Relief comes to the island of Haiti after earthquake leaves population homeless
Issue date: 1/25/10 Section: News
(MCT) On the ninth day, deeply needed aid streamed into Haiti's ravaged capital in quantities that relief agencies said is a clear sign of progress.
With more ways to get aid into the country, including the opening of the city's seaport on Thursday and a more efficient system of food and water distribution, recovery began to seem possible.
"I think we're beginning to turn a corner in logistics," said John Holmes, under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs of the United Nations, which is coordinating food and medical help pouring into Haiti. "The aid is getting out."
This week _ as the U.N. coordinated 30 countries and 400 non-governmental organizations and relief agencies _ more distribution points for food and water opened, along with new medical clinics. The roads have been cleared for trucks.
The U.S. military increased the capacity of the airport from 30 planes daily before the quake to 130, and three new airfields opened. The Port-au-Prince seaport, battered in the quake, opened for limited deliveries. Some relief agencies began shifting their focus to long-term relief and reconstruction.
Still, much more is needed as Haiti struggles to recover from an earthquake that killed as many as 200,000 and left up to 2 million living in the streets and in tent cities.
The world pledged nearly $1 billion in aid to Haiti after the quake struck. Tons of supplies were sent. Thousands of relief workers and soldiers hit the ground, working to make sense of a colossal natural disaster with a price infinitely higher than broken buildings.
But faced with a collapsed city, a broken port, a damaged airport and a staggering number of dead, dying and needy, much of the aid slipped into limbo, stuck between promise and delivery. Some planes carrying supplies were even turned away.
"Haiti has truly presented many more challenges than our other relief operations," said Cynthia Gutierrez-White, senior director of communications for the American Red Cross. "We haven't faced anything like this."
With more ways to get aid into the country, including the opening of the city's seaport on Thursday and a more efficient system of food and water distribution, recovery began to seem possible.
"I think we're beginning to turn a corner in logistics," said John Holmes, under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs of the United Nations, which is coordinating food and medical help pouring into Haiti. "The aid is getting out."
This week _ as the U.N. coordinated 30 countries and 400 non-governmental organizations and relief agencies _ more distribution points for food and water opened, along with new medical clinics. The roads have been cleared for trucks.
The U.S. military increased the capacity of the airport from 30 planes daily before the quake to 130, and three new airfields opened. The Port-au-Prince seaport, battered in the quake, opened for limited deliveries. Some relief agencies began shifting their focus to long-term relief and reconstruction.
Still, much more is needed as Haiti struggles to recover from an earthquake that killed as many as 200,000 and left up to 2 million living in the streets and in tent cities.
The world pledged nearly $1 billion in aid to Haiti after the quake struck. Tons of supplies were sent. Thousands of relief workers and soldiers hit the ground, working to make sense of a colossal natural disaster with a price infinitely higher than broken buildings.
But faced with a collapsed city, a broken port, a damaged airport and a staggering number of dead, dying and needy, much of the aid slipped into limbo, stuck between promise and delivery. Some planes carrying supplies were even turned away.
"Haiti has truly presented many more challenges than our other relief operations," said Cynthia Gutierrez-White, senior director of communications for the American Red Cross. "We haven't faced anything like this."
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