever went to the "real Haiti"...just to ONE beach...and that brings a lot of money to Haiti which has virtually NO tourism

not to mention it is 100 miles away from the quake

Have you ever been there?? I have ....it should not be a "danger" to anyone..and it will bring in money for Haiti

 

[LogicalMinds]

Wow....who knew earthquakes in the carribean?? Huricaines..yes..but quakes?

I would rather a huricaine any day JMO

btw...Grand Cayman has a lot of money..they were hard hit by Wilma and so were we in South Florida...

I was there the year after Wilma and all their roofs and lights were great, they were rebuilt but we still had temp/bad lights and blue tarps on roofs and much destruction

mucho money in GC....$$$$$$$$

God Bless them...hope they are ok but I am sure they can rebuild very fast
and I bet their homes and apt buildings etc are up to code

 

[feddup]

I know it's frustrating. I don't know what gets into me sometimes (the butt comment) - sorry. There's nothing I can do to help other than to donate and to pray either. Organizations, countries, media and individuals are all trying to do their best imo.

Maybe because every natural disaster is different and involves varied circumstances, for instance, Haiti is not in the US and so many more people are critically injured than during Katrina, it's not an instant repeat for responders. Each tragedy is like reinventing the wheel. Consider what a great job any firefighting team does but, depending on the type of fire, they either put the fire out quickly and save lives or they cannot and someone may perish in the fire. We have faith that they did their best and would not question them when things don't turn out as well as we would have liked.

The responders are risking their own lives and they are doing their best. The circumstances could not be worse if you ask me. If it were my husband responding, I'd know that whatever his duty was he'd do it to the best of his ability. Nobody can go in there and lift tons of concrete off the ground to reveal survivors. That has got to be killing the rescuers too. They will likely be traumatized too. I can't imagine what it's like for the Doctors to be helpless to fix people because they haven't been provided the equipment that's necessary to do so. They are my heroes for hanging in there and doing what they are able to do.

One thing though, we didn't blame another country when the Katrina rescue went badly - we blamed our own leadership. Now it seems that Haiti is America's fault too. :banghead:

Diffeerent case scenario, our country but hurricane Katrina in N.O. and some surrounding areas was BAD. A bunch of old people in a nursing home in st Bernards Parish all drowned, when those levees broke and water started flooding in thats when the problems started. Also, old people died out in the STREET waiting for help.
Alot of police took off, the police station was ruined, some cops who stayed behind lived out of their cars and ate MRE's because so much food was contaminated, lots of looting going on. it WAS bad.
I still dont know why it took so long to get help in but same goes for Haiti and just think, they are in a totally different place. These things unfortunately always seem to take too long for the desperate.

 

[LinasK]

Well...I posted the truth about RCI and Labadee...which is about the ONLY cruise/resort area in the whole country..that employs about 200 people

I am on "cruise forums"...and the cruisers are bringing/donating items/money...the ship is bringing in goods and money...and hopefully people will be able to get up from Port au Prince to Labadee (Cap Haitian) if they have relatives there

the beach Labadee is ONLY accessable to the cruisers...and I am sure they will up the normal round of guards..and it is 100 miles from PaP

however...why on earth should people who waited to cruise and paid for it "reflect"..??? sorry...the people going "east" to St Thomas etc won't "reflect"...nor will those on west coast cruising the Mexico Riviera..

why on earth would anyone expect cruisers to not have a good time/??

just by being there they are bringing money in...and trust me everyone on RCI route to Labadee
is planning to bring money, food, toiletries and much much more

are we all going to sit home and "reflect" on Haiti this weekend?? I am not

I am attending a fundraiser...and I am helping host a fundraiser to collect canned goods...but I am going to not have a good time and why should anyone do that??

IMHO it is ridiculous for people to begrudge what RCI is doing..they were the ONLY cruiseline to even stop there (Lina....no cruise line ever stopped at Port au Prince contrary to what you had said)

My guess is that Yahoo is just making a big deal out of this..just sensational journalism...they don't know the facts...they don't realize that NO cruise ships ever went to the "real Haiti"...just to ONE beach...and that brings a lot of money to Haiti which has virtually NO tourism

not to mention it is 100 miles away from the quake

Have you ever been there?? I have ....it should not be a "danger" to anyone..and it will bring in money for Haiti

Yes I have been to Cap Haitian, a.k.a "Ladabee" aboard the Royal Carribean, and you are wrong, my mother and father have been to Port Au Prince via cruise ships.

 

[KaylynnCouture]

For anyone interested.. there will be a telethon to raise money for Haiti called Hope for Haiti on over 20 channels this coming Friday (January 22nd) at 8pm eastern. It will be on all the main channels (CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, etc) as well as CNN, MTV, VH1, VH1 Classic, BET, Comedy Central, SoapNet, Style Network, and many more.

 

[LogicalMinds]

Yes I have been to Cap Haitian, a.k.a "Ladabee" aboard the Royal Carribean, and you are wrong, my mother and father have been to Port Au Prince via cruise ships.

yeah I said various times that RCI has Labadee (Cap Haitian)..ONE private beach..used by ONLY their ships and mostly only in the winter..

I know cruises...and I know that NONE visit PaP...NONE...what year did your parents go there?? Maybe in the ? 50's or something....but none recently

also...speaking of being "wrong">> you stated "Ummm, they Did have a wonderful Tourist Trade from Cruise ships alone, let alone the people that fly to Haiti as a vacation destination. Cap Haitian and Port- Au-Prince are frequent ports of call for many cruise ships... "..

FACT...they never did have a "wonderful" tourist trade...once again....they had ONE beach...200 haitian workers...with ONE cruiseline

no one went there as a "vacation destination">>> NO one

they don't have any major hotel chains, they don't even have electricity for the most part...they use generators, they don't even have a bus schedule
and people who go there are there for missonary/aide/govt etc work

Haiti was NOT a frequent port of call..and NOT for many cruise ships...

they had virtually NO real tourist trade...with the health problems, vacines needed to travel there, the water etc....and the fact that people had to "rent" a "guide" to translate and protect them....NO tourists

read tripadvisor....read "lonely planet"...they had NO tourist trade...and I don't see anyone proving any different...

they had aide workers, missionaries...some engineers....a few art dealers...business people.

once again...I have been to most of these islands...I have been on many cruises...I know people who are in the travel biz...I know people who travel 20 times more than me..and I only know a few people who have been to Haiti besides Labadee on RCI>>> Dr Rich and a minister and a former missionary guy

and thats it...and it was bad there...but rewarding...
but please...NOT a tourist industy...I just spoke to my minister friend yesterday and he reinforced what I have been saying here

I have NO idea why you want to portray Haiti as "sucessful" and a tourist destination...?? I don't get it

If I am wrong...fine...please post links/"vacation" info on Haiti prequake...

please post the "fantastic cruiseship" trade..as far as I know they had ONLY RCI and only a few visits a week mostly in the winter (as those ships go to europe or alaska in summer...one stays here and would probably still visit...and ONLY on the western itinerary)

I am more than happy to back up anything and everything I say...I respect opinions but when it comes to facts facts are facts...
and the fact is that Haiti had virtually NO tourists, no tourism industry

one beach...a few visits..and 200 people employed by it

IF I am wrong please post the facts....I have been wrong before but on this I am pretty sure I am right..thanks

 

[PorcineGranny]

Logical mind, you are absolutely right! I have been doing some research on Haiti plus reading the blogs about the earthquake.

Listen , an interesting article tonight on Drudge, some rescuers in Texas , including doctors have been told they aren't needed in Haiti. Anyone else heard anything?

 

[Wise Old Owl]

Preliminary 6.0 magnitude quake hits Haiti, shaking buildings, sending people into streets

By Associated Press

6:27 a.m. EST, January 20, 2010
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A strong earthquake has hit Haiti, shaking buildings and sending people running into the streets.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the preliminary 6.0 magnitude quake hit at 6:03 a.m. (1103 GMT) Wednesday about 35 miles (56 kilometers) northwest of the capital of Port-au-Prince.

