BRKG Prime Minister Of Haiti Says Hundreds Of Thousands Dead!
- Thread starter Lost Patriot
- Start date
Brutus
Inactive
I think they'd just about HAVE to bury them in mass graves, or maybe burial at sea WAAAAAAY offshore.
Freeholder
This too shall pass.
That's a good question, one I was thinking about, too. I know we've had discussions here in the past about what to do with the bodies in the event of a mass casualty event like this. I guess now we'll find out. (Maybe they'll send down some of the body bags the government has stockpiled?)
Kathleen
In regards to the bodies, I don't think they know yet what they are going to do. CNN's Anderson Cooper was just talking to a Red Cross rep on the ground in Haiti and asked him that question, and it seems from the Red Cross guy's answer that they are still in the planning stages.
Also...FYI...earlier on the broadcast, a rumor had started that there was a tsunami coming!! CNN was showing people dropping their few possessions, climbing palm trees and running in the streets to get away from the "water." Eventually the Haitian police came through and assured everyone there was no tsunami threat. Turns out that the rumor had been deliberately started so people could loot others' possessions that they dropped in their rush to flee.
This is definitely going to be an ongoing story for a while, just like Katrina was, but much worse.
Also...FYI...earlier on the broadcast, a rumor had started that there was a tsunami coming!! CNN was showing people dropping their few possessions, climbing palm trees and running in the streets to get away from the "water." Eventually the Haitian police came through and assured everyone there was no tsunami threat. Turns out that the rumor had been deliberately started so people could loot others' possessions that they dropped in their rush to flee.
This is definitely going to be an ongoing story for a while, just like Katrina was, but much worse.
I'm afraid this is going to be like the Quake/Tsunami several years ago.
First reports were 5000 dead, then it jumped to 15,000, next you heard 25,000, then it jumped to 80,000, then 150,000....in the end, well over a quarter million lives lost.
the 2008 population of Haiti was 9.8 million. It would not surprise me to find 10% of the population dead.
First reports were 5000 dead, then it jumped to 15,000, next you heard 25,000, then it jumped to 80,000, then 150,000....in the end, well over a quarter million lives lost.
the 2008 population of Haiti was 9.8 million. It would not surprise me to find 10% of the population dead.
knickgnat
Veteran Member
There is some talk that many hiatians will leave in boats for the USA to escape the hardship. The talk is thousands and how we can't stop this kind of invasion. They are totally dependent on outside sources for food since they don't plant rice anymore. Supposedly, all the hospitals are destroyed. How many "helpers" can control thousands of people who have lost everything?
ainitfunny
Saved, to glorify God.
I can't go into "all about Haiti and it's history" to explain to you what is so very wrong with your post.
In the meantime, don't worry about an "invasion". Haitians are the LEAST favored people by our government, corporations, investors, bankers, and politicians. Even Cubans get more respect and human rights.
Of course if they decided they WOULD submit to again working and or sewing clothing for multi-national manufacturers and tourist industry corporations for 12-25 cents an hour and kill all the "evil" union organizers like they were told, then they would find "prosperity", investment, tourism and money returning to Haiti, but NOT to the ordinary Haitian. http://www.williambowles.info/haiti-news/archives/us_dodge_law_261295.html
Hell, the MEDIAN age is 18.4 years and they are so desperate they are eating DIRT COOKIES even BEFORE the quake, from the punishing economic chastisements put on that nation and people by powerful outside groups. FOOD sent in by charity groups is cleverly now ROTTING IN PORT, forced by recent new AMERICAN "rules" that EVERY SINGLE BOX (not each truck, EACH BOX) COMING INTO HAITI has to be searched for drugs, knowing it would create such an impossible backlog that the perishables would rot on the dock before they were INDIVIDUALLY searched, documented and RELEASED. They were right, it does. NO OTHER PORT IN THE WORLD IS FORCED TO OPERATE UNDER SUCH RULES. It is calculated to CAUSE SUFFERING, not stop drugs.
Also, you might ask why they aren't feeding themselves with FISH? I suspect foreign corporate factory fish trollers that scrape EVERYTHING out of the water have cleaned out the offshore waters fish population. Some finally note the pressure, injustice this puts on 3RD world people struggling just to eat.
MSNBC reporter stated that air traffic control became a major issue at nightfall. No lights to safely conduct night landings. Departing planes were given priority to take off and orbiting planes were tuned away at nightfall.
Apparently no landings were conducted overnight.
Let's hope the US military can take control of the airport and get it functioning in an efficient manner.
A lot of time is being lost until the large ships can arrive in port.
Apparently no landings were conducted overnight.
Let's hope the US military can take control of the airport and get it functioning in an efficient manner.
A lot of time is being lost until the large ships can arrive in port.
doctor_fungcool
TB Fanatic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ot-NgL1xxxM&feature=player_embedded
Interesting VID....gunfire in Haiti.....and other interesting tidbits...
Interesting VID....gunfire in Haiti.....and other interesting tidbits...
China Connection
TB Fanatic
Thousands feared dead in Haiti quake; many trapped
Jan 13 01:42 PM US/Eastern
By JONATHAN M. KATZ
Associated Press Writer
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9D718703&show_article=1
In this image made available by the American Red Cross in London, Wednesday...
The Most Horrific Thing: Salvation Army Worker Breaks Down During MSNBC Interview
Like the End of the World: Survivors Recount Hellish Moments of Haitian Quake
They Have Been Cursed: Pat Robertson Says Haiti Swore a Pact to the Devil
Raw: Moment of Haiti Earthquake Is Caught on Video
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) - Haitians piled bodies along the devastated streets of their capital Wednesday after a powerful earthquake flattened the president's palace, the cathedral, hospitals, schools, the main prison and whole neighborhoods. Officials feared hundreds of thousands may have perished but there was no firm count.
Death was everywhere in Port-au-Prince. Bodies of tiny children were piled next to schools. Corpses of women lay on the street with stunned expressions frozen on their faces as flies began to gather. Bodies of men were covered with plastic tarps or cotton sheets.
President Rene Preval said he believes thousands were killed in Tuesday afternoon's magnitude-7.0 quake, and the scope of the destruction prompted other officials to give even higher estimates. Leading Sen. Youri Latortue told The Associated Press that 500,000 could be dead, although he acknowledged that nobody really knows.
"Parliament has collapsed. The tax office has collapsed. Schools have collapsed. Hospitals have collapsed," Preval told the Miami Herald. "There are a lot of schools that have a lot of dead people in them."
Even the main prison in the capital fell down, "and there are reports of escaped inmates," U.N. humanitarian spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs said in Geneva.
The head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission was missing and the Roman Catholic archbishop of Port-au-Prince was dead.
"The cathedral, the archbishop's office, all the big churches, the seminaries have been reduced to rubble," Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the apostolic envoy to Haiti, told the Vatican news agency FIDES.
The parking lot of the Hotel Villa Creole was a triage center. People sat with injuries and growing infections by the side of rubble-strewn roads, hoping that doctors and aid would come.
The international Red Cross said a third of Haiti's 9 million people may need emergency aid and that it would take a day or two for a clear picture of the damage to emerge.
At first light Wednesday, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter evacuated four critically injured U.S. Embassy staff to the hospital on the U.S. Naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where the military has been detaining suspected terrorists for the last seven years.
President Barack Obama promised an all-out rescue and humanitarian effort, adding that the U.S. commitment to its hemispheric neighbor will be unwavering.
"We have to be there for them in their hour of need," Obama said.
Other nations—from Iceland to Venezuela—said they would start sending in aid workers and rescue teams. Cuba said its existing field hospitals in Haiti had already treated hundreds of victims. The United Nations said Port-au-Prince's main airport was "fully operational" and open to relief flights.
The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, USS Carl Vinson, is under way and expected to arrive off the coast of Haiti Thursday. Additional U.S. Navy ships are under way to Haiti, a statement from the U.S. Southern Command said.
Aftershocks continued to rattle the capital of 2 million people as women covered in dust clawed out of debris, wailing. Stunned people wandered the streets holding hands. Thousands gathered in public squares to sing hymns.
U.N. humanitarian chief John Holmes said it was possible that the death toll "will be in the thousands."
"Initial reports suggest a high number of casualties and, of course, widespread damage but I don't have any figure that I can give you with any reliability of what the number of casualties will be," Holmes said.
People pulled bodies from collapsed homes, covering them with sheets by the side of the road. Passers-by lifted the sheets to see if loved ones were underneath. Outside a crumbled building, the bodies of five children and three adults lay in a pile.
The prominent died along with the poor: the body of Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot, 63, was found in the ruins of his office, said the Rev. Pierre Le Beller of the Saint Jacques Missionary Center in Landivisiau, France. He told The Associated Press by telephone that fellow missionaries in Haiti had told him they found Miot's body.
Preval told the Herald that Haiti's Senate president was among those trapped alive inside the Parliament building. Much of the National Palace pancaked on itself.
The international Red Cross and other aid groups announced plans for major relief operations in the Western Hemisphere's poorest country.
Many will have to help their own staff as well as stricken Haitians. Taiwan said its embassy was destroyed and the ambassador hospitalized. Spain said its embassy was badly damaged.
Tens of thousands of people lost their homes as buildings that were flimsy and dangerous even under normal conditions collapsed. Nobody offered an estimate of the dead, but the numbers were clearly enormous.
"The hospitals cannot handle all these victims," said Dr. Louis-Gerard Gilles.
Medical experts say disasters such as an earthquake generally do not lead to new outbreaks of infectious diseases, but they do tend to worsen existing health problems.
Haiti's quake refugees likely will face an increased risk of dengue fever, malaria and measles—problems that plagued the impoverished country before, said Kimberley Shoaf, associate director of the UCLA Center for Public Health and Disasters.
Some of the biggest immediate health threats include respiratory disease from inhaling dust from collapsed buildings and diarrhea from drinking contaminated water.
With hospitals and clinics severely damaged, Haiti will also face risks of secondary infections. People seeking medical attention for broken bones and other injuries may not be able to get the help they need and may develop complications.
Dead bodies piled on the streets typically don't pose a public health risk. But for a country wracked by violence, seeing the dead will exact a psychological toll.
An American aid worker was trapped for about 10 hours under the rubble of her mission house before she was rescued by her husband, who told CBS' "Early Show" that he drove 100 miles (160 kilometers) to Port-au-Prince to find her. Frank Thorp said he dug for more than an hour to free his wife, Jillian, and a co-worker, from under about a foot of concrete.
An estimated 40,000-45,000 Americans live in Haiti, and the U.S. Embassy had no confirmed reports of deaths among its citizens. All but one American employed by the embassy have been accounted for, State Department officials said.
Even relatively wealthy neighborhoods were devastated.
An AP videographer saw a wrecked hospital where people screamed for help in Petionville, a hillside district that is home to many diplomats and wealthy Haitians as well as the poor.
At a destroyed four-story apartment building, a girl of about 16 stood atop a car, trying to see inside while several men pulled at a foot sticking from rubble. She said her family was inside.
"A school near here collapsed totally," Petionville resident Ken Michel said after surveying the damage. "We don't know if there were any children inside." He said many seemingly sturdy homes nearby were split apart.
The U.N.'s 9,000 peacekeepers in Haiti, many of whom are from Brazil, were distracted from aid efforts by their own tragedy: Many spent the night hunting for survivors in the ruins of their headquarters.
"It would appear that everyone who was in the building, including my friend Hedi Annabi, the United Nations' secretary-general's special envoy, and everyone with him and around him, are dead," French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said on RTL radio.
But U.N. peacekeeping chief Alain Le Roy would not confirm that Annabi was dead, saying he was among more than 100 people missing in its wrecked headquarters. He said only about 10 people had been pulled out, many of them badly injured. Fewer than five bodies had been removed, he said.
U.N. peacekeeping forces in Port-au-Prince are securing the airport, the port, main buildings and patrolling the streets, Le Roy said.
Brazil's army said at least 11 of its peacekeepers were killed, while Jordan's official news agency said three of its peacekeepers were killed. A state newspaper in China said eight Chinese peacekeepers were known dead and 10 were missing—though officials later said the information was not confirmed.
The quake struck at 4:53 p.m., and was centered 10 miles (15 kilometers) west of Port-au-Prince at a depth of only 5 miles (8 kilometers), the U.S. Geological Survey said. USGS geophysicist Kristin Marano called it the strongest earthquake since 1770 in what is now Haiti.
