Haiti Earthquake Situation from UNICEF USA

[grandma_kate]

I just got the following

Comments

[megan29]

You might want to read this:

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE60E00I20100115

Relief orgs want money, not goods.

[grandma_kate]

Yes. The relief organizations can stretch the dollars to be able to buy more of what is needed.

I thought of you and your husband when I saw the Google before and after pictures.

[megan29]

It's more than stretching the dollars. The airport in Haiti cannot handle the traffic, and are turning away planes loaded with donated goods. No one has time to sort out what are essential goods and what are not (apparently, some companies tried to donate building materials - important, to be sure, but not essential right now). They're landing only military planes loaded with essential goods (mainly, purified water or kits for purifying water, and heavy machinery to dig up people trapped in the ruble). Even after they land, there aren't enough people to download them, and the roads into the city are busted

[grandma_kate]

Yep. Google =Megan (even though I knew Brin's mother-in-law pretty well and his wife less so).

[megan29]

Name dropper! :-)

Last year Sergei was on one of his visits to the NY office, and spent some time in my husband's office, talking to him and another colleague about their projects. I called hubby as I usually do each day, and he says, 'Hon, not now, I'm talking to Sergei.' - 'Sergei who?' I ask, since I know most of his colleagues, and none of them is a Sergei. 'Sergei Brin,' he says. *jaw hits floor* Though we didn't get invited to his wedding on the basis of that acquaintance. :-) Still, very impressive when the big boss just drops in someone's office and chats with them! Which is typical for Google.

[grandma_kate]

I'm afraid that you are only too correct. It may be both Climate Change and Murphy's Law at work.