Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Port-au-Prince (Agenzia Fides) – The NGO AVSI (Association of Volunteers in International Service) in Haiti are launching an aid campaign for the victims of the fallen school buildings and a prevention campaign in this matter, following the collapse of a school on November 7 (see Fides 10/11/2008).
According to the NGO, “the causes of the tragedy are still unknown, although it becomes more and more evident that the instability that characterizes Haiti, is also present in the area of construction.” Although no authority has been named for the moment, AVSI says that “the building was not well-built there, on a terrain with a steep drop, erosion, bad architectural work, and structures very little proportioned to its dimensions.” The association says that the same problem is present in other schools throughout the country. “If they were to close all the schools in Port-au-Prince built without building authorization, hardly any schools would be left,” they said. In fact, in Haiti they say, no control is made at the moment of granting permissions for schools; there are no inspectors nor civil guard to rescue the victims, nor hospitals to receive them (the only general hospital in Port-au-Prince has been closed for a month due to a strike), nor social services and psychologists for the families.
As if to confirm these facts, yesterday (November 12) yet another school collapsed in the downtown sector of the Haitian capital. The children who attend the school (between 5 and 12 years of age) were at recess when the event occurred. The collapse of “Divine Grace” School, attended by one hundred students, left a remnant of eight wounded, three in grave condition who were taken to the hospital. Tuesday night, heavy rains fell on the capital of this country which is the poorest in the Americas, and which has recently been hit by a series of deadly hurricanes, which may have contributed to the collapse of the second school.
According to the Education Minister, Joel Desrosiers Jean-Pierre, it is “a problem of urbanity in general.” “Parliament should treat the matter with urgency and take strict, severe, and immediate measures to prevent a catastrophe of this kind from occurring again,” said Hon. Frantz Robert Monde. An authority from the Secretary of Public Security announced the provisional closing of the establishments who do not comply with the minimum security codes.
In response to this situation, AVSI is working to respond to the present situation and avoid that tragedies of this kind occur once more. Thus, they have launched a medical aid campaign for the children who have survived the tragic event and who are wounded, many with grave injuries. They are also opening a psychological clinic for parents of children who have died, as well as those who have survived. Lastly, they will conduct a prevention campaign and investigation into the security of the school buildings, to take action in cases of an evident lack of minimum security.
According to the latest reports, the number of deaths caused by the collapse of the first school, on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, has risen to 102 after the discovery of 10 more lifeless bodies beneath the rubble, and 150 wounded. However, these numbers are provisional, as relief workers expect to find more victims among the wreckage, given the difficult conditions they are having to face in the rescue effort. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 13/11/2008)
