Harvard Relief Team Returns From Haiti

A team of Harvard Medical School and teaching hospital affiliates, led by Harvard Foundation Director S. Allen Counter Jr., traveled to Haiti in a relief mission last week.

The team spent five days in Haiti after the country was devastated by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake on Jan. 12.

Prior to the trip, Counter collected 76 boxes of medicine donated by several benefactors, including Harvard University Health Services.

According to UHS Director David S. Rosenthal ’59, the UHS pharmacy was able to collect a large amount of medicine that would have been otherwise outdated in three or four weeks.

“We were able to donate a significant box of medicine, in addition to medicinal supplies like crutches and bandages,” Rosenthal said.

Counter had previously assisted with relief efforts following an earthquake in Ecuador, an experience which he said was crucial in determining what supplies to bring on his relief mission to Haiti.

Drawing on his work in Ecuador, Counter brought to Haiti 100 family-sized tents, which he and actress Debbie Allen donated.

“I’ve been in this kind of  disaster before,” Counter said. “A number of people die, but more are injured and in need in of not only medical help, but also shelter.”

The Haitian Embassy had also requested that Counter’s group bring 100 body bags, in addition to medical supplies and tents. All the supplies were shipped down to the Dominican Republic for free by Jet Blue.

Ultimately, Counter’s team was able to provide shelter to around 500 people, as well as medical attention to a similar number of individuals.

Counter attributed the efficiency of his relief trip to his collaboration with Dominican Republic President Leonel Fernández Reyna.

Fernández, who is friends with Counter, provided the relief team with two helicopters, allowing Counter’s group to fly directly into Port-au-Prince, Counter said.

“We were able to bypass problems with transportation other relief workers are facing,” Counter said. “We flew over airports that had supplies just sitting there due to transportation issues.”

Counter said that he plans to return to Haiti in the near future with one thousand body bags and one hundred tents, all donated by actor Will Smith.

“Tragedy seems to bring humanity together,” he said. “In Haiti, people from all over the world were reaching out to help human beings in need, and this brought tears to my eyes.”

—Staff Writer Tara W. Merrigan can be reached at tmerrigan@college.harvard.edu.