Ethiopian Review

By Surafel Fantaye | VOA

Rezene Tesfamariam, the Haiti Country Director for Plan International, told VOA what it was like when the capital city of Haiti crumbled in an earthquake last week. Rezene is an Ethiopian who is working in Haiti on the needs of children from Plan International offices on the fourth floor of a building in Port-au-Prince.

“I’ve never seen anything like this in my life,” said Rezene Tesfamariam. “I’ve seen refugees fleeing for their lives, but never anything like this.”

Walking through the devastated capital, Rezene saw a collapsed school building where the children and their two teachers buried in the rubble.

“It was a shock to everybody,” he said. “Everybody was hysterical and didn’t know what to do. We are not used to seeing earthquakes in this part of the world.” None of his colleagues was injured.

Rezene said there continues to be great need for food, water and medical treatment for thousands of the quake’s victims. Remembering the collapsed school, he said there is also a dire need for heavy equipment to remove of the dead who are still buried in the rubble of the Haitian capital.

Listen to the Amharic interview by Surafel.