The Foreign Service Journal, April 2010

A P R I L 2 0 1 0 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 25 No embassy is equipped or staffed for handling serious medical trauma, of course. But as one of the only safe structures in Port-au- Prince, the U.S. mission was press- ed into service. Soon a complete surgical unit was set up in a confer- ence room, and hundreds of doc- tors and other medical and tech- nical personnel came from the U.S. to help with relief efforts. Care for American staff that survived the earthquake was a major problem. Several Foreign Service members, including those there on temporary duty, and dependents were injured in homes or hotels. Many American staff and all dependents were evacuated within 24 hours. Oth- ers were evacuated later, complaining of chest pains, stress and other medical ailments. The American staff that remained and those that are in Haiti now on TDY confront the effects of indescribable suffering and loss on a daily basis. Yet we are the lucky ones, for the local staff that make up the backbone of our embassies have seen their lives, their families, friends, city and government literally disintegrate in seconds. As the U.S. government confronted this tragedy, caring for em- bassy employees evolved into a complex and comprehen- sive set of interventions. I witnessed the initial phases of this process during the two weeks I spent in Haiti after the quake. I am proud to have helped where I could. Before the assigned USAID team was able to staff up, I supported relief efforts, including search-and-rescue op- erations. Using my onsite knowledge of the airport to ex- plain critical consular security issues to a military planner, I spurred the decision to deploy additional military assets for air evacuations. I also found and handed out extra milk and diapers to four parents of American babies for their long and ardu- ous evacuation journey. As an early riser, three times I re- lieved embassy staff in the control room before 4 a.m., just as the nightly barrage of Washington taskers would roll in. And I assisted a couple of visiting members of Congress who were not on official delegations. Although the first Monday after the quake, Jan. 18, was the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, the local staff started coming back to work that day. While it was wonderful to see with our own eyes that nearly all of them had survived, the gathering was still bittersweet. That morning, I helped the Navy chaplain publicize the first memorial service held since the earthquake. The embassy was a beehive of activity, and persuading folks to stop working even for 15 minutes, especially on short notice, was a major challenge. But we got the word out via the PA system, an e-mail from the ambassador’s office, the posting and circulation of flyers, and the all-important word-of-mouth. All those voices joining to sing “Amazing Grace” echoed throughout the embassy, and still echoes today. “From the American People” Food rations were provided early on to the neediest employees, and potable water was available from embassy taps. The local staff still faced grave challenges, however. Milk was not available in the markets. Though the em- bassy had boxes upon boxes of baby formula and diapers, access was initially restricted due to concerns about run- ning out. By the time I left, however, those supplies were being handed out in an orderly fashion to all employees who needed them. Shelter was the greatest unmet need. There were not enough tents or even plastic sheeting to be had anywhere, for the aftermath of the quake had created a worldwide shortage. Our most critical work constraint was often drivers, and as the lowest-paid staff after guards, their housing was already marginal. One absolutely mission- critical motor pool dispatcher smiled as he told me that 10 days after the quake, full of stress from life and work and extremely long hours, he’d just had his first restful night under plastic sheeting bearing the ubiquitous USAID logo and tagline, “From the American People.” More could always be done, and there are some prom- ising efforts under way. Spurred by the difficulties faced by our staff and our nongovernmental organization part- ners in the world’s toughest places, USAID has worked to improve staff care. For Haiti, the agency will put in place its first mission-specific staff care plan that will bring to- gether the various strands of existing and expanded ef- forts. These range from extra time off, enhanced salary and other benefits, to critical quality-of-life improvements such as provision of food and shelter to staff and depend- F O C U S Whatever the future holds, we must always think and act broadly, creatively and aggressively, to care for all of our staff.