Video obtained by the AP showed a huge dust cloud rising over Port-au-Prince shortly after the quake as buildings collapsed.
Most Haitians are desperately poor, and after years of political instability the country has no real construction standards. In November 2008, following the collapse of a school in Petionville, the mayor of Port-au-Prince estimated about 60 percent of buildings were shoddily built and unsafe normally.
The quake was felt in the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, and in eastern Cuba, but no major damage was reported in either place.
With electricity out in many places and phone service erratic, it was nearly impossible for Haitian or foreign officials to get full details of the devastation.
"Everybody is just totally, totally freaked out and shaken," said Henry Bahn, a U.S. Department of Agriculture official in Port-au-Prince. "The sky is just gray with dust."
Edwidge Danticat, an award-winning Haitian-American author was unable to contact relatives in Haiti. She sat with family and friends at her home in Miami, looking for news on the Internet and watching TV news reports.
"You want to go there, but you just have to wait," she said. "Life is already so fragile in Haiti, and to have this on such a massive scale, it's unimaginable how the country will be able to recover from this."
___
Associated Press contributors to this story: videographer Pierre Richard Luxama in Port-au-Prince; and writers David Koop and Olga R. Rodriguez in Mexico City; David McFadden and Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Matthew Lee and Julie Pace in Washington; Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations; Tamara Lush in Tampa, Fla.; and Jennifer Kay and Christine Armario in Miami.
Jan 13 01:42 PM US/Eastern
By JONATHAN M. KATZ
Associated Press Writer
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9D718703&show_article=1
In this image made available by the American Red Cross in London, Wednesday...
The Most Horrific Thing: Salvation Army Worker Breaks Down During MSNBC Interview
Like the End of the World: Survivors Recount Hellish Moments of Haitian Quake
They Have Been Cursed: Pat Robertson Says Haiti Swore a Pact to the Devil
Raw: Moment of Haiti Earthquake Is Caught on Video
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) - Haitians piled bodies along the devastated streets of their capital Wednesday after a powerful earthquake flattened the president's palace, the cathedral, hospitals, schools, the main prison and whole neighborhoods. Officials feared hundreds of thousands may have perished but there was no firm count.
Death was everywhere in Port-au-Prince. Bodies of tiny children were piled next to schools. Corpses of women lay on the street with stunned expressions frozen on their faces as flies began to gather. Bodies of men were covered with plastic tarps or cotton sheets.
President Rene Preval said he believes thousands were killed in Tuesday afternoon's magnitude-7.0 quake, and the scope of the destruction prompted other officials to give even higher estimates. Leading Sen. Youri Latortue told The Associated Press that 500,000 could be dead, although he acknowledged that nobody really knows.
"Parliament has collapsed. The tax office has collapsed. Schools have collapsed. Hospitals have collapsed," Preval told the Miami Herald. "There are a lot of schools that have a lot of dead people in them."
Even the main prison in the capital fell down, "and there are reports of escaped inmates," U.N. humanitarian spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs said in Geneva.
The head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission was missing and the Roman Catholic archbishop of Port-au-Prince was dead.
"The cathedral, the archbishop's office, all the big churches, the seminaries have been reduced to rubble," Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the apostolic envoy to Haiti, told the Vatican news agency FIDES.
The parking lot of the Hotel Villa Creole was a triage center. People sat with injuries and growing infections by the side of rubble-strewn roads, hoping that doctors and aid would come.
The international Red Cross said a third of Haiti's 9 million people may need emergency aid and that it would take a day or two for a clear picture of the damage to emerge.
At first light Wednesday, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter evacuated four critically injured U.S. Embassy staff to the hospital on the U.S. Naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where the military has been detaining suspected terrorists for the last seven years.
President Barack Obama promised an all-out rescue and humanitarian effort, adding that the U.S. commitment to its hemispheric neighbor will be unwavering.
"We have to be there for them in their hour of need," Obama said.
Other nations—from Iceland to Venezuela—said they would start sending in aid workers and rescue teams. Cuba said its existing field hospitals in Haiti had already treated hundreds of victims. The United Nations said Port-au-Prince's main airport was "fully operational" and open to relief flights.
The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, USS Carl Vinson, is under way and expected to arrive off the coast of Haiti Thursday. Additional U.S. Navy ships are under way to Haiti, a statement from the U.S. Southern Command said.
Aftershocks continued to rattle the capital of 2 million people as women covered in dust clawed out of debris, wailing. Stunned people wandered the streets holding hands. Thousands gathered in public squares to sing hymns.
U.N. humanitarian chief John Holmes said it was possible that the death toll "will be in the thousands."
"Initial reports suggest a high number of casualties and, of course, widespread damage but I don't have any figure that I can give you with any reliability of what the number of casualties will be," Holmes said.
People pulled bodies from collapsed homes, covering them with sheets by the side of the road. Passers-by lifted the sheets to see if loved ones were underneath. Outside a crumbled building, the bodies of five children and three adults lay in a pile.
The prominent died along with the poor: the body of Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot, 63, was found in the ruins of his office, said the Rev. Pierre Le Beller of the Saint Jacques Missionary Center in Landivisiau, France. He told The Associated Press by telephone that fellow missionaries in Haiti had told him they found Miot's body.
Preval told the Herald that Haiti's Senate president was among those trapped alive inside the Parliament building. Much of the National Palace pancaked on itself.
The international Red Cross and other aid groups announced plans for major relief operations in the Western Hemisphere's poorest country.
Many will have to help their own staff as well as stricken Haitians. Taiwan said its embassy was destroyed and the ambassador hospitalized. Spain said its embassy was badly damaged.
Tens of thousands of people lost their homes as buildings that were flimsy and dangerous even under normal conditions collapsed. Nobody offered an estimate of the dead, but the numbers were clearly enormous.
"The hospitals cannot handle all these victims," said Dr. Louis-Gerard Gilles.
Medical experts say disasters such as an earthquake generally do not lead to new outbreaks of infectious diseases, but they do tend to worsen existing health problems.
Haiti's quake refugees likely will face an increased risk of dengue fever, malaria and measles—problems that plagued the impoverished country before, said Kimberley Shoaf, associate director of the UCLA Center for Public Health and Disasters.
Some of the biggest immediate health threats include respiratory disease from inhaling dust from collapsed buildings and diarrhea from drinking contaminated water.
With hospitals and clinics severely damaged, Haiti will also face risks of secondary infections. People seeking medical attention for broken bones and other injuries may not be able to get the help they need and may develop complications.
Dead bodies piled on the streets typically don't pose a public health risk. But for a country wracked by violence, seeing the dead will exact a psychological toll.
An American aid worker was trapped for about 10 hours under the rubble of her mission house before she was rescued by her husband, who told CBS' "Early Show" that he drove 100 miles (160 kilometers) to Port-au-Prince to find her. Frank Thorp said he dug for more than an hour to free his wife, Jillian, and a co-worker, from under about a foot of concrete.
An estimated 40,000-45,000 Americans live in Haiti, and the U.S. Embassy had no confirmed reports of deaths among its citizens. All but one American employed by the embassy have been accounted for, State Department officials said.
Even relatively wealthy neighborhoods were devastated.
An AP videographer saw a wrecked hospital where people screamed for help in Petionville, a hillside district that is home to many diplomats and wealthy Haitians as well as the poor.
At a destroyed four-story apartment building, a girl of about 16 stood atop a car, trying to see inside while several men pulled at a foot sticking from rubble. She said her family was inside.
"A school near here collapsed totally," Petionville resident Ken Michel said after surveying the damage. "We don't know if there were any children inside." He said many seemingly sturdy homes nearby were split apart.
The U.N.'s 9,000 peacekeepers in Haiti, many of whom are from Brazil, were distracted from aid efforts by their own tragedy: Many spent the night hunting for survivors in the ruins of their headquarters.
"It would appear that everyone who was in the building, including my friend Hedi Annabi, the United Nations' secretary-general's special envoy, and everyone with him and around him, are dead," French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said on RTL radio.
But U.N. peacekeeping chief Alain Le Roy would not confirm that Annabi was dead, saying he was among more than 100 people missing in its wrecked headquarters. He said only about 10 people had been pulled out, many of them badly injured. Fewer than five bodies had been removed, he said.
U.N. peacekeeping forces in Port-au-Prince are securing the airport, the port, main buildings and patrolling the streets, Le Roy said.
Brazil's army said at least 11 of its peacekeepers were killed, while Jordan's official news agency said three of its peacekeepers were killed. A state newspaper in China said eight Chinese peacekeepers were known dead and 10 were missing—though officials later said the information was not confirmed.
The quake struck at 4:53 p.m., and was centered 10 miles (15 kilometers) west of Port-au-Prince at a depth of only 5 miles (8 kilometers), the U.S. Geological Survey said. USGS geophysicist Kristin Marano called it the strongest earthquake since 1770 in what is now Haiti.
Video obtained by the AP showed a huge dust cloud rising over Port-au-Prince shortly after the quake as buildings collapsed.
Most Haitians are desperately poor, and after years of political instability the country has no real construction standards. In November 2008, following the collapse of a school in Petionville, the mayor of Port-au-Prince estimated about 60 percent of buildings were shoddily built and unsafe normally.
The quake was felt in the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, and in eastern Cuba, but no major damage was reported in either place.
With electricity out in many places and phone service erratic, it was nearly impossible for Haitian or foreign officials to get full details of the devastation.
"Everybody is just totally, totally freaked out and shaken," said Henry Bahn, a U.S. Department of Agriculture official in Port-au-Prince. "The sky is just gray with dust."
Edwidge Danticat, an award-winning Haitian-American author was unable to contact relatives in Haiti. She sat with family and friends at her home in Miami, looking for news on the Internet and watching TV news reports.
"You want to go there, but you just have to wait," she said. "Life is already so fragile in Haiti, and to have this on such a massive scale, it's unimaginable how the country will be able to recover from this."
___
Associated Press contributors to this story: videographer Pierre Richard Luxama in Port-au-Prince; and writers David Koop and Olga R. Rodriguez in Mexico City; David McFadden and Danica Coto in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Matthew Lee and Julie Pace in Washington; Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations; Tamara Lush in Tampa, Fla.; and Jennifer Kay and Christine Armario in Miami.
garnetgirl
Veteran Member
I heard last evening that the major port at Port au Prince was heavily damaged (docks, underwater structures, etc...) and that they would have to rethink how to get in supplies via ships.
garnetgirl
Zulu Cowboy
Keep It Real...
I think we are now witnessing what a true SHTF situation would really be like. Infrastructure gone...electricity gone...drinking water gone...food supplies dwindling...sanitation gone...medical facilities devastated...law and order, non-existent. And it is only going to get worse, with each passing hour. These people were desperately poor in the best of times. Those lucky enough to have survived this catastrophe, are now going to get more and more desperate, as time goes by...
This is not just a recipe for disaster...this is truly TSHTF for Haiti.
Zulu Cowboy
This is not just a recipe for disaster...this is truly TSHTF for Haiti.
Zulu Cowboy
That's not good at all. Only so much can come through the airport.
The only good news was that Port O Prince could receive big ships and the worst hit areas were near the ocean. That would expedite the use of heavy logistics. Bulldozers to clear the roads and heavy trucks need to fan out all over the country to get vital supplies distributed.
Only so much can be done with planes and helicopters.
The airport is going to be the center of communications and the focal point for the media but can't be the sole source of supply.
After another two or three days the humanitarian situation is going to be horrific. There is no way they can hold out without water, food and medical aid.
If the airport is the only delivery point for aid, the locals will surge toward the airport. Watch two million desperate people move toward the only source of hope.
Security may become an -extreme- issue in just a few days.
BreakingNews: U.S. sending 300 medical personnel to Haiti today, 12,000 placed on alert for possible deployment, accdg to HHS Secretary Sebelius on MSNBC
BreakingNews: Update: U.S. sending up to 3,500 troops from Army's 82nd Airbourne to #Haiti; first 100 to arrive today, official says - Reuters
BreakingNews: Update: U.S. sending up to 3,500 troops from Army's 82nd Airbourne to #Haiti; first 100 to arrive today, official says - Reuters
undead
Veteran Member
Well, we do have the Navy there. Should be easy to stop them.
I'm sorry, but I have no desire to see hundreds of thousands of illiterates flooding our shores immediately heading to the welfare offices.
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Bobo the Ass Clown is speaking about Haiti now.
He really thinks highly of himself.
-My- administration.
-My- team.
-I- ordered.
-We- mandated.
-Our- efforts.
-I- am releasing aid.
Wait until some/all of -his- efforts blow up and the backlash lands right in -his- lap.
Not politically smart to take personal ownership of everything.
He really thinks highly of himself.
-My- administration.
-My- team.
-I- ordered.
-We- mandated.
-Our- efforts.
-I- am releasing aid.
Wait until some/all of -his- efforts blow up and the backlash lands right in -his- lap.
Not politically smart to take personal ownership of everything.
TheSearcher
Are you sure about that?
No problem, Herr. He'll just say:
-I- am not responsible.
-My- team will be doing something else tomorrow.
-We- are not amused.
Knell
Inactive
Did anybody else hear that the prison was destroyed? Apparently there are now hundreds of really bad guys that have escaped running around loose.
eta: There's an interview with the Haiti police chief at cnn where he says that about 1000 prisoners escaped from the national penitentiary.
eta: There's an interview with the Haiti police chief at cnn where he says that about 1000 prisoners escaped from the national penitentiary.
Last edited:
TheSearcher
Are you sure about that?
CelticRose
Inactive
It's in situations such as this, we see not only the worst some people are capable of ........ But also, we see the very best that a human being is capable of. Giving of themselves and risking their personal well being to help another. I'm praying that mercy and compassion and strength, are the main forces at work in Haiti.
Surprise
Inactive
Growing desperation grips Haitian capital in quake's aftermath
January 14, 2010 -- Updated 1752 GMT (0152 HKT)
Port-au-Prince, Haiti (CNN) -- Haiti's capital awoke to increasing desperation Thursday morning, a day and a half after a devastating earthquake, with covered bodies piling up along streets and modern aspects of life, such as electricity, mostly missing.
The streets of Port-au-Prince resembled grainy black-and-white newsreels from World War II that showed the rubble of bombed-out houses in Berlin and London. The devastation was wide and often horrific.
A one-hour drive from the airport to a walled-in hotel where the CNN contingent is staying revealed the widespread destruction from Tuesday's 7.0-magnitude earthquake.
Flattened and severely damaged houses were found on every block, and the streets were choked with pedestrians and residents. They set up overnight camps and slept by the thousands in dark and crowded parks and on sidewalks, for fear of being inside if another powerful quake hit.
Numerous aftershocks have rattled the capital.
Sporadic gunfire was heard Wednesday night outside the hotel where CNN is lodged.
Sirens could be heard at times, but the predominant sounds in the pre-dawn darkness were the shouts and screams from the thousands of people who spent the night in a dark park across the street. A rooster's crowing could sometimes be heard above the din.
After electricity in the hotel was shut off at 1 a.m., CNN technicians worked on satellite equipment by flashlight.
The hotel resembles a compound, with razor wire topping eight-foot walls and a gated parking lot, guarded by a man wielding an old shotgun. And although the hotel's residents seemed safe, and street violence had not been seen, there was a feeling of apprehension.
As dawn broke, residents wandered slowly through the streets, their destination unknown in a city with seemingly nowhere to go.
Still, there were glimmers of hope that the situation was inching toward improvement.
The airport, damaged by the quake, began to come back to life Wednesday.
The Aeroport International Toussaint Louverture had been closed since the quake struck. But by Wednesday afternoon, the first small-plane commercial flights started to arrive. The airport picked up energy and vitality as planes carrying supplies and ferrying search-and-rescue squads began filling the tarmac.
Francklin Pierre, manager for Haiti's Copa Airlines, was in his airport office on Tuesday, sending an e-mail to a friend in Trinidad and Tobago, when he felt the tremor just before 5 p.m. He stood up and stumbled out of his office but could not go far because the building was shaking so hard.
"It was an eternity for me," he said. "That building was shaking like a paper."
His mother and daughter survived, Pierre said, but his father is missing.
"We are all still looking for my father," he said. "We can't reach him. We don't know where he is."
Lionel Isaac, director of the airport authority, said engineers will examine the structural damage Thursday to see if the terminal can be opened again. The runway and the electricity are sound, he said.
If the terminal cannot be opened any time soon, Isaac said, an American Airlines cargo building may be used as temporary terminal.
He hopes to have 30-seat commercial airplanes flying into the airport within the next few days.
Large military cargo aircraft were landing routinely and often Wednesday afternoon. Several U.S. Coast Guard and Air Force planes stood on the tarmac, their engines running the whole time. One took on a load of passengers and left.
International help also started to arrive. Thirty-five members of the Icelandic Search and Rescue Team arrived aboard a large jet.
"They will stay here for as long as it takes," said Thorbjorn Johnsson, a counselor from the Icelandic Foreign Ministry who accompanied the team. "We offered to help and Haiti accepted."
A Canadian military squad also arrived to drop off supplies and a reconnaissance squad, in preparation for a disaster response team scheduled to arrive Thursday aboard a C-17 cargo plane with two helicopters on board.
The Canadian crew planned to leave Wednesday night to make room for other planes on the crowded tarmac.
"Once I've dropped that off, I'm just taking up room," said Capt. Wayne Freeland, the plane's pilot. "I've got to make room for everyone else. I'm just a bus driver, my friend."
American Airlines, which has been flying into Port-Au-Prince for 40 years, has brought in 30,000 pounds of water and food and plans to bring in more Thursday, said Art Torno, the airline's managing director for the Caribbean.
As the sun climbed into the sky Thursday, the din from the park across the street from the hotel quieted, replaced by an occasional car horn and the chattering of residents speaking their rapid-fire French patois.
A small crowd of young men gathered at a concrete wall that had toppled at a home next to the hotel. Stooped over, they busted the concrete blocks into smaller chunks, their purpose in doing so not readily apparent.
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/14/haiti.scene/
fair use applies
Videos at link:
Video: Walking Haitian streets
Video: Rumors of a flood
Video: 'People were dying below me'
Video: Heading to Haiti to help
January 14, 2010 -- Updated 1752 GMT (0152 HKT)
Port-au-Prince, Haiti (CNN) -- Haiti's capital awoke to increasing desperation Thursday morning, a day and a half after a devastating earthquake, with covered bodies piling up along streets and modern aspects of life, such as electricity, mostly missing.
The streets of Port-au-Prince resembled grainy black-and-white newsreels from World War II that showed the rubble of bombed-out houses in Berlin and London. The devastation was wide and often horrific.
A one-hour drive from the airport to a walled-in hotel where the CNN contingent is staying revealed the widespread destruction from Tuesday's 7.0-magnitude earthquake.
Flattened and severely damaged houses were found on every block, and the streets were choked with pedestrians and residents. They set up overnight camps and slept by the thousands in dark and crowded parks and on sidewalks, for fear of being inside if another powerful quake hit.
Numerous aftershocks have rattled the capital.
Sporadic gunfire was heard Wednesday night outside the hotel where CNN is lodged.
Sirens could be heard at times, but the predominant sounds in the pre-dawn darkness were the shouts and screams from the thousands of people who spent the night in a dark park across the street. A rooster's crowing could sometimes be heard above the din.
After electricity in the hotel was shut off at 1 a.m., CNN technicians worked on satellite equipment by flashlight.
The hotel resembles a compound, with razor wire topping eight-foot walls and a gated parking lot, guarded by a man wielding an old shotgun. And although the hotel's residents seemed safe, and street violence had not been seen, there was a feeling of apprehension.
As dawn broke, residents wandered slowly through the streets, their destination unknown in a city with seemingly nowhere to go.
Still, there were glimmers of hope that the situation was inching toward improvement.
The airport, damaged by the quake, began to come back to life Wednesday.
The Aeroport International Toussaint Louverture had been closed since the quake struck. But by Wednesday afternoon, the first small-plane commercial flights started to arrive. The airport picked up energy and vitality as planes carrying supplies and ferrying search-and-rescue squads began filling the tarmac.
Francklin Pierre, manager for Haiti's Copa Airlines, was in his airport office on Tuesday, sending an e-mail to a friend in Trinidad and Tobago, when he felt the tremor just before 5 p.m. He stood up and stumbled out of his office but could not go far because the building was shaking so hard.
"It was an eternity for me," he said. "That building was shaking like a paper."
His mother and daughter survived, Pierre said, but his father is missing.
"We are all still looking for my father," he said. "We can't reach him. We don't know where he is."
Lionel Isaac, director of the airport authority, said engineers will examine the structural damage Thursday to see if the terminal can be opened again. The runway and the electricity are sound, he said.
If the terminal cannot be opened any time soon, Isaac said, an American Airlines cargo building may be used as temporary terminal.
He hopes to have 30-seat commercial airplanes flying into the airport within the next few days.
Large military cargo aircraft were landing routinely and often Wednesday afternoon. Several U.S. Coast Guard and Air Force planes stood on the tarmac, their engines running the whole time. One took on a load of passengers and left.
International help also started to arrive. Thirty-five members of the Icelandic Search and Rescue Team arrived aboard a large jet.
"They will stay here for as long as it takes," said Thorbjorn Johnsson, a counselor from the Icelandic Foreign Ministry who accompanied the team. "We offered to help and Haiti accepted."
A Canadian military squad also arrived to drop off supplies and a reconnaissance squad, in preparation for a disaster response team scheduled to arrive Thursday aboard a C-17 cargo plane with two helicopters on board.
The Canadian crew planned to leave Wednesday night to make room for other planes on the crowded tarmac.
"Once I've dropped that off, I'm just taking up room," said Capt. Wayne Freeland, the plane's pilot. "I've got to make room for everyone else. I'm just a bus driver, my friend."
American Airlines, which has been flying into Port-Au-Prince for 40 years, has brought in 30,000 pounds of water and food and plans to bring in more Thursday, said Art Torno, the airline's managing director for the Caribbean.
As the sun climbed into the sky Thursday, the din from the park across the street from the hotel quieted, replaced by an occasional car horn and the chattering of residents speaking their rapid-fire French patois.
A small crowd of young men gathered at a concrete wall that had toppled at a home next to the hotel. Stooped over, they busted the concrete blocks into smaller chunks, their purpose in doing so not readily apparent.
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/14/haiti.scene/
fair use applies
Videos at link:
Video: Walking Haitian streets
Video: Rumors of a flood
Video: 'People were dying below me'
Video: Heading to Haiti to help
Surprise
Inactive
US rushes troops to Haiti quake
17:24 GMT, Thursday, 14 January 2010
US rushes troops to Haiti quake
The US is sending up to 3,500 soldiers and 2,200 marines to Haiti to help rescue efforts in the wake of the devastating earthquake.
President Barack Obama pledged one of the biggest relief efforts in recent US history and said Haiti would "not be forgotten" in its hour of need.
The search for survivors continues but rescuers lack heavy lifting equipment and many are using their bare hands.
Tens of thousands of people are feared dead and up to three million affected.
BBC correspondents say the situation is increasingly desperate, with aid only trickling in.
Mr Obama confirmed that some US rescuers were already working on the ground in Haiti.
Speaking in Washington, he promised the country "every element of our national capacity, our diplomacy, and development assistance, the power of our military and most importantly, the compassion of our country" following the disaster.
"To the people of Haiti, we say clearly and with conviction, you will not be forsaken, you will not be forgotten," he said.
He said US forces had secured Haiti's airport, allowing it to receive round-the-clock deliveries of aid and equipment. However he warned it would take time for much-needed help to reach people.
Mr Obama also promised an immediate $100m for Haiti's relief effort and said that investment would grow over the coming year to aid long-term recovery.
AT THE SCENE
Andy Gallacher, BBC News, Haiti Despite the promises of aid here there is still no sign of an organised relief effort.
Out in the streets of Port-au-Prince, the situation is now critical.
The voices that were being heard from inside the collapsed buildings have now fallen silent.
Haitians feel desperately alone, they are doing the best to fend for themselves but this is a place with no infrastructure.
People can only dig through buildings with their hands in an attempt to rescue any survivors.
The first 100-strong contingent from the US Army's 82nd Airborne Division is expected to arrive in Haiti by the end of Thursday, with several hundred more due by Friday.
The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier will arrive on Thursday. The USS Bataan, carrying a marine expeditionary unit, is also on its way.
The US forces will join Haitians and international search and rescue teams already on the ground.
Aid groups say it is a race against time to find survivors under the rubble of the collapsed buildings - the first priority of the rescue effort.
