Officials Strain to Distribute Aid to Haiti as Violence Rises

[RamboLiberal]

Source: NY Times

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — As the focus on Saturday turned away from Haitians lost to those trying to survive, a sprawling assembly of international officials and aid workers struggled to fix a troubled relief effort after Tuesday’s devastating earthquake.

While countries and relief agencies showered aid on Haiti, only a small part of it was reaching increasingly desperate Haitians without food, water or shelter. “We see all the commotion, but we still have nothing to drink,” said Joel Querette, 23, a college student camped out in a park. “The trucks are going by.”

Hunger drove many to swarm places where food was being given out. Reports of isolated looting and violence intensified as night approached, and there were reports of Haitians streaming out of the capital.

Still, search and aid efforts were widening. And even the distribution problems in the country stemmed in part from good intentions, aid officials said: Countries around the world were responding to Haiti’s call for help as never before. And they are flooding the country with supplies and relief workers that its collapsed infrastructure and nonfunctioning government are in no position to handle.

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Even as the United States took a leading role in aid efforts, some aid officials were describing misplaced priorities, accusing United States officials of focusing their efforts on getting their people and troops installed and lifting their citizens out. Under agreement with Haiti, the United States is now managing air traffic control at the airport, helicopters are flying relief missions from warships off the coast and 9,000 to 10,000 troops are expected to arrive by Monday to help with the relief effort.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/17/world/americas/17haiti.html?hp

[earcandle]

1. I would not be surprised, although I cannot fathom why, if we are causing violence

our presense.  I heard Hillary say we are ready to control the
people and have boots on the ground.

What the fuck is going on? 

[naaman fletcher]

8. Yup, violence is always our fault.

[earcandle]

11. We have profit motives to do it, so we do it. I hate my country using my tax dollars to

cause violence in the world.  Don't you? 

Incarcerate, genocide, torture.  We have become the monsters
we claim
to hate and protect others against.  We are in for a rude of
awakening 
on the public stage some day. 

[Faygo Kid]

2. Send in the Marines.

Establish order, and get the aid to those who need it. I am not a military guy, but in this instance, let's get some troops in there - UN, too - and establish order. I don't think the machete wielding types will fool with a fully equipped Marine or UN trooper. At least, for their sake, I hope not.

[kayla9170]

6. I Agree with Sending in the Marines....

Order would be established REAL quick then and the people that need to be feed, will be feed. :patriot:

[gimama]

3. Thanks for this post/link

This is worrisome, taking too dang long..
I've posted on other threads, my concerns.

BtW, Read Your defense/posts re: Honore`,
& I kinda love You for that.
;) Thank YOU!

[wordpix]

4. just remember, Dimson got us involved in 2 wars that are still going on & our troops

are largely in the MidEast. So we don't have so many to keep order and distribute aid in a city of 3 million, where both survivors and 50,000 dead must be taken care of.

[hack89]

10. Only about a quarter of our troops are in the ME (if that)

there are plenty of troops available.

[Andronex]

5. I saw many videos on Haiti today...

and generally reporters say there is little violence considering the situation, we had the same situation with Katrina using security as a pretext for not acting, little assistance to the people yet the military was everywhere. I don't believe having the US in charge in Haiti is a good thing, a bit like having Israel controlling humanitarian assistance in Gaza.

[Festivito]

7. Reads like a NYT-RWing dribble to diminish aiding other people. Reports intensify?

It's awful writing, at best.

"Reports of isolated looting and violence intensified"

Well, NYT may mean that incidents of looting and violence were both intensifying and isolated. Which means what? It went from verbal to someone being hit with a purse?


People streaming out of the city. Oh, is that because of the violence, or is that because the FOOD TRUCKS KEEP GOING PAST THEM?

[setfreetruth]

9. Everyone should stop giving until we see credible reports

of water, food, rescue, and health/medical care being delivered to the people that is commensurate with the 11M+ already donated. Something is missing here. I suspect that corrupt officials are siphoning off and stockpiling supplies for later sale on the black market for a profit. Anything that cannot be dropped down directly to the people and closely monitored should be withheld until someone explains what has happened to the aid that has already been sent in.

This statement in the article says it all:

"While countries and relief agencies showered aid on Haiti, only a small part of it was reaching increasingly desperate Haitians without food, water or shelter. 'We see all the commotion, but we still have nothing to drink,' said Joel Querette, 23, a college student camped out in a park. 'The trucks are going by.'"

[earcandle]

12. I agree. Bush, Clinton and now Obama are on the same page. We have no money already,

but they will keep on asking for us to keep on giving and
there is no trust that anything lands where you send it.