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Notes from the Field
Relief
Tuesday October 6, 2009
Posted by: Staci Dixon at 2:41PM EST on October 6, 2009
by Seki Hirano, CARE shelter advisor Disaster Strikes Southeast Asia and Pacific Islands
A series of natural disasters – including two typhoons, four earthquakes and a tsunami – recently hit Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. These disasters have devastated communities, killed and injured thousands of people and left millions homeless millions due to flooding and destruction. CARE is on the ground in the Philippines, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Indonesia, assessing survivors' immediate needs and providing lifesaving aid, including clean water, food and temporary shelter. An estimated $15 million will be needed to provide humanitarian assistance in these hard-hit areas. On September 30, Indra, a 20-year-old student in Padang, West Sumatra, received a desperate phone call from his mother. The island has just been struck with a massive earthquake. Indra left Padang and rushed back to his home in the remote village of Pulo Air. Fortunately, he arrived to find his mother safe. However, he found that half his village, along with two neighboring villages, had completely disappeared under a four-hectare-wide landslide. The edge of the slide had stopped just four metres from his house. On Sunday, October 4, CARE's emergency response team reached the remains of what used to be the village of Pulo Air, in the earthquake-devastated Pariaman District of West Sumatra. The village had not yet been reached by emergency aid. As CARE's team approached the village, the narrow rural path filled with crowds of weeping people fleeing on foot, in cars and on motorbikes. The team had to dismount their motorbikes and walk the remaining kilometer into the village. There, I met Indra and spoke to him outside his home. It started to rain heavily and we crouched the palm thatch eaves to talk. Indra would not look at me. He just looked straight forward and replied. "Just gone," he said. "I cannot believe this. There used to be my school, now you cannot even see a single desk. My friends I grew up with are gone. This village use to be on one level and now there is this 30 foot drop." Idra said his mother was still completely traumatized. After hearing the deafening thundering of the landslide, she had run outside only to hear sharp screams of "Help! Help!" She was powerless. She could not do anything. Other surviving villagers arrived moments later but were equally helpless. Local officials estimate 140 people died in the destruction of three villages. There were only 5 survivors, who are currently in hospital. Indra's mother is one of them. Indra looked on with a bewildered gaze. A medical mask hung from his chin. "I am confused. I hear rumors that we will be relocated as the land now in this area is unsafe. My paddy fields are gone and my house is damaged beyond repair." I asked what the survivors need the most. Indra replied, "Food, water, clothes, blankets and housing." In other words, most everything that can be replaced.
The remains of Indra’s house in the remote village of Pulo Air,
 Rescue teams begin to clear the landslide that engulfed the  Rescue teams survey the landslide that engulfed the village of Pulo Air and Friday October 2, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 3:30PM EST on October 2, 2009
by Celso Dulce Celso Dulce is CARE's Project Representative in the Philippines, and he is leading CARE's emergency response to Typhoon Ketsana in Manila. Celso is from Manila. It started to rain a few hours ago, and it's dark. Today we were supporting the government order to evacuate people from high-risk areas as a precautionary measure. I just returned from securing the warehouses for relief distribution, because the goods might be damaged. Another storm is coming. We don't know how bad, but the rain is getting harder. Some areas are still flooded. In some areas, we don't know why, the water started to rise again yesterday. Some areas are still hard to reach. With the oncoming typhoon, definitely we will see the floodwaters rising again. So people who returned to their homes, but they will have to go back to the evacuation centers or whatever safe place they have identified. This is very difficult, because people were just starting to clean their houses and now they have to leave again. Almost 300 people are dead. This is my city. I have never seen it like this. They call the new storm a 'super-typhoon', and people are becoming panicked. Just this afternoon, we received an SMS saying that the super-typhoon will hit by 9 p.m. tonight. Then we received another SMS saying it will hit Manila by 5 p.m. It creates a lot of fear and panic. We need to teach people what to do to prepare for the coming super-typhoon. They need to move to a safer ground. They shouldn't wait for the strong winds and floods, that will be too late. They have to follow government warnings. Survival steps, prepare water, prepare food that will cover for one or two days. The electricity company has already said there will be cut off in electricity. There is a high level of awareness, and the government units are doing their best to prepare. I hope there are no deaths this time. The biggest need right now is for food, safe water and emergency shelter, especially since it's raining again. People had been sent back home, because the schools were being used as shelters. Children have to go back to school. Classes had been cancelled for a week already. But now we will need emergency shelter again, mainly tarpaulins. Families have yet to rebuild their homes. Two days ago I visited one area. One family had a shelter barely larger than two metres by two metres made of salvaged material. As many as 10-14 people lived in this. They have to take turns sleeping, some during the night, some during the day. And then they were hit by the typhoon. For me, it was so depressing, because even before the disaster they were living in such a horrible condition, and the floods made it worse. The urban poor eat only twice a day, and have very poor quality food, maybe just plain rice and soy sauce. At times, they scavenge food from the garbage, but they can't now, because everything is contaminated by the flood. CARE is distributing drinking water and food that will last them for a week. We are also distributing emergency supplies like blankets, jerry cans to store water and plastic tarpaulins. One man said, we need assistance, my wife is sick. She was doing the cleaning after the floods, because a lot of mud and debris were in the households. It is the responsibility of the women to take care of the children and clean the house. They have to get food and take care of the children, and the children are getting sick. The requests for medical assistance is increasing. It has been a long week. I think of those families tonight. I watch the news and the path of the new typhoon. The rain is getting harder.
