- CounterPunch.org - https://www.counterpunch.org -

The Streets are Now Haiti’s Living Room, Bedroom and Morgue

Note: CounterPunch contributor RICHARD MORSE runs the Oloffson Hotel in Port-au-Prince Haiti and leads the Haitian band RAM. He has been issueing updates on the situation in Haiti via Twitter since the quake.

We slept out under the stars tonight. Port au Prince was very quiet. The suffering isn’t loud. No shooting. At some point people will need help

The last time my guests all slept together was when the Haitian army was shooting journalists after the election massacre of Nov. 1987.

People are starting to wake up. I hear individual voices in the distance, some are moans, some are wails, some is just communication. A cock…

Twitter is a new haiku way of covering events: no food, no help equals trouble. People are going to need help soon;today is tomorrow!! HELP!!

We need help with the rubble, help with medical supplies,help with food,water,the singing and praying has begun. God help us all…

5:49 AM the singing and praying has begun. We won’t begin to understand all that is going on around us for some time to come.

It was a quiet night. In and out of sleep. I heard a man on a microphone, but don’t remember what he he said. International journalists arriving…

The hospital across the street is putting bodies out on the street. decomposition. We need portable morgues.generators. Food. Help. Evacuation…

No homes,no jobs.death.no where to turn.people caught in the rubble.my sleep was peaceful.now I’m awake.reality sets in.sun is about 2 rise

No news from Karibe hotel. I hope no news is good news…

A journalist arrived from DR airport. Taxi to Haiti border. No passport. Just came across. They just opened the gate. Tool car to the Hotel Oloffson.

People have been good, helpful,calm … at some point, hunger, thirst, despair will set in. Portable morgues are needed…medical supplies

The devastation is so widespread that the folks (UN/POLICE) who should be helping, are probably taking care of their own issues.

Jacmel has had much destruction, school kids caught in collapsing buildings .Jacmel situation is bad.

No news from Carrefour…Carrefour Feuilles is a mess. Need help. People trapped. Medical supplies needed. Portable morgues needed…

With everything closed, money, food, drinks, supplies, rotting bodies, frustration, impatience, despair will all become a problem…

For the moment, the Hotel Oloffson seems to be ok. Coffee and coca cola and water are more popular then rum punches right now.

Jacmel: witness report: 10,000 w/o homes, 30% of homes damaged, roads blocked to city. This is from a witness; unconfirmed but gives an impression…

I hear that Delma has been hit the way most of PauP has been hit…

My drummer came in from Laplaine and he said things are not so bad there.

People for the moment are sleeping outside, no need to make or cancel reservations…

I don’t know what section of town has been hit the most. It’s all bad. If you’ve been hit you’re suffering…

I hear planes are coming in and out of airport. I believe airport is functioning.

The streets are now Haiti’s living room and bedroom.

I haven’t heard any news from Cite Soleil. I assume ,if I may, that it is difficult for them, too

Twitter only.  No interviews, phones don’t always work, takes too much time, too many people to answer almost; 7,000 followers are helping.

Petionville seems to have been hit though for some reason some buildings don’t collapse…

It seems that wooden structures faired better than concrete structures.

I haven’t seen anyone from the UN since before the quake, I believe the building w/ Brazillian embassy collapsed, unconfirmed.  I got a call from Jacmel and an email from jacmel, a school collapsed w/children inside. There is a refugee camp

The international press has arrived; NY Times, WashingtonPost, LA Times, CNN, to name a few…

There were a lot of “water rising” rumors last night. I think it came from the previous day’s Tsunami warning  I hear planes; supplies are supposed to start coming in today; I hope the international presence will help with people buried in rubble & med sup

If people lose their homes and their jobs will they start to emigrate??

I’m starting to see international activity. I hear from staff that bodies are starting to decompose. Don’t know what to do with excess bodies…

Portable morgues, medical attention needed. There is a collapsed school behind the St Gerard church. Live people in the rubble.

You don’t have to drive to see the damage, whereever you walk there is something out of the ordinary. Often the suffering is silent…

The streets are now the living rooms of the population.

I’m hearing planes and or helicopters. Yesterday there were none to speak of. It changes the atmosphere. I hope there is help on the ground…

No, I’m not dead in spite of what they say on Haitian radio. Family is fine. Hotel is packed with foreign press. Reminds me of days of COUPs

Horrific stories of death. Death is everywhere. Death is all over PauP. Doors as stretchers. Camionettes as ambulances. Don’t forget JACMEL!!

Bodies. Bodies. Bodies. Bodies. Bodies. Bodies.I don’t know how else to say it. They’re being brought out on the street.

Body clean-up.Where do you put bodies when the morgues are full?

Today it occasionally sounds like a military operation with all the planes and helicopters flying around…Then they go away.

I’m hearing of buildings collapsing in Jacmel. I’m getting bad news of folks with FOSAJ. No confirmations,

Won’t understand the ramifications of all this for days to come.I’m still hearing of people trapped under buildings.3:44PM.Night is coming

I’m finally hearing sirens in the Carrefour feuille area!!!

I’ld say most of PauP neighborhoods are damaged. Haven’t visited them but from what I’m hearing, damage everywhere…

I’m not in direct contact with Jacmel but I’m not hearing good things from there. Many buildings collapsed and death. Few specifics…

Bring the people, the help and the aid. We haven’t doctors or morgues or medical treatment and supplies. Bring it on!!!

I guess the people who lived through the earthquake sleep outside and the ones who arrived afterwards sleep inside

Daniel Morel has images at corbisimages.com

Things are not good for UN headquarters, but i don’t have specific names. I don’t know who to contact for up to date info ….

Bodies are being brought to the cemetery. Decomposing bodies everywhere. Looting is begining.The prison is empty. 7 dead bodies in the prison

People sent & are waiting in the stadium for medical help and no one is coming. They’re starting to give out water today.

I’m finally able to get to my office. Many journalists. Internet is getting a bit slow. Bodies in piles. Bodies along the road. Body committees..

if you send people to the stadium, they’re going to need some basics. If you send people to ChampMars, they’re going to need some basics. Water?

I’m hearing that they’re stacking up bodies along Nazon.I saw picture of a morgue and it was a blanket of bodies. Got some help at St Gerard!

Workers trickling in, so many have lost their homes, all their belongings. How many have lost family, home, job, neighbors? Now what? Stay?

Communication is frustrating. Can’t reach people in Jacmel to get news. Can’t reach people around PauP. People are still remarkably calm…

Started to do some shopping today to feed journalists. Someone opened a market for us. One of few not damaged.

I don’t hear as much singing and praying tonight but I do hear planes in the distance. Help is on the way. There were approx 2 million in PauP…

I see lights in the distance by the wharf. Pretty dark here except for the glow of laptops. A few journalists have headlights…

I’m getting occasional messages from Jacmel that people are in great need of help. I don’t know what the plan is. Is there a plan?

RICHARD MORSE runs the Oloffson Hotel Port-au-Prince Haiti and leads the Haitian band RAM.