Heavy lifting gear and sniffer dogs are desperately needed to seek out and free trapped victims. Medicine, food and water are in short supply.
Elisabeth Byrs, of the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said: "The priority is to find survivors. We are working against the clock."
"We just don't know what to do. You can see how terrible the damage is. We have not been able to get into all the areas"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/americas/8459444.stm
fair use applies
17:24 GMT, Thursday, 14 January 2010
US rushes troops to Haiti quake
The US is sending up to 3,500 soldiers and 2,200 marines to Haiti to help rescue efforts in the wake of the devastating earthquake.
President Barack Obama pledged one of the biggest relief efforts in recent US history and said Haiti would "not be forgotten" in its hour of need.
The search for survivors continues but rescuers lack heavy lifting equipment and many are using their bare hands.
Tens of thousands of people are feared dead and up to three million affected.
BBC correspondents say the situation is increasingly desperate, with aid only trickling in.
Mr Obama confirmed that some US rescuers were already working on the ground in Haiti.
Speaking in Washington, he promised the country "every element of our national capacity, our diplomacy, and development assistance, the power of our military and most importantly, the compassion of our country" following the disaster.
"To the people of Haiti, we say clearly and with conviction, you will not be forsaken, you will not be forgotten," he said.
He said US forces had secured Haiti's airport, allowing it to receive round-the-clock deliveries of aid and equipment. However he warned it would take time for much-needed help to reach people.
Mr Obama also promised an immediate $100m for Haiti's relief effort and said that investment would grow over the coming year to aid long-term recovery.
AT THE SCENE
Andy Gallacher, BBC News, Haiti Despite the promises of aid here there is still no sign of an organised relief effort.
Out in the streets of Port-au-Prince, the situation is now critical.
The voices that were being heard from inside the collapsed buildings have now fallen silent.
Haitians feel desperately alone, they are doing the best to fend for themselves but this is a place with no infrastructure.
People can only dig through buildings with their hands in an attempt to rescue any survivors.
The first 100-strong contingent from the US Army's 82nd Airborne Division is expected to arrive in Haiti by the end of Thursday, with several hundred more due by Friday.
The USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier will arrive on Thursday. The USS Bataan, carrying a marine expeditionary unit, is also on its way.
The US forces will join Haitians and international search and rescue teams already on the ground.
Aid groups say it is a race against time to find survivors under the rubble of the collapsed buildings - the first priority of the rescue effort.
Heavy lifting gear and sniffer dogs are desperately needed to seek out and free trapped victims. Medicine, food and water are in short supply.
Elisabeth Byrs, of the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said: "The priority is to find survivors. We are working against the clock."
"We just don't know what to do. You can see how terrible the damage is. We have not been able to get into all the areas"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/americas/8459444.stm
fair use applies
Surprise
Inactive
Living sleep among dead at Haiti hospitals
12:45 GMT, Thursday, 14 January 2010
Living sleep among dead at Haiti hospitals
BBC News, Port-au-Prince
There is a body lying outside L'Hopital de la Paix in Port-au-Prince - but it is the sight that awaits you inside the hospital grounds that is most alarming.
It is as if a massacre has been perpetrated here.
Dirty white sheets cover some of the dead, others lie out in the open, some, their limbs entwined with another's.
Many are the bodies of adults, but here to the right, a baby on her back, her belly bloated and pronounced.
She is wearing a silvery blue top, just lying by the curb, abandoned.
A man stirs to the left. He unfurls a blanket that covers the ground and lies back down.
The living are sleeping among the dead.
Nearby, still outside, a woman lies on a hospital bed. Like many she is too scared of aftershocks to stay inside.
That is why they are here, out under the dark, star-filled sky.
Echoes of pain
A man with wide eyes stares at a passing stranger.
A relative moves to lift the sheet covering his two broken legs, as if there was any need to emphasise the suffering here.
A woman lies on an unfolded cardboard box. There is a pool of her blood slowly collecting below her waist.
She needs help - so does everyone. The screams and whimpers of those in pain echo down the corridors.
There are few doctors, little medicine.
One woman, a German it seems, says she has just stopped by to help. Her house, she says, was also damaged.
A doctor gives her a small vial and she works her way gingerly over the other injured people to a man she has been trying to help.
It is clear many brought to the hospital with injuries have since died here.
One man with tears in his eyes pointed to his young daughter lying on the dirty tiled floor.
She has two broken legs and a large gash in her head. Her sister is already dead.
Nothing left
"Ca va?" her father asks. "Oui," she replies softly - but she is not okay.
In pockets there is barely anything left of this city, and so far the people are largely having to cope on their own.
Overnight a rumour went round of an approaching tsunami.
Hundreds, it seemed, rushed from the coast and they came along dark, unlit streets carrying a few possessions.
There was no tsunami of course, but it showed how scared and alone the people feel.
Many are thought to remain trapped underneath the larger buildings that collapsed and Haiti has little in the way of heavy lifting equipment to reach them.
The leadership here says tens of thousands of people have been killed.
Some of the UN peacekeepers stationed here are among the dead.
This country, so often in the past forgotten by the world, now needs its help more than ever.
So, too, does another little girl lying on a table at the hospital. She stirs a little, almost looks asleep.
It is not, though, a peaceful sleep - and by dawn she could well be dead.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/americas/8458516.stm
fair use applies
12:45 GMT, Thursday, 14 January 2010
Living sleep among dead at Haiti hospitals
BBC News, Port-au-Prince
There is a body lying outside L'Hopital de la Paix in Port-au-Prince - but it is the sight that awaits you inside the hospital grounds that is most alarming.
It is as if a massacre has been perpetrated here.
Dirty white sheets cover some of the dead, others lie out in the open, some, their limbs entwined with another's.
Many are the bodies of adults, but here to the right, a baby on her back, her belly bloated and pronounced.
She is wearing a silvery blue top, just lying by the curb, abandoned.
A man stirs to the left. He unfurls a blanket that covers the ground and lies back down.
The living are sleeping among the dead.
Nearby, still outside, a woman lies on a hospital bed. Like many she is too scared of aftershocks to stay inside.
That is why they are here, out under the dark, star-filled sky.
Echoes of pain
A man with wide eyes stares at a passing stranger.
A relative moves to lift the sheet covering his two broken legs, as if there was any need to emphasise the suffering here.
A woman lies on an unfolded cardboard box. There is a pool of her blood slowly collecting below her waist.
She needs help - so does everyone. The screams and whimpers of those in pain echo down the corridors.
There are few doctors, little medicine.
One woman, a German it seems, says she has just stopped by to help. Her house, she says, was also damaged.
A doctor gives her a small vial and she works her way gingerly over the other injured people to a man she has been trying to help.
It is clear many brought to the hospital with injuries have since died here.
One man with tears in his eyes pointed to his young daughter lying on the dirty tiled floor.
She has two broken legs and a large gash in her head. Her sister is already dead.
Nothing left
"Ca va?" her father asks. "Oui," she replies softly - but she is not okay.
In pockets there is barely anything left of this city, and so far the people are largely having to cope on their own.
Overnight a rumour went round of an approaching tsunami.
Hundreds, it seemed, rushed from the coast and they came along dark, unlit streets carrying a few possessions.
There was no tsunami of course, but it showed how scared and alone the people feel.
Many are thought to remain trapped underneath the larger buildings that collapsed and Haiti has little in the way of heavy lifting equipment to reach them.
The leadership here says tens of thousands of people have been killed.
Some of the UN peacekeepers stationed here are among the dead.
This country, so often in the past forgotten by the world, now needs its help more than ever.
So, too, does another little girl lying on a table at the hospital. She stirs a little, almost looks asleep.
It is not, though, a peaceful sleep - and by dawn she could well be dead.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/low/americas/8458516.stm
fair use applies
From what I've heard so far on Fox, that the FAA ground halt is for aircraft out of the U.S. going to Haiti because.....
-Concern over the security of the airport; people are starting to crowd the airport at Port au Prince to get out or get supplies at "the source" or to get on a plane to "get out". Push to get 2000 USMC and 3500 USA troops into Port au Prince is to address this before security situation goes critical.
-Airport tarmac is not big enough for aircraft to be parked, unload and turn around with the volume trying to get into the field. Add to that there is no fuel available at the airport at this time so if you land you have to leave and get to where you're going next with what you have in your tanks. Add to that a/c are leaving empty because there is no system in place to take triaged patients out of Haiti to another location.
-There are reportedly no lights for the runway at this time and the control tower is still down. So until lights can be rigged and a tower operation re-established the field is daylight ops only.
With the 72 hour window rapidly closing on people trapped in the rubble, along with aftershocks that are up to 6 on the Richter scale, this is going to turn into a recovery operation in short order. There is just no way to get what is needed into the country fast enough.
The food distribution system, such that it was, is gone, and the concern now is of a dangerous level of anarchy descending upon Haiti.
Aardaerimus
Anunnaku
There, I corrected that for you.
SIRR1
Inactive
That's why we have the Corp of Army Engineers!
They will arrive and access the situation and if the port needs docks they will build docks out of floating barges that clamp together.
It may take them a few days to ship and then build the floating docks but they will get the port reopened for supplies and manpower to enter in force!
Remember on D-Day +1 in WWII the Navy strapped boats together to build floating docks to rush in troops and supplies and the same thing will happen here only the troops now will be using modern floating modular docks built just for this situation.
SIRR1
Knell
Inactive
I saw a report about the port a while ago. The docks and cranes are destroyed but that is just the beginning. The main (only?) road from the port is buckled, heaved up, so there's no way to get things from the docks to the people.
eta; I have been glad to see that many other countries are sending aid, including Russia, China, Canada, Mexico, etc. It's not just the US.
eta; I have been glad to see that many other countries are sending aid, including Russia, China, Canada, Mexico, etc. It's not just the US.
Knell
Inactive
UN: 36 UN Personel Killed, Nearly 200 missing
UNITED NATIONS— Crews rescued a security guard Thursday from the U.N. headquarters building that collapsed in the Haiti earthquake, "a small miracle" as 36 U.N. personnel were confirmed dead and nearly 200 remained missing, the head of the world body said.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the U.N.'s mission chief, Hedi Annabi, and his chief deputy, Luis Carlos da Costa, are among roughly 100 people still buried in the rubble of the five-story headquarters building.
The U.N. chief said early Thursday morning, rescuers at the collapsed headquarters building heard "scratching sounds" and located Tarmo Joveer, an Estonian close protection officer, under about 4 meters (13 feet) of rubble. He was given water through a rubber pipe, pulled out and taken to the U.N. mission hospital run by Argentine staff.
"It was a small miracle during a night which brought few other miracles," Ban said.
Speaking by videoconference from Port-au-Prince, David Wimhurst, a spokesman for the U.N. peacekeeping mission, said Joveer was covered in dust and dehydrated, but "he walked out of there unscathed. ... He was very, very grateful to be alive."
Wimhurst said early Thursday afternoon that the dead include 19 U.N. peacekeepers, four international police officers and 13 civilians. The injured include 26 military, nine police and 38 civilians, of whom 24 are Haitian nationals.
Wimhurst said about 160 national and international civilian staffers, 18 police, and 10 military personnel are still missing.
"I think the first 72 hours will be critically important," Ban said. "Now we are approaching 48 hours... I hope that we will have more and more survivors."
"The priority remains emergency search and resuce. People remain alive under the rubble, and we must save as many lives as we can," he said.
Rescue teams from China, the U.S., France and the Dominican Republic have arrived with dogs and listening equipment and Ban said more teams will be arriving soon.
The U.N. chief said he requested helicopters, engineers, medical equipment and medical items from the United States, "as much as they can provide," and requests for transport helicopters and other critical assets will be made to many other countries and international partners.
Ban said Assistant Secretary-General Edmond Mulet will arrive in Port-au-Prince Thursday afternoon to take charge of the U.N. mission and coordinate the international relief effort.
"He will immediately begin to work to coordinate the assistance and rescue operations, in close coordination with the Haitian leadership, including President (Rene) Preval," Ban said.
The U.N.'s Haitian mission _ spread across the country _ includes 7,000 peacekeeping troops, 2,090 international police, 490 international civilian staffers, 1,235 local civilian staffers and 215 U.N. volunteers, he said. The force, known as MINUSTAH, was brought in after a bloody 2004 rebellion following decades of violence and poverty in the nation.
