I have read with interest the comments about Haiti, and now Queensland,
where I live, and where family and many friends have been affected. The
floods in Brisbane are entirely different from Haiti (or Brazil).
Except for the devastation in Toowoomba (where they knew a bad storm was
coming, but not that it was an 'inland tsunami'), we knew the floods were
coming. We have been kept informed by fantastic communication in an
emergency situation. The responses by government, defence and emergency
services, aid agencies and community support have been outstanding.
Electricity - Residents knew in advance that it would be cut and to which
suburbs. Residents were advised to get out early.
Water supplies are mostly unaffected - boiling your water in some small
communities has been recommended. People did panic buy, but nobody would go
without food given the incredible support available, and the efficiency of
the emergency services and Evacuation Centres.
1 hospital (and its adjacent nursing home) on a flood plain was evacuated
(only 1 to the best of my knowledge). My niece lives in that rural area, she
knew at least a month ago that they were likely to be flood bound, so 10
days ago when she finished a holiday on the coast, she took home 2 months
food supplies. Residents were not surprised by the evacuation. (This area
was flooded 10 months ago.) Many properties in this area would also have
generators.
One Facebook page, with well-intentioned but ill=informed young women, is
promoting Shoe Boxes of Love.. They say they are doing it in conjunction
with Campbelltown Rotary Club, and encouraging others to get involved. They
suggest infant formula be included with other items to be shipped to
Brisbane to flood victims. This page is rapidly gaining popularity - it's
cute and gimmicky and has a feel-good reaction.
The Red Cross are overwhelmed and want only money donations. I have not seen
any calls for PIF, nor so far seen any images of such donations. This Shoe
Boxes group don't acknowledge or understand that financial donations only
are wanted and that local businesses must be given the 'business' to survive
when the money is distributed by the agencies.
Throughout the night, I posted comments on this page, some seem to have
disappeared.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/shoeboxesoflovedrive?v=wall
Please add your comment - see the list of products they're suggesting. It's
a logistical nightmare for the recipients, and the Red Cross have also
commented on maintaining flood victims' dignity with sensitivity with what
is 'given to them'.
Nina and Karleen, how about writing an article for the Rotarian, or ask to
meet Directors.
http://www.rotary.org.au/en/CONTACT/Pages/default.html
and here's the email address of the Campbelltown Rotary Club, who is
co-sponsoring this project
[log in to unmask]
Explain why infant formula should not be included, but the money donated
instead and directed to
http://www.qld.gov.au/floods
and the time given to volunteer agencies like Red Cross, or Rotary.
in Brazil floods and mudslides have resulted in 500+ deaths so far. Sadly,
the devastation there will not get the same emergency response that we've
seen in Queensland.
As I write this, parts of the state of Victoria are experiencing flooding.
There has been no media release from the Australian Breastfeeding
Association on these emergencies, although there is a page of information.
http://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/news/index.html
A Facebook page to counter the well meaning groups like Shoe Boxes of Love
is always possible.
Jan Cornfoot
ps Virginia Thorley has been evacuated to a friend's home as her street was
flooded (not her home), and without power. She says she is fine. others are
on this list have been affected by the floods. We are very mindful of the
devastation this has caused to so many, but frankly, I think we still live
in the lucky country.
==============================================================================
Appropriate IFE response? In Australia? I despair. The very idea that
bottles are not safe is so alien to most of the community as to be
unfathomable - the idea that formula itself could be dangerous won't even be
considered. Thousands of homes are without power. Flood waters are
contaminated. Roads are closed. Supermarkets have run out of staples.
Hospitals have been evacuated. And still there are calls for bottles and
PIF ... There is expertise in country but there is no perception of need.
sadly
Nina Berry
Australia
***********************************************
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2011 09:50:22 +1100
From: Karleen Gribble <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Infant feeding in the Australian flood
In fact there are two internationally experienced IFE experts in Brisbane
itself.
Frankly, the preparation has not been in place to roll out the support and
media interaction when this came. We must be better prepared for next time.
Karleen Gribble
Australia
Appropriate IFE response? In Australia? I despair. The very idea that
bottles are not safe is so alien to most of the community as to be
unfathomable - the idea that formula itself could be dangerous won't even be
considered. Thousands of homes are without power. Flood waters are
contaminated. Roads are closed. Supermarkets have run out of staples.
Hospitals have been evacuated. And still there are calls for bottles and
PIF ... There is expertise in country but there is no perception of need.
sadly
Nina Berry
Australia
***********************************************
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2011 09:59:51 +1100
From: Karleen Gribble <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Infant feeding in the Australian flood
Jodine,
You are very right. Formula feeding is almost universal but half of infants
are still receiving some breastmilk at 6 mo of age. But all those situations
where women are expressing (expressing breastmilk often requiring power for
extraction and storage) and using breastfeeding supplementers (so difficult
to clean at the best of times) are also really important to think about.
I absolutely think that having recommendations of emergencies would be great
for guidelines and in fact we should aim for the same here in Australia (our
guidelines are up for review also). Nina, can you remember this?
Karleen Gribble
Australia
On 2011-01-13, at 2:22 AM, Karleen Gribble wrote:
> Hi Magda,
> I'm not aware of it being discussed on any forums in any significant way.
> I've been trying to keep my ear to the ground as much as possible to get
> some idea of what is going on. In scale, I don't think there is anything
> comparable that has happened in an industrialised country except Hurricane
> Katrina (which was much larger in terms of the population affected).
> Certainly there is infant formula being distributed in evacuation centres
> and it seems likely that much of this has been donated by industry (a
breach
> of the Code and the Ops Guidance on IFE). As to how carefully this formula
> is being distributed I have not been able to find out. Certainly many of
the
> resources needed to formula feed including formula, water and power are in
> short supply in many places. It really concerns me. The world has turned
> upsidedown for many families and something that was perhaps easy for many,
> formula feeding, has suddenly become extremely difficult. ABA has
contacted
> aid orgs to ensure that they are aware of the breastfeeding helpline but I
> don't know how many calls have come through from affected families
> (hopefully will find out at some stage).
> Karleen Gribble
> Australia
>
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