Port-au-Prince: The harbor recovery effort
Posted on 27 January 2010 by k. a. gardner
The severely damaged Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s port is only one of the logistical nightmares hindering relief and reconstruction of the nation.
The pier is now handling about 30 percent of its pre-quake capacity. If pushed, it could unload 200 to 250 containers a day, but debris is limiting the size of the ships that can enter the port, U.S. Navy Admiral Sam Perez told Thomas Reuters news service. [Haiti port recovery key to aid ...]
UPDATE: Haiti port capacity boosted, repairs advancing [Reuters Feb. 25, 2010]
The harbor of Port-au-Prince Photo: AFP/GETTY IMAGES
U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command [Mayport] is the Navy’s lead command in Operation Unified Response - the joint forces humanitarian aid mission under U.S. Southern Command in Miami..
Crowley Maritime is working under contract with U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM). The joint forces logistics organization relies heavily on its commercial partners to “deliver unrivaled, full-spectrum, deployment and distribution solutions.” In an experimental “lightering” operation, Crowley discharged 12 20-foot containers of relief supplies across a beach on Fri., Jan. 22nd. Supply containers were lifted from a ship anchored in the harbor to a landing vessel for transport and discharge over the beach, paving the way for container shipments directly into Port-au-Prince next week.
“Today’s operation was an important milestone in reestablishing direct container shipments into the heavily damaged port,” said John Hourihan, Crowley’s senior vice president and general manager of Latin America services. The port survey conducted Monday by a team from our TITAN Salvage subsidiary was spot on in terms of identifying a suitable location in the port where we could safely discharge the cargo.
Marcajama en route to Port-au-Prince
The Crowley container ship Marcajama, which offloaded the containers today, is scheduled to return to Port Everglades, Fla. over the weekend and load more relief cargo under contract with USTRANSCOM. The ship will then return to Port-au-Prince in the middle of next week and discharge containers via the proven lightering method utilizing two shuttle vessels.
“USTRANSCOM values the innovative solutions that our contractors are implementing to rapidly facilitate humanitarian assistance in support of the Haitian people,” said Army Brig. Gen. Michael Lally, director of operations for the command.
Future cargo operations in the port should improve substantially in the coming weeks. Crowley is mobilizing two 400-foot-long, 100-foot-wide flat deck barges, along with two Manitowoc 230-ton crawler cranes in the United States for USTRANSCOM that will be brought into Port-au-Prince to serve as a makeshift dock for future cargo operations. The first barge and crane in Orange, Texas should arrive in Haiti on or about Feb. 4. The second deck barge is being outfitted in Lake Charles, La. and will arrive by mid-Feb.
“The diverse resources of the Crowley organization are being brought to the table in response to this emergency,” Hourihan said. “We are working closely with USTRANSCOM, USAID, FEMA and other organizations to provide the assets, services and technical expertise they need to accomplish their missions.”
Relief cargoes are being consolidated and stuffed into containers at Crowley’s Miami warehouse and distribution center. Containers delivered by Crowley in Rio Haina, Dominican Republic this week are being trucked over the border into Haiti. And more shipments – 179 20-foot containers and 11 40-foot containers for USTRANSCOM – are due in Rio Haina Sunday morning.
“The combination of direct shipments into Port-au-Prince and shipments into Rio Haina that are then trucked over the border is now resulting in a steady flow of aid,” said Hourihan.
Those wishing to contribute humanitarian supplies to Haiti’s relief effort should do so by contacting non-profit organizations such as Food for the Poor or Catholic Relief Services
That’s kind of neat. Even disasters now require outsourcing.
It is interesting to learn about all the logistic details.
Doug ~ Good to see you, unless you’re somehow implying this post is a disaster. But rain or shine, outsourcing is big business. “USTRANSCOM relies on its commercial partners to meet 88 percent of continental U.S. land transport, 50 percent of global air movement, and 64 percent of global sealift.”
Greetings, Weirsdo ~ Logistically speaking, the Devil is always in the details.
Thanks for this informative report. IMHO Haiti poses to the world a whole pile of tricky challenges, not least of which is to identify and efficiently implement a response that meets the most urgent needs without straying into paternalism, which would be psychologically very damaging to the people as individuals and collectively.
masterymistery at cosmic rapture
Greetings, masterymistery! I’m glad you’ve traveled all the way from Australian cosmos!
Yes, I agree. IMHO, Haiti’s had psychological issues for quite some time. I understand its people are resilient, though. Well-meaning philanthropic organizations sometimes do more harm than they intend.