Photo By Master Sgt. John Laughter | Magloire Nkouannessi, a director for Secours Islamique France, passes a jug of cooking...... read more read more
Subscribe
PORT-AU-PRINCE — In the blazing Caribbean sun, the streets of Port-au-Prince bustle with traffic and pedestrians. The air buzzes with the sound of honking horns, music from Bob Marley and hundreds of voices raised in conversation and greeting.
Down one side-street, all the noises are muffled and fade away. The noise of the city is replaced by the soft squawking of radios and quiet discussions of U.S. Army Soldiers as members and volunteers from the nongovernmental humanitarian aid organization Secours Islamique France form a circle to finalize the distribution plan for the day.
SIF, in concert with paratroopers from the 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, "White Falcons," 2nd Brigade Combat Team, distributed bags of rice, flour, beans and jugs of cooking oil to over 1,000 families. The distribution is part of the World Food Program's second food surge and the food stuffs given out today are designed to feed a family of six for 15 days.
From the beginning, SIF and the White Falcons coordinated efforts to ensure the distribution went smoothly and quickly.
"We show them the [distribution] site and the [2-325th AIR] decide if they can provide security there," said Magloire Nkouannessi, a director with SIF, from the Republic of Cameroon.
He went on to say the two groups work together to find a site that will allow for an orderly distribution with plenty of space for the food delivery trucks and the crowds.
As the distribution begins, the Soldiers organize the throng of people into a line and the SIF members begin to download the bags of food and jugs of cooking oil. In the days prior, SIF has worked with local leaders and mayors to ensure those who are in need receive vouchers guaranteeing a place in line and a supply of food. The soldiers check each voucher and direct the holder to the back of waiting trucks, where members of SIF pass out the food. Nmouannessi described how the Soldiers not only provided security for the site, but also lent a helping hand where needed with lifting heavy loads or carrying the food stuffs for older women who were unable to do so.
This is the second day in a row the two organizations have worked together to provide aid to the people of Port-au-Prince. "We met with them [SIF] before the distribution to plan the site," said Lt. John Hall, executive officer, A Company, 2-325th AIR. "After the distribution, we invite them to our forward operating base to have an after action review on how we could better distribute the food the next day.
Even as morning progressed to afternoon and the temperature on the streets began to climb, it was because of this type of communication between partners that both days of distribution went smoothly and without any issues.
Nkouannessi stated that "When we need help or change something, we tell them [Soldiers] the problem and they help us fix it." He also went on to say how he appreciated the collaboration.
Through working together, the Army Soldiers and the SIF members have a built a relationship of mutual respect and support.
"They [SIF] work very hard," Hall stated, "They have a strong dedication to helping the Haitian people."
SIF is working throughout the Port-au-Prince area to provide not only food, but also sanitation, water, hygiene and numerous other disaster relief products to those in need.
| Date Taken: | 03.13.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 03.13.2010 22:58 |
| Story ID: | 46655 |
| Location: | PORT-AU-PRINCE, HT |
| Web Views: | 384 |
| Downloads: | 318 |
This work, Collaboration: The key to successful humanitarian aid distribution, by MSG John Laughter, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
