CF there to help Haiti
Virginia Beaton
Trident
LS Brad Burden, a member in HMCS Athabaskan, transports a girl for medical help in Leogane, Haiti.
Photo by Cpl Johanie Maheu, Formation Imaging Services Halifax
Within hours of the devastating 7.0 earthquake that struck Haiti on Tuesday, Jan. 12, the CF was formulating a response on behalf of the Canadian government.
The first CC-177 Globemaster carrying humanitarian assistance for the people of Haiti departed 8 Wing Trenton the next evening. Components of the CF Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) were among the cargo.
In Halifax, HMC Ships Athabaskan and Halifax, carrying 500 sailors, soldiers, airmen and airwomen, departed for Haiti two days after the quake struck, as the maritime component of the CF response.
"Canada and Canadians have a strong tie to Haiti and Haitians and we're going to do our best to save lives and protect the vulnerable over the coming days," said Capt(N) Art McDonald, commander of the task group, at a news conference before the warship sailed. "With HMCS Athabaskan, commanded by Cdr Peter Crain and with a Sea King detachment embarked, and with HMCS Halifax, commanded by Cdr Josée Kurtz, we deploy to provide humanitarian aid to the people of Haiti."
The Sea King offers the ability to move aid around the theatre, explained Capt(N) McDonald.
He described the two ships as "very flexible forces" and added "that will enable us to adapt, as a more detailed appreciation of the situation on the ground is delivered."
As Capt(N) McDonald, Cdr Kurtz and Cdr Crain spoke during the press conference, members of the ships' companies worked in the background to store the ships. On the jetty were cartons of supplies ranging from generators to shovels, first aid kits, chain saws, cement saws, tarpaulins, pylons, safety glasses and flashlights, all of which were carried on board by work crews.
Before the departure, the ship's company of Halifax started a toy and clothing drive for the Haitian children and crewmembers each donated $2. The Walmart in Dartmouth also contributed $7,000 in clothing and food.
The epicentre of the quake was 15 kilometres southwest of the country's capital city of Port au Prince and initial casualty estimates range from 50,000 to 200,000.
This deployment is not the first time Canadian Navy ships have provided aid to this region. In September 2008, following four severe hurricanes that ravaged Haiti, St. John's deployed as part of the Canadian government's decision to participate in humanitarian operations. In cooperation with the United Nations' World Food Programme, St. John's delivered 350 metric tonnes of food and other relief supplies by sea and air to the south and southwest regions of Haiti that were severely affected by the hurricanes.
Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere. According to statistics from www.unicef.org, its population in 2007 was just over nine million, with approximately 80 per cent living below the poverty line and a literacy rate of 60 per cent. In 2007, Haitians' life expectancy was 61 years.
Donations for Haitian relief may be made through many organizations including the Canadian Red Cross, UNICEF Canada or World Vision Canada.
