First few days in Haiti

I think I’ve been in Haiti for four days now. The days seem so long and the nights so short. We have meetings at 7am and meetings at 7:30pm. I have literally not left the UN LogBase compound since I arrived – as it within the Port-au-Prince airport compound walls. But if I were to have time to go out I would be safe because this is a much nicer place to be than Kabul.

I am working with the Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Haiti and my role is the development, maintenance, and dissemination of geographic databases related to the earthquake response. I have splendid colleagues and I cannot remember the last time I felt this much camaraderie.

I live in a tent which is a few cm shorter than I am but if I lied diagonally I fit. On the first night I was allocated to a large communal tent but I prefer my own (small) space and the freedom to snore.

There are two showers for 90 people but by waking up early I have never had to wait for long.