INTERNATIONAL REPORT—The aftermath of Tuesday’s 7.0 earthquake that hit Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, has been covered since the beginning by a musician and hotel owner in the capital city.
Richard Morse, owner of the 26-room Hotel Oloffson in Port-au-Prince, tells of the suffering and destruction that surrounds his hotel, which was spared, via Twitter. Survivors slept outside the past two nights to avoid aftershock danger.
The most recent data from November 2009 indicate there are 43 hotels with 1,807 guestrooms in the entire country, according to Smith Travel Research. There is no performance data reported from Haiti.
At present, all hotels are independent, although Choice Hotels International just last week announced plans for two properties in Jacmel, Haiti, according to BTN.
Morse has become a citizen journalist using Twitter on his computer to communicate with fellow Haitians and the world using the @RAMhaiti account. He has about 6,000 followers.
At about 9:15 EDT today, Morse posted: “Portable morgues; medical supplies; generators; food, to name a few of the necessities”
Many of his tweets respond to requests from outsiders looking for loved ones. He says what he knows.
In addition to survivor names, Morse is posting the conditions that surround him.
“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 @DonovanUK”
And the status of his own hotel: “For the moment, the Hotel Oloffson seems to be ok, coffee and coca cola and water are more popular then rum punches right now.@darkdoug"
This morning he wrote: “with everything closed. money. food, drinks, supplies. rotting bodies, frustration, impatience, despair will all become a problem”
Morse also has indicated that several international journalists have checked in to the Hotel Oloffson.
The quake took down the Haitian presidential palace and thousands of homes alike. It has left many dead and few rescue crews in the first 24 hours after the quake. This CNN video demonstrates the civilian’s rescue efforts.
Status of hotels
From USA Today:
Karibe Hotel, Port-au-Prince: Collapsed
Hotel Oloffson, Port-au-Prince: Safe
From Deutsche Presse-Agentur:
Christopher Hotel, Port-au-Prince: Collapsed
From the Jersey Journal:
Hotel Florita, Jacmel: Safe
From the Augusta Chronicle:
Kinam Hotel, Petionville: Safe
From various reports:
Hotel Villa Creole, Port-au-Prince: Safe
Hotel Montana, Port-au-Prince: Collapsed
From CBC News:
Auberge du Quebec, Port-au-Prince: Safe
Here are some photos of the devastation. (Some images are graphic)
Source-United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
The quake affected roughly one in three Haitians, or about 3 million people, the Red Cross estimated. It was so strong that it was felt westward in Cuba, more than 200 miles away, according to CNN.
To the east of Haiti, attendees of the Caribbean Hotel Association meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico, however, did not feel anything, according to HotelNewsNow.com associate editor Shawn Turner, who was on site.
Doctors, medicine and specialist rescue teams from around the world continued to arrive in Haiti Thursday. Officials estimate has claimed more than 100,000 lives, CNN reported.
Opportunities for aid
Starwood Preferred Guest members can donate points to the American Red Cross for relief efforts. Below is a breakdown of what you can donate.
4,000 points is US$50
8,000 points is US$100
12,000 points is US$150
16,000 points is US$200
To donate, click here.
The Harris Rosen Foundation has joined forces with Florida Senator Bill Nelson's office and various local Haitian community leaders to provide direct assistance to the victims of the earthquake.
