Haitian resettlement

Earthquake displaced people in the most congested and flood vulnerable camps in Port-au-Prince now have the opportunity to move to big new planned settlements a little distance out of town. This morning I heard the following jewel of a story about the process which is being managed by many NGOs and the Camp Coordination and Camp Management cluster lead agency, the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Apparently a senior national IOM staff member was on hand yesterday at the new camp where the beneficiaries were being shown their surveyed plots, provided with non-food items and otherwise generally assisted. She saw a Haitian who seemed to be alone instead of lining up with his countrymen and women. When she went to offer him help her colleagues tried to nudge her but she asked them to wait while she was giving assistance. They had to interrupt her to help her realize that he was Haitian president René Garcia Préval. If I knew her better I'd tease her but I think she's gone through enough.