THE heart-wrenching situation in Haiti brings memories of the consequences of the earthquake and tsunami for Phuket and the region in 2004, but this disaster appears to be far more intense.
Phuketwan has given permission for our tsunami identification process reports to be republished in Spanish, given that the naming process is likely to become important at some stage.
However, the scale of the Haiti disaster probably makes identification of all the victims impossible.
If the death toll does stretch to 200,000, that would make it 40 times worse than the toll from the 2004 tsunami in Thailand.
Helping those who managed to live through it is the first priority, with Patong Rotary already pitching in.
Given that looting is taking place and bodies still lie in the streets, there seems little hope of much order being brought to the recovery and relief parts of the process for some time.
The 2004 tsunami pounded the Andaman coast but in causing destruction along the ribbon of the beachfront, it left access for volunteers from the rest of the country.
And Thailand has a large system of charity foundations.
In Haiti, as with Cyclone Katrina in New Orleans, access is far more difficult.
Forensic identification teams sent from around the world were able in Thailand in early 2005 to agree to identify all the bodies, no matter where the people came from.
That option seems unlikely in Haiti, where the massive scale of the tragedy and lack of access makes the structuring of an international process far more difficult.
What may happen is that the various national forensic groups are left to search for and identify their own citizens, a far less desirable outcome that could add to the chaos.
The lessons of the 2004 tsunami, though, have clear application. Only well into the process on Phuket, using dental records, fingerprints and DNA, did some clever ideas, new and old, emerge.
One of the most remarkable and useful was that fingerprint pads could be reconstituted with immersion in hot water. It sounds grim, and it is.
But the practice of the technique in 2005 returned some victims to their loved ones, something that may be less possible for most in Haiti.
Saving lives is now a desperate priority there. Brad Kenny, chairman of the Patong Rotary services committee, reports:
''The world opened their hearts to us in Thailand when the 2004 tsunami hit. We at the Rotary Club of Patong Beach have since assisted in other worldwide disasters and will do the same for the recent earthquake in Haiti that has devastated that country.
''Through our natural disaster experiences and extensive research on the situation in Haiti, we have chosen to send aid through a world wide Rotary project called Shelter Box - a kit providing basic survival equipment including a 10-person tent, water purification tablets, cooking equipment, and provisions allowing a family of up to 10 to have shelter and basic survival equipment for up to six months.
''We choose to do so through Shelter Box Canada because of the favorable exchange rate and also because it is expected that if one of our local Canadian Rotarians sends the funds in as a Canadian citizen the Canadian Government's CIDA organization will then match the donated amounts, effectively doubling the contribution.
''The cost of a shelter box is 1000 Canadian dollars, the equivalent of around 32,500 baht.
''The Rotary Club of Patong Beach will accept donations in any amount, combining them to add to the two shelter boxes our club has already donated. The boxes will be listed as: Donated from the the people of Phuket through the Rotary Club of Patong Beach.''
A list of donors and project updates will be posted on the club's website.
Donations can be made through the following bank account:
Account Name: Rotary Club of Patong Beach / Charity (Haiti Relief)
Account Number: 563-3-014807
Bank Name: Bangkok Bank Plc Co Ltd
Bank Address: 147 Rat-U-Thit 200 Pee Road, Patong, Kathu, Phuket, 83150, Thailand
Wire transfer SWIFT code: BKKBTHBK
Thailand's Tsunami Legacy Haunted by MistakesPhuketwan has given permission for our tsunami identification process reports to be republished in Spanish, given that the naming process is likely to become important at some stage.
However, the scale of the Haiti disaster probably makes identification of all the victims impossible.
If the death toll does stretch to 200,000, that would make it 40 times worse than the toll from the 2004 tsunami in Thailand.
Helping those who managed to live through it is the first priority, with Patong Rotary already pitching in.
Given that looting is taking place and bodies still lie in the streets, there seems little hope of much order being brought to the recovery and relief parts of the process for some time.
The 2004 tsunami pounded the Andaman coast but in causing destruction along the ribbon of the beachfront, it left access for volunteers from the rest of the country.
And Thailand has a large system of charity foundations.
In Haiti, as with Cyclone Katrina in New Orleans, access is far more difficult.
Forensic identification teams sent from around the world were able in Thailand in early 2005 to agree to identify all the bodies, no matter where the people came from.
That option seems unlikely in Haiti, where the massive scale of the tragedy and lack of access makes the structuring of an international process far more difficult.
What may happen is that the various national forensic groups are left to search for and identify their own citizens, a far less desirable outcome that could add to the chaos.
The lessons of the 2004 tsunami, though, have clear application. Only well into the process on Phuket, using dental records, fingerprints and DNA, did some clever ideas, new and old, emerge.
One of the most remarkable and useful was that fingerprint pads could be reconstituted with immersion in hot water. It sounds grim, and it is.
But the practice of the technique in 2005 returned some victims to their loved ones, something that may be less possible for most in Haiti.
Saving lives is now a desperate priority there. Brad Kenny, chairman of the Patong Rotary services committee, reports:
''The world opened their hearts to us in Thailand when the 2004 tsunami hit. We at the Rotary Club of Patong Beach have since assisted in other worldwide disasters and will do the same for the recent earthquake in Haiti that has devastated that country.
''Through our natural disaster experiences and extensive research on the situation in Haiti, we have chosen to send aid through a world wide Rotary project called Shelter Box - a kit providing basic survival equipment including a 10-person tent, water purification tablets, cooking equipment, and provisions allowing a family of up to 10 to have shelter and basic survival equipment for up to six months.
''We choose to do so through Shelter Box Canada because of the favorable exchange rate and also because it is expected that if one of our local Canadian Rotarians sends the funds in as a Canadian citizen the Canadian Government's CIDA organization will then match the donated amounts, effectively doubling the contribution.
''The cost of a shelter box is 1000 Canadian dollars, the equivalent of around 32,500 baht.
''The Rotary Club of Patong Beach will accept donations in any amount, combining them to add to the two shelter boxes our club has already donated. The boxes will be listed as: Donated from the the people of Phuket through the Rotary Club of Patong Beach.''
A list of donors and project updates will be posted on the club's website.
Donations can be made through the following bank account:
Account Name: Rotary Club of Patong Beach / Charity (Haiti Relief)
Account Number: 563-3-014807
Bank Name: Bangkok Bank Plc Co Ltd
Bank Address: 147 Rat-U-Thit 200 Pee Road, Patong, Kathu, Phuket, 83150, Thailand
Wire transfer SWIFT code: BKKBTHBK
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