Survivors speak about the earthquake in Haiti

[malaise]

First a serious commentary
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/01/17-0
<snip>
President Barack Obama, flanked by his predecessors George W. Bush and Bill Clinton said, "By coming together in this way, these two leaders send an unmistakable message to the people of Haiti and to the people of the world."

Finally we hear the truth on a major foreign policy issue from Obama. A message has been sent: we have come to pillage your country in its greatest hour of need.

President Bush, during his first term, cut off desperately needed aid to Haiti and supported the overthrow of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Bush's father, former President George H.W. Bush, supported the first coup against Aristide in 1991. Clinton, meanwhile, helped restore Aristide, but only on condition that he accept harsh neoliberal policies.

Yesterday, Secretary Hilary Clinton was sent to Haiti and gave a speech saying that the US is doing "every thing we can" to help the Haitian people. But that fact that her trip to the Haitian airport stopped all aid from arriving for three hours - three critical hours on a day when the difference between life and death for tens of thousands is a drink of water - should tell you everything you need to know about the US relief effort.

Obama has pledged $100 million, which will only just begin to help; and only if it is used for direct aid at all and not squandered on private contractors looking to make a dime (or many millions of dimes) off the suffering of Haitians.
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and this from a young Jamaican man - the humor of the language cannot be missed.
http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20100121/lead/lead4.html
<snip>
Walters had seconds to make a judgement call as to where the safest spot to stand was, while buildings came down around him. He noticed a house that was tilted away from him and chose to stand close to it, figuring that when it collapsed it would do so away from him.

He managed to get to open space.

"I said this is my safe spot. I just have to watch the ground if it going open up."

Darkness fell.

Another aftershock.

"Mi seh backfoot, the place a rock again," he exclaimed.

By midnight, Walters was getting really hungry and thirsty. A Haitian nurse happened to be close by, but she couldn't do anything to help persons with their injuries as she had no supplies. She brought drinking water, but Walters said it wasn't clean.

"One sip," he said, "me coulda taste the cholera."

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