15 April, 2004
Manzanillo, Dominican Republic -. April 15th, 2004, BRA?s multinational foreign volunteer health professionals arrive early this morning in Manzanillo, a municipality of the Dominican province Montecristi, where more than 1200 children and adults are lined up waiting to be served. ?My nine young children and I thank the spirits for this opportunity. Our country has been devastated, and we have no care if we are sick,? said unemployed and separated Dieudonne Cheri, a resident of Derac, a small municipality of Haiti?s Northwestern province of Fort Liberté.
Almost one month ago, the Batey Relief Alliance and BRA Dominicana started a multi million-dollar humanitarian relief intervention covering the northern geographical border areas of two provinces (Ouanaminthe and Montecristi) and 25 municipalities in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. At the end of the five-day mission, more than 5000 Dominican and Haitian children and their families will have received free consultation, medicines and vitamins, clothing and food supplies to complete their short-term medical and dental treatment.
Unlike families who were permitted to enter the DR yesterday through the border gate at Dajabon, hundreds of financially strapped persons must travel on small and unsafe boats ?la yola? crossing the river massacre from Haiti into Manzanillo. Sometimes tragedy occurs when the boats capsize and drown the children on board.
According to Pierre Louis Eugene, a Haitian fisherman from Haiti?s municipality Mellac, now living in Manzanillo after escaping death from rebel groups, it is a costly journey for poor Haitian families to come to BRA?s makeshift clinics in Manzanillo, but it is worth it since they do not have access to any health care. The 17 kilometer-trip costs each approximately 55 Haitian gourdes or US $2.5 covering ground transport from Derac to the river shores, boat crossing and military payment. When ask about whether Haitians receive a permit to enter the DR, Eugene responds, ?the money is the permit.?
BRA?s health care team will stay one more day in Manzanillo before ending their humanitarian journey back to the United States on Friday. ?Many lives are at stake, and it is evident that the border zones, whether in Haiti or the Dominican Republic, badly need organizations that can provide continuing health care and education to the populations,? said Ulrick Gaillard, Executive Director of the BRA.
BRA Dominicana and the Batey Relief Alliance work at the border with member organizations, Servicio Social de Iglesias Dominicanas (SSID) and Fundacion Todo Por La Salud (FUNTOSALUD), delivering health care in Manzanillo and Dajabon. The Dominican immigration and military authorities contribute their support.
Log onto BRA?s website at www.bateyrelief.org to receive daily updates of our humanitarian relief mission at the Haiti/DR border.
