I am in Abaco, but fuel is rationed and we are waiting for the availability of our taxi just to go back to the aiport and hopefully pick up our food box (it didn't arrive on our flight). Last night we were very grateful to Team Rubicon, another NGO, who shared some of their MRE ("Meals Ready-To-Eat", similar to Australian Army Ration Packs) with us.
Once we've got food (!) for ourselves, the plan is to start the networking so that we can complete a more thorough community assessment and progress our work here. We're really late to the party in Abaco, but that said, the need is so great that I'm sure there will be plenty for us still to do.
This picture, taken from weather.com is a few weeks old, however there has still been no debris removal on much of the island, so it's pretty representative:
It's hoped that debris removal will be done by hand, or at least with some care, in case there are bodies underneath still, but you would appreciate that the government are far more keen to use heavy machinery for the sake of efficiency.
The drama around deportations continues also. UNHCR delivered a stinging attack on the Bahamian government the other day, claiming that people are fleeing shelters and not seeking critical food or medical support because they fear deportation. The government have had this reported to them by many, including in meetings I have been attending, but they blatantly lied in their response to UNHCR saying they've heard no such reports.
Sadly, it's becoming such an issue it's also impacting aid delivery. A pastor of the Haitian Baptist Church in Nassau that was providing over 250 meals a day to displaced people was arrested during a government meeting and has not been seen since. As a result, the meals program is suspended.
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