The secretary-general said the 3,000 peacekeepers in and around Port-au-Prince "are patrolling and they are trying to maintain law and order around the city."
"So far, I think we have been able to maintain such order," Ban said. "We are extremely careful and we will pay attention to prevent any crimes, any violence."
With the U.S. sending 3,500 troops and massive aid to Haiti, the secretary-general was asked whether the U.S. will answer to the U.N. or whether it will operate independently.
Ban said he told the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday "that all international aid and assistance should be coordinated with MINUSTAH, the United Nations" with Mulet in charge of coordinating the effort.
Did that mean that Mulet, who was Annabi's predecessor as the top U.N. envoy in Haiti, would direct the U.S. military?
"The force commander of the U.N. peacekeeping operations will coordinate, I hope, with the U.S. military assistance team," Ban said. "I am sure that the military leaders will fully coordinate with each other."
Ban said U.N. humanitarian chief John Holmes will launch an emergency appeal for Haiti at U.N. headquarters on Friday afternoon, hopefully alongside former U.S. president Bill Clinton, his special envoy for Haiti who had been trying to raise money to rebuild the impoverished Caribbean nation after several devastating hurricanes in 2008.
http://www.rr.com/news/topic/articl..._UN_personnel_killed_nearly_200_missing/full/
UNITED NATIONS— Crews rescued a security guard Thursday from the U.N. headquarters building that collapsed in the Haiti earthquake, "a small miracle" as 36 U.N. personnel were confirmed dead and nearly 200 remained missing, the head of the world body said.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said the U.N.'s mission chief, Hedi Annabi, and his chief deputy, Luis Carlos da Costa, are among roughly 100 people still buried in the rubble of the five-story headquarters building.
The U.N. chief said early Thursday morning, rescuers at the collapsed headquarters building heard "scratching sounds" and located Tarmo Joveer, an Estonian close protection officer, under about 4 meters (13 feet) of rubble. He was given water through a rubber pipe, pulled out and taken to the U.N. mission hospital run by Argentine staff.
"It was a small miracle during a night which brought few other miracles," Ban said.
Speaking by videoconference from Port-au-Prince, David Wimhurst, a spokesman for the U.N. peacekeeping mission, said Joveer was covered in dust and dehydrated, but "he walked out of there unscathed. ... He was very, very grateful to be alive."
Wimhurst said early Thursday afternoon that the dead include 19 U.N. peacekeepers, four international police officers and 13 civilians. The injured include 26 military, nine police and 38 civilians, of whom 24 are Haitian nationals.
Wimhurst said about 160 national and international civilian staffers, 18 police, and 10 military personnel are still missing.
"I think the first 72 hours will be critically important," Ban said. "Now we are approaching 48 hours... I hope that we will have more and more survivors."
"The priority remains emergency search and resuce. People remain alive under the rubble, and we must save as many lives as we can," he said.
Rescue teams from China, the U.S., France and the Dominican Republic have arrived with dogs and listening equipment and Ban said more teams will be arriving soon.
The U.N. chief said he requested helicopters, engineers, medical equipment and medical items from the United States, "as much as they can provide," and requests for transport helicopters and other critical assets will be made to many other countries and international partners.
Ban said Assistant Secretary-General Edmond Mulet will arrive in Port-au-Prince Thursday afternoon to take charge of the U.N. mission and coordinate the international relief effort.
"He will immediately begin to work to coordinate the assistance and rescue operations, in close coordination with the Haitian leadership, including President (Rene) Preval," Ban said.
The U.N.'s Haitian mission _ spread across the country _ includes 7,000 peacekeeping troops, 2,090 international police, 490 international civilian staffers, 1,235 local civilian staffers and 215 U.N. volunteers, he said. The force, known as MINUSTAH, was brought in after a bloody 2004 rebellion following decades of violence and poverty in the nation.
The secretary-general said the 3,000 peacekeepers in and around Port-au-Prince "are patrolling and they are trying to maintain law and order around the city."
"So far, I think we have been able to maintain such order," Ban said. "We are extremely careful and we will pay attention to prevent any crimes, any violence."
With the U.S. sending 3,500 troops and massive aid to Haiti, the secretary-general was asked whether the U.S. will answer to the U.N. or whether it will operate independently.
Ban said he told the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday "that all international aid and assistance should be coordinated with MINUSTAH, the United Nations" with Mulet in charge of coordinating the effort.
Did that mean that Mulet, who was Annabi's predecessor as the top U.N. envoy in Haiti, would direct the U.S. military?
"The force commander of the U.N. peacekeeping operations will coordinate, I hope, with the U.S. military assistance team," Ban said. "I am sure that the military leaders will fully coordinate with each other."
Ban said U.N. humanitarian chief John Holmes will launch an emergency appeal for Haiti at U.N. headquarters on Friday afternoon, hopefully alongside former U.S. president Bill Clinton, his special envoy for Haiti who had been trying to raise money to rebuild the impoverished Caribbean nation after several devastating hurricanes in 2008.
http://www.rr.com/news/topic/articl..._UN_personnel_killed_nearly_200_missing/full/
Yes, Canada is doing its part although being criticized by the internal do-gooders for not moving fast enough....
Thursday, January 14, 2010 9:44 AM
Relief team 'hit the ground running';
Ottawa to match Haiti donations
Jane Taber
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blog...tawa-to-match-haiti-donations/article1430829/
Citizens are now being evacuated from Haiti as the military brings in new emergency supplies in what is one of the biggest humanitarian relief efforts Canada has undertaken.
About 100 Canadians – people who made their way to the embassy in the Haitian capital – were evacuated last night and flown to the Dominican Republic. They are expected to be in Montreal tonight.
A senior Canadian government official said those in distress, such as pregnant women and children, are being given priority. Two more planes will land later today in Haiti and will be available to take out more Canadians.
Defence Minister Peter MacKay provided an update as to the relief effort in a briefing this morning. He was joined by Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon and junior foreign minister Peter Kent.
Mr. Cannon said more Canadian deaths are expected as the search and rescue effort continues. So far, there are three confirmed deaths – Elmira, Ont., nurse Yvonne Martin and Montreal couple Georges and Mireille Anglade.
It is estimated there were about 6,000 Canadians in the country at the time of earthquake.
The government has also announced it will be matching individual donations to charities up to a total of $50-million. These funds will be allocated by CIDA to Canadian and international humanitarian organizations.
Yesterday, Ottawa pledged an immediate $5-million in emergency aid.
Meanwhile, the military is still determining what is required in the composition of the Disaster Assistance Relief Team.
Mr. MacKay said this morning that the “initial elements of DART” arrived yesterday in Haiti, which included 19 Canadian Forces members. They were on the Hercules aircraft that had been loaded with relief equipment and basic food and water supplies.
“They hit the ground running,” Mr. MacKay said. This group of 19 is to report back on what more is needed in terms of the DART make-up.
As well, two aircraft left the Trenton, Ont., airbase early this morning with more supplies. A massive C-17 Globemaster cargo plane took with it a Griffon helicopter and other supplies. Another tactical aircraft went as well.
Another C-17 is to leave later today. Two ships are being deployed; one will be carrying a Sea King helicopter.
Mr. MacKay said both vessels will be available for humanitarian efforts. It takes between four to five days for the ships to arrive from their home port of Halifax.
The Canadian government is working in concert with U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration to co-ordinate the relief efforts.
Mr. Cannon said he had spoken to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last night about the co-ordinated approach.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper spoke to Mr. Obama yesterday.
Thursday, January 14, 2010 9:44 AM
Relief team 'hit the ground running';
Ottawa to match Haiti donations
Jane Taber
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blog...tawa-to-match-haiti-donations/article1430829/
Citizens are now being evacuated from Haiti as the military brings in new emergency supplies in what is one of the biggest humanitarian relief efforts Canada has undertaken.
About 100 Canadians – people who made their way to the embassy in the Haitian capital – were evacuated last night and flown to the Dominican Republic. They are expected to be in Montreal tonight.
A senior Canadian government official said those in distress, such as pregnant women and children, are being given priority. Two more planes will land later today in Haiti and will be available to take out more Canadians.
Defence Minister Peter MacKay provided an update as to the relief effort in a briefing this morning. He was joined by Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon and junior foreign minister Peter Kent.
Mr. Cannon said more Canadian deaths are expected as the search and rescue effort continues. So far, there are three confirmed deaths – Elmira, Ont., nurse Yvonne Martin and Montreal couple Georges and Mireille Anglade.
It is estimated there were about 6,000 Canadians in the country at the time of earthquake.
The government has also announced it will be matching individual donations to charities up to a total of $50-million. These funds will be allocated by CIDA to Canadian and international humanitarian organizations.
Yesterday, Ottawa pledged an immediate $5-million in emergency aid.
Meanwhile, the military is still determining what is required in the composition of the Disaster Assistance Relief Team.
Mr. MacKay said this morning that the “initial elements of DART” arrived yesterday in Haiti, which included 19 Canadian Forces members. They were on the Hercules aircraft that had been loaded with relief equipment and basic food and water supplies.
“They hit the ground running,” Mr. MacKay said. This group of 19 is to report back on what more is needed in terms of the DART make-up.
As well, two aircraft left the Trenton, Ont., airbase early this morning with more supplies. A massive C-17 Globemaster cargo plane took with it a Griffon helicopter and other supplies. Another tactical aircraft went as well.
Another C-17 is to leave later today. Two ships are being deployed; one will be carrying a Sea King helicopter.
Mr. MacKay said both vessels will be available for humanitarian efforts. It takes between four to five days for the ships to arrive from their home port of Halifax.
The Canadian government is working in concert with U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration to co-ordinate the relief efforts.
Mr. Cannon said he had spoken to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton last night about the co-ordinated approach.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper spoke to Mr. Obama yesterday.
truthseeker
Inactive
The world mobilizing aid for Haiti. Many on TB2K Praying and donating. A few on TB2K, Just complaining about anything. I sulute those here that are helping and praying.
The others, I need to go take a shower. Id get ban if i wrote what I really thought. I think many of you know what to think of these people.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_response_to_the_2010_Haiti_earthquake
Response by individual nations
Argentina
On 13 January 2010, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner pledged the deployment of an Argentine Air Force Hercules aircraft carrying various emergency aid. Argentina already had assets operating in the theater as part of peacekeeping operations, including an AAF mobile hospital treating nearly 1,000 people on the first night following the earthquake and one of the only medical facilities that remained functional around Port-au-Prince,[6] and military helicopters which carried a number of the more severely injured to the Dominican Republic for further medical treatment.[7][8]
Australia
The Australian government pledged $10 million in aid funding.[9]
Austria
Austria has two charity groups (Caritas and CARE) in Haiti assisting earthquake victims. The Austrian Red Cross is setting up field hospitals in Haiti, while the Austrian government has dispatched logistics experts to the country.[10]
Bangladesh
Bangladesh prime-minister Sheikh Hasina has ordered the health ministry to send a medical team to earthquake-ravaged Haiti as soon as possible. The prime minister's press secretary told the press that the prime minister has asked the health ministry to send a medical team, drugs and clothes to Haiti. Thursday's cabinet meeting, chaired by Sheikh Hasina, also issued a condolence message to the Haiti government.[11]
Belgium
Belgium's B-Fast team of 58 people was dispatched on 13 January 2010.[12]
Belize
Belize has offered aid to Haiti.[13]
Bermuda
Finance Minister Paula Cox reported that the island territory would send charitable aid. She also cited their participation in the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) fund that will offer additional aid to the country.[14]
Brazil
The Brazilian Defense Minister, Nelson Jobim, and the Army Commander, General Enzo Peri, board a Brazilian Air Force plane headed to Haiti. They will report on the current situation so as to optimize assistance to the country.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed his sorrow and offered to send USD 15 million in humanitarian aid to Haiti to help reconstruct the country after the devastating earthquake.[15] Furthermore, he promised visiting Haiti as soon as the situation gets back to normal.[16]
Additionally, Brazil will deploy aid in the form of food and supplies. Two government ministries expect to send 600 tons of rice, beans, and powdered milk.[17] Immediate aid will be dispatched as two C-130 Hercules aircraft carry, in total, 28 tons of food (sugar, powdered milk, sardines and ham), bottled water and other supplies to help the affected people.[18] Four smaller aircraft will also be sent with relief workers, since a larger Boeing KC-137 of the Brazilian Air Force was unable to land on 13 January.[19] In addition, the Brazilian Navy will deploy a ship to Haiti with equipment capable of producing drinkable water. [20] This is Brazil's largest foreign aid contribution in response to a natural disaster.[15] State governors José Serra and Sérgio Cabral have offered supplemental resources to the federal government's assistance efforts, such as geologists, firefighters, detection dogs and field hospitals.[21]
The headquarters of the Brazilian-led MINUSTAH was destroyed in the quake. The Brazilian Army forces's building remains intact, however. The Brazilian army is currently doing its work on foot due to the amount of debris on roads. With the largest contingent of foreign troops in Haiti, Brazil's servicemen are providing help in the search for survivors.[22] The Brazilian Army is also sending 18 detection dogs to help with the body search. [23]
Canada
On 13 January 2010, following an emergency meeting at Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade headquarters, Governor General Michaëlle Jean, who was Haitian-born, issued a statement, with parts in Creole, thanking the Cabinet for its swift action and the Canadian media for its coverage, as well as urging strength and courage to Haitians.[24] Her Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that Canada would be donating five million dollars in emergency aid,[25] as well as sending the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to Haiti using the Canadian Forces ships HMCS Halifax and HMCS Athabaskan,[26][27] and a Boeing C-17 transport with personnel, equipment, and two search and rescue helicopters.[28] Prime Minister Stephen Harper stated: "While officials are currently assessing the damage and the possibility of Canadians injured, Canada stands ready to provide any necessary assistance to the people of Haiti during this time of need."[29] The Canadian government stated it will also match donations from Canadians to build an emergency fund up to $100 million to help humanitarian efforts in Haiti.[30]
Newfoundland and Labrador
On 14 January 2010, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador Danny Williams stated that the Lieutenant Governor-in-Council had pledged $1 million to the relief efforts; Williams issued a news release expressing his "sincerest condolences and compassion to the people of Haiti, especially to the families of the bereaved and those injured in the earthquake and its aftershocks."[31]
Chile
President Michelle Bachelet expressed her worry for the Haitian people and their suffering, and announced that the Chilean troops supporting MINUSTAH will stay in the country to help Haiti. Also, she sent Juan Gabriel Valdés, first chief of the UN mission in Haiti, as presidential delegate to coordinate the humanitarian aid sent by Chile. The presidential airplane will be used to send the first convoy to Haiti.[32]
China
The People's Republic of China sent a 60-member rescue team (National Earthquake Disaster Emergency Rescue Team) following the quake. The team consists of rescuers, medical personnel, experts, and three search dogs. The team left the following day from Beijing.[33][34] Red Cross Society of China will also offer assistance to Haiti.[35] Liu Xiangyang is the Vice Leader of Chinese Int'l Search & Rescue Team.[36] According to Xinhua News Agency, China will also donate $1 million to Haiti. [37]
Colombia
President Álvaro Uribe Vélez expressed solidarity to the Haitian people and announced that his government will be on alert and ready to provide help to Haiti. On January 14th a C-130 aircraft departed for Haiti with 3 tons of rescue, medical and security supplies, a mobile military hospital, several medical and rescue teams plus search and rescue trained dogs. [38] [39]
National Defense Ministry and Colombian Air Force enabled several military bases and international airports as regional hubs for humanitary logistics from another Haiti supporting countries.[40]
Costa Rica
President Óscar Arias Sánchez announced that Costa Rica will be sending as much help as possible when the United Nations have a list ready. Arias also said that it is time for the world to remember Haiti. [41]
Croatia
Government of Croatia has sent 1 million HRK (cca. USD$ 200,000).[42]
Cuba
President Raúl Castro expressed "deep sorrow and dismay" to his Haitian counterpart René Préval in a message of condolences. Castro also said that the Cuban government and people are in solidarity with Haiti in this difficult time. The Cuban government set up field hospitals in the 48 hours following the quake.[43]
Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla told reporters that prior to the earthquake there were already over 400 Cuban government officials in Haiti, of whom 344 work in the medical and healthcare professions, and that they were now treating hundreds of injured Haitians in Cuban-run hospitals and clinics.[44]
Czech Republic
Prime Minister Jan Fischer said that the Czech Republic was ready to send financial and material support, even a rescue team if needed. A couple of Czech organizations, including ADRA and the Czech Red Cross, have opened bank accounts for regular people to help.[45]
Denmark
The Ministry for Development Cooperation has pledged to donate around USD 2 million (DKK 10 million) to the UN's mission in Haiti.[46]
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, was the first country to send aid to Haiti.[47]President Leonel Fernández rallied the international community to help its neighbor to overcome a "real tragedy." Its air force is currently picking up survivors for aid and is transporting trained dogs to sniff for victims under rubble.[48] The government has sent eight mobile medical units along with 36 doctors including orthopedics, traumatologists, anesthesiologists, and surgeons. In addition, 39 trucks with canned food have been dispatched, along with 10 mobile kitchens and 110 cooks who can prepare 100,000 meals per day.[49]
The airport at El Higuero (8 km, 5 miles, north of Santo Domingo) is working as a hub to carry help local and international resources. According to sources, 19 private planes and 14 military helicopters are being used to carry help to Haiti.[50] An air bridge is working between Port-au-Prince and Santiago de los Caballeros where people are being attended at the Hospital Metropolitano de Santiago (HOMS), a private hospital. Among others, Senator Kelly Bastien (president of the Senate of Haiti) is receiving medical assistance there.[51] The hospital director stated that "our hospital intends to open a camp in Haiti in order to assist people in the field".[52]
El Salvador
El Salvador for the time being will send a small contingent of eight firefighters, four Red Cross workers and a specially trained rescue dog. The Salvadoran government has also announced that they will be sending as much help as possible when the United Nations advise them on what is needed.[53]
Estonia
Estonia has announced readiness to aid Haiti with 1 million krones (USD$ 90,000).[54]
European Union
The EU has released €3 m in emergency funding and is expecting to do more once an EU expert reports back with a clearer picture of needs.[55]
Finland
The Finnish government has pledged €1.25 million in aid.[56] The Finnish Red Cross (SPR), Finn Church Aid and Finland’s World Vision have pledged €200,000, €150,000 and €100,000, respectively, to help Haiti. Several organizations are preparing to send aid and rescue workers to Haiti.[57]
France
Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said France will dispatch aid to the country.[48] Co-operation Minister Alain Joyandet said France was sending a plane from the nearby French Caribbean island of Martinique with 25 police and rescuers and hospital staff, and another from Marseille in southern France with 60 people on board. Also, the French humanitarian group Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said it was treating around 600 people in its centres in Port-au-Prince and that it would on Wednesday send a 100-bed inflatable field hospital.[58]
Germany
The German government has released €1.5 million (USD$2.18 m) in aid.[59] Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said that his country had pledged aid to Haiti and called together a crisis management team to deal with the disaster.[60] Two special THW teams, one trained to rescue survivors from the rubble, and the other equipped to provide them with safe drinking water, were sent to Port-au-Prince.[61]
Greece
Prime Minister George Papandreou reported that Greece will help by any means. The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated they will be helping international organisations coordinate humanitarian relief efforts. The Greek Orthodox Church also stated their humanitarian organisation "Alilegii" is ready to coordinate charities all over Greece and send aid to Haiti. [62]
Guyana
President Bharrat Jagdeo announced US$1 million in financial assistance for Haiti.[63]
Iceland
The Icelandic foreign ministry decided to send an International SAR team, specialized in searching for survivors in collapsed buildings.[64] The team consists of 37 people specially trained for search & rescue in collapsed buildings. The team brought 13 tons of equipment and can be self-sufficient in the field for seven days. The team was among the first to arrive in the disaster zone at 4 p.m. local time on 13 January.[65]
India
The government of India is sending USD $1.0 million in cash to Haiti for immediate help .[66]
Indonesia
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Indonesia would send humanitarian workers to Haiti to help the earthquake victims.[67][68] The help from the Indonesian government will consist of a team of 30 medical personnel including surgeons, a 10-member SAR team, and 10 electrical experts. The remaining 25 are experts in construction and telecommunications. The government will also send medical supplies weighting a total of 5 tons, another five tons of food special equipment and tools for children and babies also five tons.[69]
Ireland
The Government of Ireland pledged €20 million and has rapid rescue teams on standby if requested. A number of Irish charities have launched appeals for aid for the victims in Haiti.[55] The Irish telecommunications company Digicel said it would donate US$5 million to aid agencies and help repair the damaged phone network.[5]
Israel
The Foreign Affairs Ministry dispatched a rescue team to Haiti consisting of 200 Professional doctors and rescue workers, two rescue planes loaded with equipment, and a field hospital - including operating rooms, intensive care units, and X-ray equipment - to take care of the injured. IsraAid, an Israeli humanitarian organization is planning to send a 12-man search-and-rescue team, which includes emergency medical staff.[70] A four man ZAKA team was also dispatched.[71]
Italy
The Italian government has prepared a military transport plane which will be used to carry in a field hospital and emergency medical team.[59]
Japan
The Japanese government plans to offer up to USD $5 million in grant aid, which will be exercised through international organizations including UNICEF and the WFP. It will also donate emergency relief materials for as much as ¥30 million (USD$330,000) [72][73]. The Japanese Red Cross dispatched its staff to Haiti to collect information of the disaster. It also donated ¥20 million (USD$220,000) to the International Committee of the Red Cross.[74]
Lebanon
Lebanese prime minister, Saad Hariri expressed his solidarity with Haiti and said Lebanon would contribute aid. He also asked Lebanese expatriates to participate in international relief in the form of humanitarian, medical and social aid.[75]
Macedonia
The capital city of Skopje, which was itself struck by a catastrophic earthquake in 1963, pledged 1,5 million MKD in aid. Furthermore, the government will also assess the relief needs and provide further aid.[76]
Malta
The Malta Red Cross launched a national appeal for funds to help in the earthquake relief efforts.[77]
Mexico
The Guanajuato, one of the Mexican Navy vessels carrying relief supplies.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will deploy a plan used to aid civilians during natural disasters in Haiti.[48] As an emergency response the government sent three military aircraft carrying over 20 tons in supplies, as well as satellite communication devices, water treatment plants, electricity generators, and over 160 specialists in search and rescue, health professionals, and engineers sent to set up communications in Haiti. The government also confirmed the imminent departure of the the Navy's ARM Papaloapan amphibious lander and ARM Huasteco hospital ship.[78][79]
Morocco
King Mohammed VI of Morocco approved the release of US$1 million in emergency humanitarian aid for Haiti.[80]
Netherlands
The Netherlands has pledged €2 million (USD$2.9 million) in aid.[59] The Joined Aid Organisations announced that they will organize a national campaign for Haiti.[81] The usual 'giro' number (555) has opened for Haiti as well.[82] On 14 January the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team (72 persons + 8 dogs) was dispatched to Haiti to aid in searching for survivors. [83]
New Zealand
The New Zealand government has committed $1 million to relief efforts.[84]
Norway
Norway will be sending delegations from the Norwegian Red Cross and the charitable organisation Norwegian Church Aid. The country is contributing 40 million Norwegian kroner ($7 million USD).[85]
Pakistan
Several Pakistani rescuers and troops are stationed (as part pf the UN force) in affected areas by Minustah.[86]
Panama
Vice President Juan Carlos Varela has indicated that Panama is willing to help, and pledged that the Panamanian government would provide assistance to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in matters of logistical coordination of cooperation. OCHA's Latin America regional offices are in Panama City.[48] Panama will deploy search-and-rescue experts from the Civil Protection Office and firefighters from the Panama Fire Dept., as well as equipment and food supplies.[87]
Peru
Peru has sent 23 tons of food and 1 ton of medical supplies; Peruvian aid will gradually reach 100 tons [88]. Also, 18 health professionals and 2 field hospitals suited for emergency surgical interventions will be sent [89]. Peru's MINUSTAH contingent, consisting of 205 peacekeeping troops, will help in Haiti's reorganization.[48]
Philippines
The DFA is deeply concerned over the condition of Filipinos in Haiti following the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck Port-au-Prince on January 12,” DFA spokesman J. Eduardo Malaya said. The Philippines is organizing a medical team to be deployed to Haiti.[90]
Poland
Poland will send a 63-member rescue team with 4 tons of specialized heavy rescue equipment and 12 search dogs.[91] The Polish government will send $50.000 in aid to the International Red Cross. Poland's UNICEF division has already given 100,000 zł. (around €25,000[92]) to help victims of the earthquake.[93]
Portugal
President Cavaco Silva has expressed Portugal's support to his Haitian counterpart. The government has also sent their condolences and has pledged to help in any way possible. The government announced it will send a C-130 with 32 members of the disaster rescue team "Protecção Civil" (Civil Protection) and immediate cash relief of half a million Euros.[94] Fernando Nobre, founder and leader of a humanitarian medical relief institution "Assistência Médica Internacional," has moved to the Caribbean island to probe for necessities and organize his institution's response.
