More food reaches Haitians as disease now a major threat
Source: Agencies |
January 20, 2010, Wednesday
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THE pace of food and medical aid deliveries picked up in earthquake-shattered Haiti, providing some hope to desperate survivors, but doctors worried disease would be the next big challenge for the tens of thousands left injured and homeless a week ago.
Medical teams pouring in to set up mobile hospitals said they were already overwhelmed by the casualties and warned of the immediate threats of tetanus and gangrene as well as the spread of measles, meningitis and other infections.
No one has begun to estimate the number of injuries from the magnitude 7 earthquake, which destroyed much of the capital Port-au-Prince on January 12. Haitian officials said the death toll was likely to be between 100,000 and 200,000.
A week after the quake struck, the port remains blocked and while the flow of food, water and supplies from the city's lone airport to the needy is increasing, it remains a work in progress.
Tens of thousands of people sleep in the streets or under plastic sheets in makeshift camps. Relief workers say they fear visiting some parts of the city.
Hundreds of looters were rampaging through downtown.
"That is how it is. There is nothing we can do," said Haitian police officer Arina Bence, who was trying to keep civilians out of the looting zone for their own safety.
European Commission analysts estimate 250,000 were injured and 1.5 million were made homeless and many are exasperated by the delays in getting aid.
"I simply don't understand what is taking the foreigners so long," said Raymond Saintfort, a pharmacist who brought two suitcases of aspirin and antiseptics to the ruins of a nursing home where dozens of residents suffered.
The UN humanitarian chief, John Holmes, said not all 15 planned UN food distribution points were up and running yet. The UN World Food Program said it expected to boost operations to feed 97,000 on Monday. But it needs 100 million prepared meals over the next 30 days, and it appealed for more government donations.
The US military says it can now get 100 flights a day through the airport, up from 60 last week, but still could use more.
Troops parachuted pallets of supplies to a secured area outside the city on Monday rather than further clog the airport.
American Airlines said it has warehouses full of donated food in Miami but has been unable to fly it to Port-au-Prince.
Some 2,000 newly arrived US Marines were parked on ships offshore and the Pentagon said more troops are on the way.
Italy and Spain say they, too, are sending ships to help.
Meanwhile, rescuers continued finding survivors.
Medical teams pouring in to set up mobile hospitals said they were already overwhelmed by the casualties and warned of the immediate threats of tetanus and gangrene as well as the spread of measles, meningitis and other infections.
No one has begun to estimate the number of injuries from the magnitude 7 earthquake, which destroyed much of the capital Port-au-Prince on January 12. Haitian officials said the death toll was likely to be between 100,000 and 200,000.
A week after the quake struck, the port remains blocked and while the flow of food, water and supplies from the city's lone airport to the needy is increasing, it remains a work in progress.
Tens of thousands of people sleep in the streets or under plastic sheets in makeshift camps. Relief workers say they fear visiting some parts of the city.
Hundreds of looters were rampaging through downtown.
"That is how it is. There is nothing we can do," said Haitian police officer Arina Bence, who was trying to keep civilians out of the looting zone for their own safety.
European Commission analysts estimate 250,000 were injured and 1.5 million were made homeless and many are exasperated by the delays in getting aid.
"I simply don't understand what is taking the foreigners so long," said Raymond Saintfort, a pharmacist who brought two suitcases of aspirin and antiseptics to the ruins of a nursing home where dozens of residents suffered.
The UN humanitarian chief, John Holmes, said not all 15 planned UN food distribution points were up and running yet. The UN World Food Program said it expected to boost operations to feed 97,000 on Monday. But it needs 100 million prepared meals over the next 30 days, and it appealed for more government donations.
The US military says it can now get 100 flights a day through the airport, up from 60 last week, but still could use more.
Troops parachuted pallets of supplies to a secured area outside the city on Monday rather than further clog the airport.
American Airlines said it has warehouses full of donated food in Miami but has been unable to fly it to Port-au-Prince.
Some 2,000 newly arrived US Marines were parked on ships offshore and the Pentagon said more troops are on the way.
Italy and Spain say they, too, are sending ships to help.
Meanwhile, rescuers continued finding survivors.
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