Posted by: CARE at 3:21PM EST on October 2, 2009
Oct. 1, 2009 Monday August 10, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 10:46AM EST on August 10, 2009
Blog by Allen Clinton, CARE staff, currently on a Learning Tours trip to Kenya. There's a lot involved in putting together a Learning Tours trip. Right now I'm in Kenya as part of a team doing an advance run-through. I'll hold back on all the program details until the trip starts but I will say we've been on the road a lot visiting numerous communities, hospitals and clinics to make sure delegates have a safe, well managed and well informed trip. On the way to one clinic in the slums of Kibera to review the schedule and time the walk, we were instructed to keep moving along a narrow one lane pathway so we don't hold up anyone coming from the other direction. As parts were muddy, black rubber boots were provided. Some who didn't have the right shoes on wore the boots. For the majority of us who didn't try out the black boots, we did survive walking through or stepping over drainage ditches. I took a few photos to show you what I mean.
Along the way children would walk with us for a few steps asking, "How are you?" When we respond we're fine and returned the same question, they would always smile and giggle. Some even asked the folks with the boots on when it was going to rain. Thursday July 9, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 5:09PM EST on July 9, 2009
by Rick Perera, Media & Communications Officer Farewell, Pakistan. My month among these kind, hospitable people is coming to an end. As I leave this country that is struggling with a massive wave of civilians fleeing conflict, my mind is full of thoughts, and my heart full of emotions. I've seen the sacrifice of ordinary Pakistanis doing their best to help their suffering compatriots. Their generosity is an inspiration, but also a challenge, to the rest of the world. ... (more) Monday June 29, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 12:34PM EST on June 29, 2009
by Rick Perera, Media
& Communications Officer Just 12 years old, he carries the weight of the world on his narrow shoulders. The eldest of five children of a widowed mother, Sajjad Ahmad feels responsible for his family. It’s not easy being the man of the house at such a young age. 
... (more)
Thursday June 11, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 12:06PM EST on June 11, 2009
Blog by Rick Perera, Media Officer, CARE International in Pakistan: ISLAMABAD – It’s become depressingly familiar: a tragic attack on civilians. Tuesday’s hotel bombing in Peshawar is just the latest in a string of events marring this beautiful country. ... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 11:36AM EST on June 11, 2009
Blog by Rick Perera, Media Officer, CARE International in Pakistan: Thursday June 4, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 1:26PM EST on June 4, 2009
Blog by Thomas Schwarz of CARE Germany-Luxemburg While travelling to places like Pakistan, I naturally meet many different people. All of them have their own story and background, their traditions, cultures and personal experiences. Talking to the displaced people in Pakistan, I realized right away how different their path of life is compared to my own. Living in Buner, Kohistan, Dir and the village of Swat bears no resemblance at all to lifestyles in so many western countries. The gap could not be much bigger. ... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 1:26PM EST on June 4, 2009
Blog by Thomas Schwarz of CARE Germany-Luxemburg Today I visited a place close to Mardan, where tens of thousands took refuge from the ongoing fighting in Dir, Buner and the village of Swat. Their overall situation is horrible. ... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 1:24PM EST on June 4, 2009
Blog by Thomas Schwarz of CARE Germany-Luxemburg Friday May 29, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 7:19AM EST on May 29, 2009
Blog by Thomas Schwarz of CARE Germany-Luxemburg, May 22, 2009
It’s been two and a half years since I last visited Pakistan. At that time, I was in the valley of Allai, in the north western part of the country. In October 2005, a massive earthquake struck the province. I visited the region twice: right after the disaster and a year later. CARE was able to help, in great part due to donations. Together, with the affected population, we built new schools – ones that many girls attend for the first time. This continues to be a big step, because girls’ education is not a given in this part of the world. In cooperation with Pakistani engineers, CARE offered trainings for housing construction so that buildings would be more stable and, hopefully, not collapse when another earthquake hits the region. With CARE’s support, Pakistani experts also built ditches in order to support agricultural activities. ... (more) Wednesday January 14, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 4:20PM EST on January 14, 2009
After surviving the neighborhood’s fiercest bombardment to date, CARE local staffer and primary blogger in Gaza, Jawad Harb, sounded much better this morning. Following last night’s air strikes, the UN established a temporary camp a few hundred meters from his neighborhood, where residents can run during an air strike. Jawad and his family, including his six children and paralyzed 86-year-old grandfather, had been unable to find space in overflowing UN shelters, which received some 7,000 new displaced people last night alone. ... (more) Tuesday January 13, 2009
Posted by: CARE at 5:44PM EST on January 13, 2009
GAZA (January 6, 2009) - Today I had no other choice but to knock down a door in our apartment, to break it up and use it to make a fire and cook. I've knocked down three so far.
... (more)
Wednesday December 31, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 1:49PM EST on December 31, 2008
While the Gaza strip is currently facing some of the toughest challenges in the Palestinian territories, I’m writing my own very personal story. But it is also the story of 1.6 million Palestinians living in Gaza.
The 28th of December, 2008, was a day to remember. It was 4:30 p.m. I was sitting with my six kids at my house which is 500 metres away from the Egyptian border. The darkness was surrounding us like a monster, and a few candles were lighting our path to the kitchen and bathroom. It was a moonless night, full of unpredictable, unknown fear. I was telling my kids stories to distract them, when suddenly it was like an earthquake - six consecutive air strikes shook the house up and down. The house was like a piece of paper swinging in the air. The kids were screaming, running in all directions, seeking to escape the chaos of the airstrikes. It was uncontrollable panic every where. ... (more)Wednesday December 24, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 11:52AM EST on December 24, 2008
I leave Ethiopia today, December 22, after
nearly two weeks of visiting rural communities and meeting with local CARE staff
and health workers. My first trip ever to this country came on the eve of the
25th anniversary of the 1984 famine.
The situation in Ethiopia is bad. Around the countryside, the drizzle of rain turned shrubbery green, but it came too little, too late. Drought has caused most crops to fail. Nearly 85 percent of families in this country of 80 million people depend on seasonal rains to grow food on half-acre-sized plots of land — the primary source of nourishment for their children. It seems that larger families are feeling the pain of hunger and malnutrition first. ... (more)Wednesday October 8, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 2:37PM EST on October 8, 2008
Recently, I accompanied our water and drainage specialist for an assessment of needs in the field. I love these privileged moments, to go in search of those with whom we will work hand-in-hand to develop projects. To form an answer to a problem is, above all, to talk with the people, to understand how they live, to take in their daily existence, and especially, to hear their problems, listen to their needs - to not show up with preconceived ideas. Sunday September 28, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 11:15PM EST on September 28, 2008
Facts A woman gives birth in a temporary shelter, the bare ground covered in trash.Without medicine. Millions of barefooted people in mud laden with sharp objects. Without shoes. ... (more) Friday September 26, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 4:23PM EST on September 26, 2008
A clammy heat that clings to your skin, a blazing sun that withers you to the core, I’m at the Télecom sans Frontières tent to send the latest news to CARE’s network. At the entrance, an alert announces that a storm system has formed from the ensuing rains and unfavorable winds in the Caribbean area. We have been following the weather development since yesterday, which we hope will not announce its lot of torrential showers on the country. Wednesday June 25, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 5:29PM EST on June 25, 2008
Below, Chris Northey continues her reflections from the field while working as CARE's
... (more) Monday June 23, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 2:23PM EST on June 23, 2008
Chris Northey was deployed to Yangon on May 23 to begin her rotation as CARE's Saturday June 21, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 1:00PM EST on June 21, 2008
Sean Camoni offers insight and reflection following his advocacy efforts on the Hill for CARE's 2008 National Conference.
... (more) Wednesday May 14, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 5:50PM EST on May 14, 2008
Many articles have appeared in the news today reporting that a new storm is approaching the cyclone-devastated area of Myanmar. Early indications predict that the storm will dump heavy rains on already-saturated areas of Myanmar but is unlikely to develop into another significant tropical cyclone. In either case, the outcome will be dire, adding to the flooding and misery across the Irrawaddy Delta and the capital city of Yangon.
... (more) Monday May 12, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 1:26PM EST on May 12, 2008
As CARE’s emergency teams complete initial assessments in the Irrawaddy delta, gruesome scenes of bodies decomposing in the very ponds the Myanmarese use for drinking water are being reported. Corpses still cannot be buried and entire villages remain underwater, many with few survivors. ... (more)Thursday May 8, 2008
Posted by: CARE at 5:42PM EST on May 8, 2008
Today, we distributed rice to 3,000 people, using locally available food. On Wednesday, we distributed water to about 10,000 people in townships in Yangon. The recipients were those staying in temporary shelters and others who have no access to town water supplies. In addition to supplying them with bottled water, we cleaned the wells and toilets at the collective shelters, many of which are located in schools and pagodas.
... (more)
Posted by: CARE at 8:49AM EST on May 8, 2008
Cyclone Nargis has created a major humanitarian disaster in Myanmar - one that will require substantial international response. Even with the full extent of devastation yet to be determined, 60 years of disaster experience have taught us that clean water, food and certain basic items, like shelter materials, are initial priorities. Water and sanitation are also always key concerns. After a storm like this, most of the available drinking water is likely to be polluted. If you don't act quickly, there is a very real risk of an outbreak of disease. People need counseling on what's safe to do and what is not.
... (more)
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