Puerto Rico
The government has authorized a mission of workers and physicians to aid in providing search support, medical care and food to the island nation.[95]
Russia
Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia sent three cargo planes containing rescue workers and a mobile hospital including doctors and medical staff, with a capacity of 50 patients.[96][97]
Slovenia
The Slovenia government allocated €50,000 in aid to Haiti.[98]
South Africa
The South African relief organisation Gift Of The Givers (GOTG) departed for Haiti on 14 January. The head of South Africa's Gift of the Givers Foundation, Emtiaz Sooliman, says his group is sending up to three teams of search and rescue specialists to Haiti to help victims of the earthquake and hopefully save some lives. This whole project adds up to over R10 million.[99][100]
South Korea
South Korea promised to provide Haiti with humanitarian assistance worth one million U.S. dollars including emergency supplies and relief workers to the country. [101]
Serbia
Serbian President Boris Tadic said Republic of Serbia will send aid to Haiti in both financial and material way. [102]
Spain
Holding the presidency of the European Union, Spain will coordinate the European aid to Haiti, valued at €3million. In addition, Spain will send 3 military airplanes and 50 tons of humanitarian assistance as well as medical and rescue teams.
Sweden
Swedish state aid agency Sida makes funds of approximately 900 000 USD available as emergency aid.[103] The Swedish Red Cross has started a fundraiser urging Swedes to contribute at least 50 SEK each towards the aid of the Haitian people. In addition, the country sends a 2 person delegation.[104]
Switzerland
A Swiss Air-Ambulance CL604 Challenger jet left Zürich on Wednesday morning to Port-au-Prince (although it is not sure whether it will be able to land in Toussaint L'Ouverture International Airport or in another nearby airport) with a quick-response team from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit in order to identify local needs and prepare in case of further deployment.[105][106][107][108]
Republic of China (Taiwan)
Republic of China (Taiwan)'s embassy was destroyed and its ambassador was hospitalized.[109] A team of 23 rescue workers and two specially trained dogs will be sent.[110]
Thailand
The government of Thailand has decided to initially donate US$20,000 for humanitarian assistance in Haiti, while promising more to come. At the same time, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will send a condolences message to his Haitian counterpart as well.[111]
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago has committed an immediate relief aid package of 6.3 million Trinidad and Tobago Dollars (1 million USD).[112]
Turkey
The Turkish Red Crescent has sent two crews that include psychologists and disaster experts to make an assessment and provide urgent assistance in coordination with the Red Cross officials in the field. The Red Crescent will send further humanitarian aid teams in the light of the initial team’s report.[113] Foreign Ministry Ahmet Davutoğlu has expressed sorrow over the earthquake which hit Haiti. And he also added that Turkey is ready to provide every kind of support to people of Haiti. .[114]
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates announced it would set up a relief Air Bridge to take humanitarian supplies to Haiti. The nation’s charitable organizations – including the Khalifa Charity Foundation, Zayed Foundation for Humanitarian and Charitable Works, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Charity and Humanitarian Foundation – announced the coordination of additional humanitarian relief efforts. [115]
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom is sending USD$10 million.[66] The day after the quake, a team of 71 search and rescue personnel and two search dogs left from the United Kingdom to fly to Haiti in an effort to rescue survivors. The team are equipped with specialized heavy rescue equipment.[116]
United States
Two United States Coast Guard Cutters located off the shore of Haiti preparing to provide humanitarian aid.
President Barack Obama pledged an initial $100 million in aid.[117] He said: "My thoughts and prayers go out to those who have been affected by this earthquake. We are closely monitoring the situation and we stand ready to assist the people of Haiti."[118] At the request of President Obama former Presidents Bush and Clinton have agreed to help.[119]
The US Coast Guard cutters Forward and Mohawk, both arrived in the port of Port au Prince, Haiti on Jan 13. A Maritime Intelligence Support Team aboard the Forward assessed damage to the port. [120] Two US Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft arrived Jan 13 with emergency supplies, medical units and special tactics teams. [121] Other Coast Guard ships including the Valiant and the Tahoma were dispatched.[122]
As of Jan 14, US Air Force Special Tactics officers were controlling operations of the Toussaint L'Ouverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, after having cleared runways and setting-up a 24-hour air traffic control.[123]
The U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort was deployed to Haiti, as were the USS Underwood and the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson.[124][125] Approximately 2,000 USMC and 3,000 Army personnel from Camp Lejeune and Fort Bragg respectively were sent 14 January.[126][127] The U.S. Navy also announced on 13 January 2010 that the hospital ship Comfort will be deployed to assist in the humanitarian relief efforts.[128]
The Fairfax County, Virginia Urban Search and Rescue Team and the Los Angeles County Search and Rescue Team were alerted and are in Haiti to assist relief efforts.[129][130]
Four injured personnel from the United States embassy were evacuated to the naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by US Coast Guard helicopters.[131][132] "Elements of the Air Force’s 1st Special Operations Wing will ... provide air traffic control capability and airfield operations at the Port-au-Prince airport..."[133][134]
Vatican City
In his weekly address, Pope Benedict XVI offered his condolences to families of the dead and called on his worldwide charity network to assist.[135]
Venezuela
Foreign Minister Nicolás Maduro ordered 50 representatives from his country to transport food and aid.
The others, I need to go take a shower. Id get ban if i wrote what I really thought. I think many of you know what to think of these people.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_response_to_the_2010_Haiti_earthquake
Response by individual nations
Argentina
On 13 January 2010, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner pledged the deployment of an Argentine Air Force Hercules aircraft carrying various emergency aid. Argentina already had assets operating in the theater as part of peacekeeping operations, including an AAF mobile hospital treating nearly 1,000 people on the first night following the earthquake and one of the only medical facilities that remained functional around Port-au-Prince,[6] and military helicopters which carried a number of the more severely injured to the Dominican Republic for further medical treatment.[7][8]
Australia
The Australian government pledged $10 million in aid funding.[9]
Austria
Austria has two charity groups (Caritas and CARE) in Haiti assisting earthquake victims. The Austrian Red Cross is setting up field hospitals in Haiti, while the Austrian government has dispatched logistics experts to the country.[10]
Bangladesh
Bangladesh prime-minister Sheikh Hasina has ordered the health ministry to send a medical team to earthquake-ravaged Haiti as soon as possible. The prime minister's press secretary told the press that the prime minister has asked the health ministry to send a medical team, drugs and clothes to Haiti. Thursday's cabinet meeting, chaired by Sheikh Hasina, also issued a condolence message to the Haiti government.[11]
Belgium
Belgium's B-Fast team of 58 people was dispatched on 13 January 2010.[12]
Belize
Belize has offered aid to Haiti.[13]
Bermuda
Finance Minister Paula Cox reported that the island territory would send charitable aid. She also cited their participation in the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) fund that will offer additional aid to the country.[14]
Brazil
The Brazilian Defense Minister, Nelson Jobim, and the Army Commander, General Enzo Peri, board a Brazilian Air Force plane headed to Haiti. They will report on the current situation so as to optimize assistance to the country.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed his sorrow and offered to send USD 15 million in humanitarian aid to Haiti to help reconstruct the country after the devastating earthquake.[15] Furthermore, he promised visiting Haiti as soon as the situation gets back to normal.[16]
Additionally, Brazil will deploy aid in the form of food and supplies. Two government ministries expect to send 600 tons of rice, beans, and powdered milk.[17] Immediate aid will be dispatched as two C-130 Hercules aircraft carry, in total, 28 tons of food (sugar, powdered milk, sardines and ham), bottled water and other supplies to help the affected people.[18] Four smaller aircraft will also be sent with relief workers, since a larger Boeing KC-137 of the Brazilian Air Force was unable to land on 13 January.[19] In addition, the Brazilian Navy will deploy a ship to Haiti with equipment capable of producing drinkable water. [20] This is Brazil's largest foreign aid contribution in response to a natural disaster.[15] State governors José Serra and Sérgio Cabral have offered supplemental resources to the federal government's assistance efforts, such as geologists, firefighters, detection dogs and field hospitals.[21]
The headquarters of the Brazilian-led MINUSTAH was destroyed in the quake. The Brazilian Army forces's building remains intact, however. The Brazilian army is currently doing its work on foot due to the amount of debris on roads. With the largest contingent of foreign troops in Haiti, Brazil's servicemen are providing help in the search for survivors.[22] The Brazilian Army is also sending 18 detection dogs to help with the body search. [23]
Canada
On 13 January 2010, following an emergency meeting at Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade headquarters, Governor General Michaëlle Jean, who was Haitian-born, issued a statement, with parts in Creole, thanking the Cabinet for its swift action and the Canadian media for its coverage, as well as urging strength and courage to Haitians.[24] Her Minister of Foreign Affairs stated that Canada would be donating five million dollars in emergency aid,[25] as well as sending the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to Haiti using the Canadian Forces ships HMCS Halifax and HMCS Athabaskan,[26][27] and a Boeing C-17 transport with personnel, equipment, and two search and rescue helicopters.[28] Prime Minister Stephen Harper stated: "While officials are currently assessing the damage and the possibility of Canadians injured, Canada stands ready to provide any necessary assistance to the people of Haiti during this time of need."[29] The Canadian government stated it will also match donations from Canadians to build an emergency fund up to $100 million to help humanitarian efforts in Haiti.[30]
Newfoundland and Labrador
On 14 January 2010, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador Danny Williams stated that the Lieutenant Governor-in-Council had pledged $1 million to the relief efforts; Williams issued a news release expressing his "sincerest condolences and compassion to the people of Haiti, especially to the families of the bereaved and those injured in the earthquake and its aftershocks."[31]
Chile
President Michelle Bachelet expressed her worry for the Haitian people and their suffering, and announced that the Chilean troops supporting MINUSTAH will stay in the country to help Haiti. Also, she sent Juan Gabriel Valdés, first chief of the UN mission in Haiti, as presidential delegate to coordinate the humanitarian aid sent by Chile. The presidential airplane will be used to send the first convoy to Haiti.[32]
China
The People's Republic of China sent a 60-member rescue team (National Earthquake Disaster Emergency Rescue Team) following the quake. The team consists of rescuers, medical personnel, experts, and three search dogs. The team left the following day from Beijing.[33][34] Red Cross Society of China will also offer assistance to Haiti.[35] Liu Xiangyang is the Vice Leader of Chinese Int'l Search & Rescue Team.[36] According to Xinhua News Agency, China will also donate $1 million to Haiti. [37]
Colombia
President Álvaro Uribe Vélez expressed solidarity to the Haitian people and announced that his government will be on alert and ready to provide help to Haiti. On January 14th a C-130 aircraft departed for Haiti with 3 tons of rescue, medical and security supplies, a mobile military hospital, several medical and rescue teams plus search and rescue trained dogs. [38] [39]
National Defense Ministry and Colombian Air Force enabled several military bases and international airports as regional hubs for humanitary logistics from another Haiti supporting countries.[40]
Costa Rica
President Óscar Arias Sánchez announced that Costa Rica will be sending as much help as possible when the United Nations have a list ready. Arias also said that it is time for the world to remember Haiti. [41]
Croatia
Government of Croatia has sent 1 million HRK (cca. USD$ 200,000).[42]
Cuba
President Raúl Castro expressed "deep sorrow and dismay" to his Haitian counterpart René Préval in a message of condolences. Castro also said that the Cuban government and people are in solidarity with Haiti in this difficult time. The Cuban government set up field hospitals in the 48 hours following the quake.[43]
Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla told reporters that prior to the earthquake there were already over 400 Cuban government officials in Haiti, of whom 344 work in the medical and healthcare professions, and that they were now treating hundreds of injured Haitians in Cuban-run hospitals and clinics.[44]
Czech Republic
Prime Minister Jan Fischer said that the Czech Republic was ready to send financial and material support, even a rescue team if needed. A couple of Czech organizations, including ADRA and the Czech Red Cross, have opened bank accounts for regular people to help.[45]
Denmark
The Ministry for Development Cooperation has pledged to donate around USD 2 million (DKK 10 million) to the UN's mission in Haiti.[46]
