April 8, 2010 5:40 PM

Dem Rep: Where's the Red Cross in Haiti?

By
Stephanie Condon
Topics
In The News
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Credit: CBS)

Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida (shown at left) traveled with a congressional delegation to Haiti earlier this week. She didn't like what she saw -- or rather, what she didn't see.

"We were actually pretty struck by the fact that we didn't see the Red Cross anywhere, at all," Wasserman Schultz told Florida radio station WTFL, the Hill reports.

The lack of a visible presence of the Red Cross even prompted the congresswoman to question whether she could recommend that citizens donate to the group. "I wouldn't say that," she said when asked if the Red Cross was the best place for listeners to donate.

Wasserman Schultz's comments may come as a surprise to Americans who have donated generously to the Red Cross Haiti relief efforts after a massive earthquake hit the country in January. The organization has collected more than $409 million in donations, including more than $32 million from a text message donation campaign facilitated by the State Department and promoted by the White House.

Not to worry, the Red Cross has responded.

"The American Red Cross has been on the ground responding in Haiti since the moment the earthquake struck and has spent a record $110 million so far for food, water, shelter, health and family services," the American Red Cross said in a statement. "Our efforts have touched the lives of close to two million people."

Those efforts just may not be so visible on the ground, a Red Cross spokesperson told Hotsheet, because the Red Cross relies largely on local Red Cross workers and volunteers. They may not be as conspicuous, but they know the people, the language and the geography, and they have established relationships with other organizations and the government.

The American Red Cross says it has sent more than 165 trained disaster specialists and volunteers to Haiti to help support and train more than 10,000 Haitian Red Cross volunteers. Furthermore, it reports that the Red Cross network has provided relief items to 400,000 people, supplied meals to more than one million people, distributed 60 million liters of clean drinking water, built more than 1,300 latrines and helped vaccinate more than 152,00 people.

The organization has a three-to-five year recovery plan for Haiti.


Add a Comment
by ijit May 21, 2010 7:41 AM EDT
I just returned from Haiti and saw first hand the lack of support from the red cross. It is truly disheartening to see their lack of presence there. And this report helps me realize that it is a Red Cross leadership problem. Here are several points I would like to make:
1) They seem to be trying to appease us by listing off some statistics of what they have done. But the numbers don't even begin the touch what is needed there. 1,300 latrines? That is about 1 latrine for every 500 people living in a tent city. I know what you are thinking, the hatians should be building some as well. First of all they are, secondly they don't have access to the proper materials so the latrines they are building are unsanitary and leaking in to the surrounding area when the rains come. 1,300 latrines, when you receive over 500 millions from the american people to help this country, you shouldn't be boasting about these numbers, you should be embarrassed!
2) We sent a medical team down a few weeks ago. In this team was a doctor who went around to the various tent cities to offer medical care. When she arrived in the morning, there were 150 people waiting in line! This is 3 months after the earthquake. She saw 160 people everyday and turned away 90 people. Isn't this what the red cross is supposed to be good at? Isn't this what they are supposed to do? We gave them over $500 million dollars and they are bragging about sending 165 "disaster specialist"? Training 10,000 Haitian volunteers who are no where to be found?
3) The entire week I was in Haiti we saw not one single Reference to the American Red Cross. Not one sign, not one shirt, nothing. We saw the Swedish Red Cross, we saw the Brazilian Red Cross, but nothing from the American Red Cross.

It is the rainy season right now and things are more critical than right after the earth quake. Disease will be more of an issue. There are ongoing injury's that happen because of the poor living conditions. i fell in love with the people while I was there and I am asking everyone who reads this to consider going down to Haiti to offer them some hope and help. They need it so badly and it is sad to see how so many of the organizations there are failing them.
Reply to this comment
by Henry313 April 12, 2010 9:34 AM EDT
Ed79987 on what do you base your comments? Which leaders are making money on this? Why do you say the organization is a big fraud? I volunteer with the Red Cross and it is certainly not a organization with a lot of extra money...it is a big organization but more than 95% of its workers are volunteers. It doesn't send a lot of people to places like Haiti...it costs so much more to send one American than to use dozens of locals. Even paying locals would be more cost efficient and contribute more to the economy.
Reply to this comment
by sgb17 April 9, 2010 10:35 AM EDT
I went to Florida last month and I couldn't find any evidence that Rep. Debbie Schultz was representing the people in her district. I didn't bother to stop by her office and ask her people what they were up to, though. But since I didn't see Rep. Schultz or make any effort to contact her staff, I just assumed that they were out surfing or finding ways to criticize others without doing their research. Solid investigating Mrs. Schultz.
Reply to this comment
by retm-w April 8, 2010 9:48 PM EDT
If she went with a congressional delegation, how come no one else with that group made any comments on the Red Cross not being seen.
Reply to this comment
by RobAla April 8, 2010 8:42 PM EDT
This Congress member could have checked the facts herself before shooting her mouth off. I sounds like the Red Cross plans a 3 year effort, and that is probably better than blowing all the money at one time. Remember all the empty trailers sitting around New Orleans after Katrina, because the federal government just threw money around in a knee-jerk fashion? Maybe the Red Cross is smarter.
Reply to this comment
by cleric60 April 9, 2010 7:53 AM EDT
Yes, those empty trailers near New Orleans-let's send them to Haiti--just a thought.
by ed79987 April 8, 2010 8:33 PM EDT
Through this disaster, I have learned that the Red Cross is a money-making machine for its leaders. They will never get one more dollar from me anymore. I think this orgarnization is a big fraud.
Reply to this comment
by hateisafourletterword April 8, 2010 8:44 PM EDT
So you are going to believe this congressional witch over an organization that has served us for years? She has an ulterior motive that will become apparent on April 28th.
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