Frictions between nations rise over struggle of getting aid to Haiti

[Turborama]

Source: Washington Post

Food and water trickled to the stricken people of Haiti on Saturday, as a global aid operation struggled with frictions and confusion over who was in charge to bring relief to this crumbled, earthquake-ravaged city.

Four days after the 7.0-magnitude quake brought much of Port-au-Prince down on its residents Tuesday, a few signs of national survival flickered, even as some Haitians began an exodus out of the devastated capital and into the countryside.

But there were growing tensions over which country's planes were allowed to land here first, with each nation insisting its aid flight was a priority, according to an official involved in the relief operation.

France, Brazil and Italy were said to be upset, and the Red Cross said one of its planes was diverted to Santo Domingo, the capital of neighboring Dominican Republic.

The French government became so annoyed when a plane with an emergency field hospital was turned back Friday that foreign minister Bernard Kouchner lodged a protest with the State Department, according to the French ambassador to Haiti, Didier Le Bret.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/16/AR2010011602921.html

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Who will lead Haiti's security?
By Gabriel Elizondo

January 17th, 2010

There appear to be some rising tensions between countries leading the relief efforts in Haiti. We know the US is sending in upwards of 10,000 troops to the country. But since 2004, Brazil’s military has been the commanding force leading the Haiti UN peacekeeping mission, technically referred to as MINUSTAH. Brazil has about 1,700 soldiers in Haiti and commands about another 5,300 UN forces in Haiti.

Nelson Jobim, Brazil’s defence minister just came back from Haiti and made a point of that saying Brazil would not voluntarily relinquish any of its command duties. Essentially, what he was saying was that Brazil, not the Pentagon, would continue to lead the UN forces.

When pressed, Jobim also admitted that the US military doesn’t take orders from foreign forces.

So who will answer to whom in Haiti?

Read more: http://blogs.aljazeera.net/americas/2010/01/16/who-will-lead-haitis-security

Report on the tensions between Brazil and the US at the end of this news bulletin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dq5XmZzYYmE

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[my2sense]

1. Sad that that people will die because of folks inability to get past

their egos and cooperate for the greater good.

::hangs head and cries::

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. On the bright side, this means thngs are actually getting better

Trust me, when politics and finger pointing starts... things are GETTING better.

It happens EVERY TIME.

Now that little issue with Brazil will be interesting... now it makes sense why the UN Security Council is meeting on Monday...

[time_has_come]

3. Well, it seems it's not just the French complaining. And Clinton supplanted a field hospital landing

??

Not good. No way she should be going there at this time.

The US is making the decisions about who does and doesn't land at the airport...that we know. If this report is accurate, and Clinton landed while a Red Cross plane and a French field hospital were diverted, then someone is f'n up down there, big time.

[scipan]

6. it's Doctors Without Borders, and they've been trying for days

I think this is pertinent, given the spin WaPo is putting on things. It's not exactly "the French". And the US military is controlling the airport and giving priority to itself. This "inflatable surgical hospital" is one of a kind (probably) and sorely needed there. Did they really drop it for Hillary?

Doctors Without Borders Cargo Plane With Full Hospital and Staff Blocked From Landing in Port-au-Prince

Demands Deployment of Lifesaving Medical Equipment Given Priority

Port-au-Prince/Paris /New York, 17 January 2009—Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) urges that its cargo planes carrying essential medical and surgical material be allowed to land in Port-au-Prince in order to treat thousands of wounded waiting for vital surgical operations. Priority must be given immediately to planes carrying lifesaving equipment and medical personnel.

Despite guarantees, given by the United Nations and the US Defense Department, an MSF cargo plane carrying an inflatable surgical hospital was blocked from landing in Port-au-Prince on Saturday, and was re-routed to Samana, in Dominican Republic. All material from the cargo is now being sent by truck from Samana, but this has added a 24-hour delay for the arrival of the hospital.

A second MSF plane is currently on its way and scheduled to land today in Port- au-Prince at around 10 am local time with additional lifesaving medical material and the rest of the equipment for the hospital. If this plane is also rerouted then the installation of the hospital will be further delayed, in a situation where thousands of wounded are still in need of life saving treatment.

The inflatable hospital includes 2 operating theaters, an intensive care unit, 100-bed hospitalization capacity, an emergency room and all the necessary equipment needed for sterilizing material.

http://doctorswithoutborders.org/press/release.cfm?id=4165&cat=press-release&ref=news-index

[time_has_come]

7. Be that as it may, it was also "the French." France filed a diplomatic complaint.

As did Brazil, now.

The Red Cross has been complaining now as well.

[ronnie624]

4. Here is an excellent resource for information about Haiti.

Of particular interest:

- The invasion and occupation of Haiti by the U.S. in 1915
- The opening of Haitian markets to U.S. capital in the 1970s
- The conversion of Haitian agriculture to export crops by corporate agribusiness as a source of cheap imports for the U.S.
- The support of brutal despotism by the U.S. in the 80s and 90s
- U.S. government organized coup d'etat against elected leaders like Aristide in 2004, which was supported by an array of NGOs like NED, USAID, RSF, and Human Rights Watch.