It says the quake struck at a depth of 13.7 miles (22 kilometers).

AP reporters in the Haitian capital say the temblor sent scores of people fleeing into the streets.

The pacific tsunami warning center said the earthquake was located too far inland to generate any tidal waves in the Caribbean

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/haiti/sns-ap-cb-haiti-earthquake,0,7084067.story


What in the world is going on? Our local news just spoke with the US Geological Service and they are saying this was an aftershock.

Yet Guatemala and the Cayman Islands both have had earthquakes in the past 3 days or so.

Curiouser and curiouser...............

 

[Trident]

"Haitian authorities conceded they had lost their battle to maintain order in Port-au-Prince after the leaders of the city's crime gangs reclaimed their old turf since being freed when the national prison collapsed last week."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...mit-gangs-have-taken-over-Port-au-Prince.html

Wish I knew how to consolidate this URL

 

[Trident]

Preliminary 6.0 magnitude quake hits Haiti, shaking buildings, sending people into streets

By Associated Press

6:27 a.m. EST, January 20, 2010
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A strong earthquake has hit Haiti, shaking buildings and sending people running into the streets.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the preliminary 6.0 magnitude quake hit at 6:03 a.m. (1103 GMT) Wednesday about 35 miles (56 kilometers) northwest of the capital of Port-au-Prince.

It says the quake struck at a depth of 13.7 miles (22 kilometers).

AP reporters in the Haitian capital say the temblor sent scores of people fleeing into the streets.

The pacific tsunami warning center said the earthquake was located too far inland to generate any tidal waves in the Caribbean

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/haiti/sns-ap-cb-haiti-earthquake,0,7084067.story


What in the world is going on? Our local news just spoke with the US Geological Service and they are saying this was an aftershock.

Yet Guatemala and the Cayman Islands both have had earthquakes in the past 3 days or so.

Curiouser and curiouser...............

Yellowstone has also been "acting up" in the past few days.

 

[raeann]

Logical mind, you are absolutely right! I have been doing some research on Haiti plus reading the blogs about the earthquake.

Listen , an interesting article tonight on Drudge, some rescuers in Texas , including doctors have been told they aren't needed in Haiti. Anyone else heard anything?

Not about that specifically, I am still just fuming that the Doctors Without Borders planes---two at least in the last few days---have been denied permission to land, BUT the plane with Bill Clinton and a horde of paid government photographers was allowed to land and given hours of time on the tarmac to do photo shoots of "handing water to each other". Then an EMPTY plane sent by a Pennsylvania politician was allowed to land to take some orphans out, when any number of other empty planes were already available and leaving the island after dropping off cargo. Sorry I have no specific link for this, but ALL of the cable news channels have been showing these events. OK....done with rant, I just don't feel this is an event that should be used for political self promotion....



jmoo

 

[chesterp]

yeah I said various times that RCI has Labadee (Cap Haitian)..ONE private beach..used by ONLY their ships and mostly only in the winter..

I know cruises...and I know that NONE visit PaP...NONE...what year did your parents go there?? Maybe in the ? 50's or something....but none recently

also...speaking of being "wrong">> you stated "Ummm, they Did have a wonderful Tourist Trade from Cruise ships alone, let alone the people that fly to Haiti as a vacation destination. Cap Haitian and Port- Au-Prince are frequent ports of call for many cruise ships... "..

FACT...they never did have a "wonderful" tourist trade...once again....they had ONE beach...200 haitian workers...with ONE cruiseline

no one went there as a "vacation destination">>> NO one

they don't have any major hotel chains, they don't even have electricity for the most part...they use generators, they don't even have a bus schedule
and people who go there are there for missonary/aide/govt etc work

Haiti was NOT a frequent port of call..and NOT for many cruise ships...

they had virtually NO real tourist trade...with the health problems, vacines needed to travel there, the water etc....and the fact that people had to "rent" a "guide" to translate and protect them....NO tourists

read tripadvisor....read "lonely planet"...they had NO tourist trade...and I don't see anyone proving any different...

