Situation in Haiti deteriorating as aid struggles to leave the airport
January 19, 2010
Fears are growing that the situation in Haiti may be very close to breaking point as aid is still not getting to the people who so desperately need it. Although supplies are building up at the airport in Port-au-Prince the speed with which it is being distributed seems incredibly slow and logistical problems are also hampering distribution. One correspondent reported that although he saw a Red Cross consignment ready to go, fuel issues meant that the aid never left the depot. Renzo Frick, emergency coordinator for Medecins Sans Frontieres has confirmed that much needed medical supplies are simply not getting through. He said that even after waiting all night the supplies he was expecting never arrived.
Security in the capital is also a cause for concern as reports emerge of survivors looting shops, fighting with each other and clashing with the police. One policeman said that he had been asked to prevent looters from stealing but said that there was no way the Haitian police had that ability to control the situation. He went on to say that he would welcome American help but had no idea where the promised troops were. One American military official claimed that the outbreaks of violence were in isolated areas but Haitian officials say that U.N. personnel have simply not been able to provide the security needed.
Mass graves have been dug outside the city and trucks have been endeavoring to get corpses that have been lining the streets out of Port-au-Prince. Thousands of bodies still remain buried beneath the rubble.
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