Fascinating stuff:

<http://www.africaspeaks.com/haiti/>

[EFerrari]

10. Thank you, ronnie.

[ronnie624]

11. See also, if you haven't already,

Amy Goodman's interview of Bill Quigley and Brian Concannon. Included is a first hand account of the aftermath of the earthquake and some interesting comments by Naomi Klein.

[Rhiannon12866]

5. K&R! Off to The Greatest Page with you...

:hi:

France, Brazil and Italy were said to be upset... What about the people of Haiti who are buried, starving and dying?! :grr:

[CHIMO]

8. US accused of annexing airport as squabbling hinders aid effort in Haiti

Source: guardian.co.uk

The US military's takeover of emergency operations in Haiti has triggered a diplomatic row with countries and aid agencies furious at having flights redirected.

Brazil and France lodged an official ­protest with Washington after US military aircraft were given priority at Port-au-Prince's congested airport, forcing many non-US flights to divert to the Dominican Republic.

Brasilia warned it would not ­relinquish command of UN forces in Haiti, and Paris complained the airport had become a US "annexe", exposing a brewing power struggle amid the global relief effort. The Red Cross and Médecins Sans Frontières also complained about diverted flights.

The row prompted Haiti's president, René Préval, to call for calm. "This is an extremely difficult situation," he told AP. "We must keep our cool to co-ordinate and not throw accusations at each other."



Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/17/us-accused-aid-effort-haiti

[CHIMO]

9. Frustration mounts over Haiti aid

Tensions are rising on the streets of Haiti as the bulk of earthquake survivors continue to go without food, medicine or proper shelter.

Aid organisations continued to struggle to reach them with supplies on Sunday, six nights after the devastating earthquake that killed tens of thousands of people and left hundreds of thousands homeless.

A bottleneck at the capital's small airport – the main entry point for the massive assistance pledged by world leaders following the disaster – means little help has reached the many people waiting for help in makeshift camps on streets strewn with debris and decomposing bodies.

Some aid agencies have complained about a lack of co-ordination at the Port-au-Prince airport, where the US military has taken over operations.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/americas/2010/01/201011831019984373.html

[demo dutch]

12. That ties in with the fact Intl aid to rebuilt will go to the wealthy like it always has, so

nothing changes in Haiti! Money talks..

[Bragi]

13. Obama should ask Bush to settle things

Surely the Obama-appointed, distinguished and widely respected co-chair of Haiti relief fundraising could help bring the parties together.

He could let them all know how international law works in these situations.

[bemildred]

14. France and America bicker as Haiti aid fails to reach city

The international effort to deliver humanitarian aid to the victims of last week's Port-au-Prince earthquake was hit by bickering today as a French government minister accused the Americans of trying to occupy Haiti instead of helping it.

Thousands of American soldiers have poured in to Port-au-Prince airport since President Obama announced that he was ordering a "swift and aggressive" campaign to help millions of Haitians left homeless by last week's 7.0 magnitude earthquake.

Six days after the quake, however, precious little aid is getting beyond the airport perimeters - largely because of security concerns - and aid agencies with long experience of operating in disaster zones have complained that their flights in are being blocked unnecessarily.

Among the aircraft turned back by American air traffic controllers who have assumed control at Port-au-Prince airport was a French government Airbus carrying a field hospital.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6992809.ece

[bemildred]

15. U.N. Chief Seeks More Haiti Peacekeepers

UNITED NATIONS—As violence and looting flared across the stricken Haitian capital, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Monday asked the U.N. Security Council to authorize 2,000 more peacekeepers and another 1,500 more U.N. police for Haiti.

"The heartbreaking scenes I saw yesterday compel us to act quickly," said Mr. Ban, who visited Port-au-Prince on Sunday.

The secretary-general briefed the Security Council in a closed-door session Monday morning, less than 12 hours after he returned from the Haitian capital. His plane back to New York carried the body of Hedi Annabi, the U.N.'s chief representative in Haiti, who perished when U.N. headquarters crumbled in the earthquake.

"I saw mass destruction and mass need," Mr. Ban said.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704541004575011103252368136.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines

[bemildred]

16. Europe Pledges More Than $500 Million in Haiti Quake Relief

The European Union on Monday pledged nearly $200 million in short-term aid to help Haiti recover from the earthquake and is earmarking almost $300 million in longer-term assistance. Individual European countries have also pledged more than $100 million.

European Union ministers meeting in Brussels agreed to boost support for Haiti, ravaged by a devastating earthquake that struck last week. At a news conference in Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton announced the 27-member block has decided to earmark roughly $197 million in short term assistance for the Caribbean island nation. She praised Europe's response to date.

"We have taken swift action," she said. "We have immediately made available more than $20 million euros to assist on the ground as well as the individual member states, who have sent a whole range of individual requirements to fulfill the needs - from individuals to support medically, help with water sanitation, to provide the logistial support that's necessary."

EU officials announced the block is also considering nearly $300-million in longer-term aid to help Haiti recover.

http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/disaster/Europe-Pledges-More-Than-500-Million-in-Haiti-Quake-Relief-81964857.html