they had aide workers, missionaries...some engineers....a few art dealers...business people.

once again...I have been to most of these islands...I have been on many cruises...I know people who are in the travel biz...I know people who travel 20 times more than me..and I only know a few people who have been to Haiti besides Labadee on RCI>>> Dr Rich and a minister and a former missionary guy

and thats it...and it was bad there...but rewarding...
but please...NOT a tourist industy...I just spoke to my minister friend yesterday and he reinforced what I have been saying here

I have NO idea why you want to portray Haiti as "sucessful" and a tourist destination...?? I don't get it

If I am wrong...fine...please post links/"vacation" info on Haiti prequake...

please post the "fantastic cruiseship" trade..as far as I know they had ONLY RCI and only a few visits a week mostly in the winter (as those ships go to europe or alaska in summer...one stays here and would probably still visit...and ONLY on the western itinerary)

I am more than happy to back up anything and everything I say...I respect opinions but when it comes to facts facts are facts...
and the fact is that Haiti had virtually NO tourists, no tourism industry

one beach...a few visits..and 200 people employed by it

IF I am wrong please post the facts....I have been wrong before but on this I am pretty sure I am right..thanks

In the late 80's - mid 90's my husband and I took a cruise every year and Haiti was always a Port-O-Call....no matter what line we were on. We used to shop in the tourist area....VOODOO dolls were quite popular.

 

[LogicalMinds]

http://www.sphere.com/world/article/miraculous-rescues-continue-in-haiti-but-for-how-long/19322744

This just made me cry....this woman rescued after 6 days....hope is still there for the Lynn U group....but fading fast...this woman is remarkable...and her hubby too...God Bless them

the aftershock?? more like another quake it seems...6.0....OMG

as far as cruiseships going to Haiti in late 80's or mid 90's...I don't know...but 15 or 20 years ago does not help the economy today

no one can show me a link of a ship porting in PaP in the past 10 years

Haiti was more "stable" under the Duvalier family..Papa Doc and Baby Doc..cause it was a dictatorship

it has undergone various revolutions, coups, civil wars or whatever

No one can "show" me vacation sites or "packages" for Haiti..cause there were none

There are other "poor" Carribean countries...but they are still safe to visit or able to stay at an all inclusive or whatever....

there is a vast difference...the other poor countries mostly have a much smaller population...they have some "infastructure"...or where they don't it is "country"...so people who live in the country or the mountains in St Lucia or Dominica or Grenada may use an outhouse...but in their cities they have plumbing and water

Haiti is more like India...without the tourist attractions, no Taj Mahal etc...
people living in street slums with no plumbing, no electricity
even the "rich" don't have stable electric....most use huge generators...they buy them
here in Florida

it has the most cases of TB anywhere in this Hemisphere...it had/has 10% of the population with aids, 90% of the kids with parasites...malaria, cholera, disentary
you had to have vacinations to even go there...no other carribean island needs that

NO one would go there as a tourist (except to....let me say it again...ONE fenced off private beach with 200 Haitian workers run by Royal Carribean...and part of the reason for that beach is their generosity)

Haiti was under UN "guard" at the time of the earthquake due to the political instability

This earthquake is just devastating to these poor people...and I would hate for anyone to think that somehow Haiti is "like" the other islands...that they have tourism to fall back on...or that they somehow "squandered" their tourist trade

They are so poor and have so little, now they have 200,000 dead, 250,000 injured...and God knows we need to do whatever we can to help them

 

[songline]

For anyone interested.. there will be a telethon to raise money for Haiti called Hope for Haiti on over 20 channels this coming Friday (January 22nd) at 8pm eastern. It will be on all the main channels (CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, etc) as well as CNN, MTV, VH1, VH1 Classic, BET, Comedy Central, SoapNet, Style Network, and many more.

Yes George Clooney and friends
Love him, love him to pieces.

