Destruction in Leogane, the epicentre of the quake, is worse than Port-au-Prince

[malaise]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8463938.stm
<snip>
The UN says up to 80-90% of buildings in Leogane, about 19km (12 miles) west of Port-au-Prince, have been destroyed.

The BBC's Mark Doyle - who travelled to the town on Saturday - said people had taken refuge in the surrounding sugarcane fields or mangrove swamps.

David Orr, a spokesman for the UN World Food Programme, said many thousands were feared dead.

"Nearly every house was destroyed here. The military are talking about 20,000 to 30,000 dead."

Many survivors have been leaving quake-hit areas in search of food, water and medicine.


Excellent graphic


correct link

[FedUpWithIt All]

1. BBC had a report yesterday about Leogane.

BBC: Haiti village left to fend for itself after earthquake

The UN base at Leogane is full of vehicles, equipment, food, water and men. They are stationed to the west of Port-au-Prince at the end of a road leading through the small settlement where we are told some 5,000 people have been left homeless.

But instead of being out in the village, the UN representatives at this base are clustered around the front gate, laughing as they buy shampoo from a local salesman.

And while they do this, just a two-minute walk down the road in the village itself, the injured and the homeless are waiting.

One man says the water is no longer safe to drink. People are thirsty. Some plead for help, to come and see the injured.

They bring one man out, his leg dragging behind him in the dirt.

A church and a school are damaged. The village pharmacy is flattened. Any medicine that might help here is trapped inside the rubble.

Under a sheet sits Marianne Deboulie. She has a bandage tied around each of her swollen legs. Both, she says, are broken. The concrete fell on top of her and pinned her down.

Up above, a lone military helicopter hovers for a moment. From inside, someone looks down at us, and then the aircraft flies away.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8464335.stm

[malaise]

3. Quite a few areas are very bad

I mentioned Jacmel on the weekend - the graphic is pretty good.
Think about it - the airport runway wasn't destroyed or this would be much worse.

[Captain Hilts]

2. Mal, has Jamaica seen refugees from Haiti or any other effects such as rescuers...

queing to get to Haiti?

What are you seeing there, if anything?

[malaise]

4. A few Haitians with friends or relatives

arrived with some of our officials and I've heard that schools and universities are working our arrangements for some kids, but I expect large numbers of refugees to arrive within weeks. We have a fair amount of inter-marriage with our neighbors and they'll be welcomed with open arms. Let's see if the hypocrites welcome them - talk is very cheap in these parts. I heard one ex-politician telling the government to keep the Haitians out of Jamaica. The public silenced his sorry ass on talk radio, but not all Jamaicans welcome Haitians even in the best of times. On the other hand we have a significant Haitian community here so we'll see how this works out.

I must say that I've never seen such generosity from my people.

By the way Haitians better watch their children - I'm against adoptions until we're sure that parents or relatives aren't available and willing to look after children. A lot of children disappear in disasters and not for humanitarian reasons.

[applegrove]

5. I think we Canadians are going there. That is where our effort will be.

[applegrove]

6. Actually Canadians will be in a town called Jacmel.

[bullwinkle428]

7. NPR was saying the "old parts" of Jacmel were just obliterated,

like a direct hit from a bomb! Apparently, most of those mid-19th century structures were built on a sand base, and that just all turned to liquid when the quake struck. The newer structures built up on the rocky hillsides fared much better by comparison.

The map indicates that they supposedly didn't experience nearly the worst of it! :scared: