Haïti emergency: the first day

jeudi 14 janvier 2010

Publié par red.impala // à jeudi, janvier 14, 2010 //

Haïti emergency: the first day

How did I learn about the emergency?

As for the earthquake in Abbruzzo, a colleague told me "Have you seen there was an earthquake in Haiti?" First reaction from my other colleagues was to know if everyone was safe (yes, we are like a family!). Then first official email from the chief of internal comunication confirming officially that we didn't loose any international staff. After the initial momentum, we receive situation emails (external situation point and logistics scorecard) as the hours go by, that will be progressively converted into daily reports. The most visible signs of agitation are the big bosses coming into the office because they need expert advice. Anyway a "taskforce" is set up and only selected people participate to it. Eventually staff will be deployed or are on their way. The response mechanisms and procedures are well established. They have the responsibility to coordinate the relief effort for all organizations responding to an emergency. While the others continue to take care of the daily business and ask "Are you going to Haiti?" "No, to Juba (Darfur)"

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You don't need to wait for the telegram...

Ce matin-là, le monde commençait pour nous à s’émouvoir. L’opérateur de T. S. F. nous remit enfin un télégramme : deux pylônes, plantés dans le sable, nous reliaient une fois par semaine à ce monde: Courrier France-Amérique parti de Toulouse 5 h 45 stop. Passé Alicante 11 h 10. (...) En dix minutes, la nouvelle nous parvenait par Barcelone, par Casablanca, par Agadir, puis se propageait vers Dakar. Sur cinq mille kilomètres de ligne, les aéroports étaient alertés. (...) Un moteur grondait quelque part. De Toulouse jusqu’au Sénégal on cherchait à l’entendre.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Courrier Sud.

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Inspiration (2): Impalas

An impala is a medium-sized African antelope. The name impala comes from the Zulu language meaning "gazelle".

Impala range between 73 and 92 cm (29 and 36 in) tall. Average mass for a male impala is 46 to 76 kg (100 to 170 lb), while females weigh about 35 to 50 kg (77 to 110 lb). They are normally reddish-brown in color (hence the Afrikaans name of "Rooibok"), have lighter flanks and white underbellies with a characteristic "M" marking on the rear. Impalas are an ecotone species living in light woodland with little undergrowth and grassland of low to medium height. They have an irregular distribution due to dependence on free water, soils with good drainage with firm footing and moderate or less slope. While they are usually close to water in the dry season, they can go weeks without drinking when they have access to green vegetation.

Impalas are adaptable foragers. They usually switch between grazing and browsing depending on the season. During wet seasons when grasses are green and growing they graze. During dry seasons it browses foliage, shoots, forbs and seeds. It can also adapt to different habitats by being a grazer in one habitat a browser in another. Leopards, cheetahs, lions and wild dogs prey on impala.

see also: http://impala-nomade.blogspot.com/2007/08/trs-prcisement.html

Impala Nomade

jeudi 14 janvier 2010