George Clooney reveals stars that will perform for Haiti

http://www.bostonherald.com/track/star_tracks/view.bg?articleid=1226541&srvc=home&position=also

 

[songline]

Wyclef Jean calls for evacuating Haiti capital
"Port-au-Prince is a morgue," Jean said at a Manhattan press conference, recounting how he collected the corpses of small children and adults from the festering streets on his recent trip. Tears streamed down his face as he looked into the camera, speaking to his countrymen.

Residents should be evacuated to tent cities outside Port-au-Prince to allow for aid to reach them and so cleanup can begin in earnest, Jean said, asking for help from around the world in building encampments.

"We need to migrate at least 2 million people," Jean said, promising to draw on his status as one of Haiti's favorite sons to aid in such an effort. "I give you my word, if I tell them to go, they will go. But they need somewhere to go to," Jean said.

>>>>>>>>>>>more at link
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_haiti_wyclef_jean


Wyclef Jean calls for evacuating Haiti's capital
NEW YORK (AP) -- Haitian-born musician Wyclef Jean is calling for an evacuation of his homeland's earthquake-ravaged capital and asking for international aid to help set up tent cities nearby.

>>>>>>>>>>

More at link
http://wonderwall.msn.com/movies/li...s-for-evacuating-haitis-capital-1534094.story

 

[songline]

Logical mind, you are absolutely right! I have been doing some research on Haiti plus reading the blogs about the earthquake.

Listen , an interesting article tonight on Drudge, some rescuers in Texas , including doctors have been told they aren't needed in Haiti. Anyone else heard anything?

I totally agree with you Logical Mind has been very informative and I am the type to verify most information.
I don't swallow everything I read....LM's many posts verified what I had known as well as adds so
much valuable information I had never known, it helps to know the area.

But some had a week vacation and think they know it all. LOL

I love it when people stand up for the truth.
KUDOS to you Porcine Granny.

 

[songline]

http://www.sphere.com/world/article/miraculous-rescues-continue-in-haiti-but-for-how-long/19322744

This just made me cry....this woman rescued after 6 days....hope is still there for the Lynn U group....but fading fast...this woman is remarkable...and her hubby too...God Bless them

the aftershock?? more like another quake it seems...6.0....OMG

as far as cruiseships going to Haiti in late 80's or mid 90's...I don't know...but 15 or 20 years ago does not help the economy today

no one can show me a link of a ship porting in PaP in the past 10 years

Haiti was more "stable" under the Duvalier family..Papa Doc and Baby Doc..cause it was a dictatorship

it has undergone various revolutions, coups, civil wars or whatever

No one can "show" me vacation sites or "packages" for Haiti..cause there were none

There are other "poor" Carribean countries...but they are still safe to visit or able to stay at an all inclusive or whatever....

there is a vast difference...the other poor countries mostly have a much smaller population...they have some "infastructure"...or where they don't it is "country"...so people who live in the country or the mountains in St Lucia or Dominica or Grenada may use an outhouse...but in their cities they have plumbing and water

Haiti is more like India...without the tourist attractions, no Taj Mahal etc...
people living in street slums with no plumbing, no electricity
even the "rich" don't have stable electric....most use huge generators...they buy them
here in Florida

it has the most cases of TB anywhere in this Hemisphere...it had/has 10% of the population with aids, 90% of the kids with parasites...malaria, cholera, disentary
you had to have vacinations to even go there...no other carribean island needs that

NO one would go there as a tourist (except to....let me say it again...ONE fenced off private beach with 200 Haitian workers run by Royal Carribean...and part of the reason for that beach is their generosity)

Haiti was under UN "guard" at the time of the earthquake due to the political instability

This earthquake is just devastating to these poor people...and I would hate for anyone to think that somehow Haiti is "like" the other islands...that they have tourism to fall back on...or that they somehow "squandered" their tourist trade

They are so poor and have so little, now they have 200,000 dead, 250,000 injured...and God knows we need to do whatever we can to help them

I did read this story yesterday and with tears streaming down my face I called the Israeli consulate, spoke with the General Counsel (my family) to thank them for everything they are doing in Haiti...he said "I wish we can do more but whatever we can do will be done, we know how to work in a disaster". With a smile I had to say "I know but thanks from everybody".