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, was the first country to send aid to Haiti.[47]President Leonel Fernández rallied the international community to help its neighbor to overcome a "real tragedy." Its air force is currently picking up survivors for aid and is transporting trained dogs to sniff for victims under rubble.[48] The government has sent eight mobile medical units along with 36 doctors including orthopedics, traumatologists, anesthesiologists, and surgeons. In addition, 39 trucks with canned food have been dispatched, along with 10 mobile kitchens and 110 cooks who can prepare 100,000 meals per day.[49]
The airport at El Higuero (8 km, 5 miles, north of Santo Domingo) is working as a hub to carry help local and international resources. According to sources, 19 private planes and 14 military helicopters are being used to carry help to Haiti.[50] An air bridge is working between Port-au-Prince and Santiago de los Caballeros where people are being attended at the Hospital Metropolitano de Santiago (HOMS), a private hospital. Among others, Senator Kelly Bastien (president of the Senate of Haiti) is receiving medical assistance there.[51] The hospital director stated that "our hospital intends to open a camp in Haiti in order to assist people in the field".[52]
El Salvador
El Salvador for the time being will send a small contingent of eight firefighters, four Red Cross workers and a specially trained rescue dog. The Salvadoran government has also announced that they will be sending as much help as possible when the United Nations advise them on what is needed.[53]
Estonia
Estonia has announced readiness to aid Haiti with 1 million krones (USD$ 90,000).[54]
European Union
The EU has released €3 m in emergency funding and is expecting to do more once an EU expert reports back with a clearer picture of needs.[55]
Finland
The Finnish government has pledged €1.25 million in aid.[56] The Finnish Red Cross (SPR), Finn Church Aid and Finland’s World Vision have pledged €200,000, €150,000 and €100,000, respectively, to help Haiti. Several organizations are preparing to send aid and rescue workers to Haiti.[57]
France
Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said France will dispatch aid to the country.[48] Co-operation Minister Alain Joyandet said France was sending a plane from the nearby French Caribbean island of Martinique with 25 police and rescuers and hospital staff, and another from Marseille in southern France with 60 people on board. Also, the French humanitarian group Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) said it was treating around 600 people in its centres in Port-au-Prince and that it would on Wednesday send a 100-bed inflatable field hospital.[58]
Germany
The German government has released €1.5 million (USD$2.18 m) in aid.[59] Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said that his country had pledged aid to Haiti and called together a crisis management team to deal with the disaster.[60] Two special THW teams, one trained to rescue survivors from the rubble, and the other equipped to provide them with safe drinking water, were sent to Port-au-Prince.[61]
Greece
Prime Minister George Papandreou reported that Greece will help by any means. The Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated they will be helping international organisations coordinate humanitarian relief efforts. The Greek Orthodox Church also stated their humanitarian organisation "Alilegii" is ready to coordinate charities all over Greece and send aid to Haiti. [62]
Guyana
President Bharrat Jagdeo announced US$1 million in financial assistance for Haiti.[63]
Iceland
The Icelandic foreign ministry decided to send an International SAR team, specialized in searching for survivors in collapsed buildings.[64] The team consists of 37 people specially trained for search & rescue in collapsed buildings. The team brought 13 tons of equipment and can be self-sufficient in the field for seven days. The team was among the first to arrive in the disaster zone at 4 p.m. local time on 13 January.[65]
India
The government of India is sending USD $1.0 million in cash to Haiti for immediate help .[66]
Indonesia
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said Indonesia would send humanitarian workers to Haiti to help the earthquake victims.[67][68] The help from the Indonesian government will consist of a team of 30 medical personnel including surgeons, a 10-member SAR team, and 10 electrical experts. The remaining 25 are experts in construction and telecommunications. The government will also send medical supplies weighting a total of 5 tons, another five tons of food special equipment and tools for children and babies also five tons.[69]
Ireland
The Government of Ireland pledged €20 million and has rapid rescue teams on standby if requested. A number of Irish charities have launched appeals for aid for the victims in Haiti.[55] The Irish telecommunications company Digicel said it would donate US$5 million to aid agencies and help repair the damaged phone network.[5]
Israel
The Foreign Affairs Ministry dispatched a rescue team to Haiti consisting of 200 Professional doctors and rescue workers, two rescue planes loaded with equipment, and a field hospital - including operating rooms, intensive care units, and X-ray equipment - to take care of the injured. IsraAid, an Israeli humanitarian organization is planning to send a 12-man search-and-rescue team, which includes emergency medical staff.[70] A four man ZAKA team was also dispatched.[71]
Italy
The Italian government has prepared a military transport plane which will be used to carry in a field hospital and emergency medical team.[59]
Japan
The Japanese government plans to offer up to USD $5 million in grant aid, which will be exercised through international organizations including UNICEF and the WFP. It will also donate emergency relief materials for as much as ¥30 million (USD$330,000) [72][73]. The Japanese Red Cross dispatched its staff to Haiti to collect information of the disaster. It also donated ¥20 million (USD$220,000) to the International Committee of the Red Cross.[74]
Lebanon
Lebanese prime minister, Saad Hariri expressed his solidarity with Haiti and said Lebanon would contribute aid. He also asked Lebanese expatriates to participate in international relief in the form of humanitarian, medical and social aid.[75]
Macedonia
The capital city of Skopje, which was itself struck by a catastrophic earthquake in 1963, pledged 1,5 million MKD in aid. Furthermore, the government will also assess the relief needs and provide further aid.[76]
Malta
The Malta Red Cross launched a national appeal for funds to help in the earthquake relief efforts.[77]
Mexico
The Guanajuato, one of the Mexican Navy vessels carrying relief supplies.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will deploy a plan used to aid civilians during natural disasters in Haiti.[48] As an emergency response the government sent three military aircraft carrying over 20 tons in supplies, as well as satellite communication devices, water treatment plants, electricity generators, and over 160 specialists in search and rescue, health professionals, and engineers sent to set up communications in Haiti. The government also confirmed the imminent departure of the the Navy's ARM Papaloapan amphibious lander and ARM Huasteco hospital ship.[78][79]
Morocco
King Mohammed VI of Morocco approved the release of US$1 million in emergency humanitarian aid for Haiti.[80]
Netherlands
The Netherlands has pledged €2 million (USD$2.9 million) in aid.[59] The Joined Aid Organisations announced that they will organize a national campaign for Haiti.[81] The usual 'giro' number (555) has opened for Haiti as well.[82] On 14 January the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team (72 persons + 8 dogs) was dispatched to Haiti to aid in searching for survivors. [83]
New Zealand
The New Zealand government has committed $1 million to relief efforts.[84]
Norway
Norway will be sending delegations from the Norwegian Red Cross and the charitable organisation Norwegian Church Aid. The country is contributing 40 million Norwegian kroner ($7 million USD).[85]
Pakistan
Several Pakistani rescuers and troops are stationed (as part pf the UN force) in affected areas by Minustah.[86]
Panama
Vice President Juan Carlos Varela has indicated that Panama is willing to help, and pledged that the Panamanian government would provide assistance to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in matters of logistical coordination of cooperation. OCHA's Latin America regional offices are in Panama City.[48] Panama will deploy search-and-rescue experts from the Civil Protection Office and firefighters from the Panama Fire Dept., as well as equipment and food supplies.[87]
Peru
Peru has sent 23 tons of food and 1 ton of medical supplies; Peruvian aid will gradually reach 100 tons [88]. Also, 18 health professionals and 2 field hospitals suited for emergency surgical interventions will be sent [89]. Peru's MINUSTAH contingent, consisting of 205 peacekeeping troops, will help in Haiti's reorganization.[48]
Philippines
The DFA is deeply concerned over the condition of Filipinos in Haiti following the magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck Port-au-Prince on January 12,” DFA spokesman J. Eduardo Malaya said. The Philippines is organizing a medical team to be deployed to Haiti.[90]
Poland
Poland will send a 63-member rescue team with 4 tons of specialized heavy rescue equipment and 12 search dogs.[91] The Polish government will send $50.000 in aid to the International Red Cross. Poland's UNICEF division has already given 100,000 zł. (around €25,000[92]) to help victims of the earthquake.[93]
Portugal
President Cavaco Silva has expressed Portugal's support to his Haitian counterpart. The government has also sent their condolences and has pledged to help in any way possible. The government announced it will send a C-130 with 32 members of the disaster rescue team "Protecção Civil" (Civil Protection) and immediate cash relief of half a million Euros.[94] Fernando Nobre, founder and leader of a humanitarian medical relief institution "Assistência Médica Internacional," has moved to the Caribbean island to probe for necessities and organize his institution's response.
Puerto Rico
The government has authorized a mission of workers and physicians to aid in providing search support, medical care and food to the island nation.[95]
Russia
Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia sent three cargo planes containing rescue workers and a mobile hospital including doctors and medical staff, with a capacity of 50 patients.[96][97]
Slovenia
The Slovenia government allocated €50,000 in aid to Haiti.[98]
South Africa
The South African relief organisation Gift Of The Givers (GOTG) departed for Haiti on 14 January. The head of South Africa's Gift of the Givers Foundation, Emtiaz Sooliman, says his group is sending up to three teams of search and rescue specialists to Haiti to help victims of the earthquake and hopefully save some lives. This whole project adds up to over R10 million.[99][100]
South Korea
South Korea promised to provide Haiti with humanitarian assistance worth one million U.S. dollars including emergency supplies and relief workers to the country. [101]
Serbia
Serbian President Boris Tadic said Republic of Serbia will send aid to Haiti in both financial and material way. [102]
Spain
Holding the presidency of the European Union, Spain will coordinate the European aid to Haiti, valued at €3million. In addition, Spain will send 3 military airplanes and 50 tons of humanitarian assistance as well as medical and rescue teams.
Sweden
Swedish state aid agency Sida makes funds of approximately 900 000 USD available as emergency aid.[103] The Swedish Red Cross has started a fundraiser urging Swedes to contribute at least 50 SEK each towards the aid of the Haitian people. In addition, the country sends a 2 person delegation.[104]
Switzerland
A Swiss Air-Ambulance CL604 Challenger jet left Zürich on Wednesday morning to Port-au-Prince (although it is not sure whether it will be able to land in Toussaint L'Ouverture International Airport or in another nearby airport) with a quick-response team from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit in order to identify local needs and prepare in case of further deployment.[105][106][107][108]
Republic of China (Taiwan)
Republic of China (Taiwan)'s embassy was destroyed and its ambassador was hospitalized.[109] A team of 23 rescue workers and two specially trained dogs will be sent.[110]
Thailand
The government of Thailand has decided to initially donate US$20,000 for humanitarian assistance in Haiti, while promising more to come. At the same time, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will send a condolences message to his Haitian counterpart as well.[111]
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago has committed an immediate relief aid package of 6.3 million Trinidad and Tobago Dollars (1 million USD).[112]
Turkey
The Turkish Red Crescent has sent two crews that include psychologists and disaster experts to make an assessment and provide urgent assistance in coordination with the Red Cross officials in the field. The Red Crescent will send further humanitarian aid teams in the light of the initial team’s report.[113] Foreign Ministry Ahmet Davutoğlu has expressed sorrow over the earthquake which hit Haiti. And he also added that Turkey is ready to provide every kind of support to people of Haiti. .[114]
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates announced it would set up a relief Air Bridge to take humanitarian supplies to Haiti. The nation’s charitable organizations – including the Khalifa Charity Foundation, Zayed Foundation for Humanitarian and Charitable Works, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Charity and Humanitarian Foundation – announced the coordination of additional humanitarian relief efforts. [115]
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom is sending USD$10 million.[66] The day after the quake, a team of 71 search and rescue personnel and two search dogs left from the United Kingdom to fly to Haiti in an effort to rescue survivors. The team are equipped with specialized heavy rescue equipment.[116]
United States
Two United States Coast Guard Cutters located off the shore of Haiti preparing to provide humanitarian aid.
President Barack Obama pledged an initial $100 million in aid.[117] He said: "My thoughts and prayers go out to those who have been affected by this earthquake. We are closely monitoring the situation and we stand ready to assist the people of Haiti."[118] At the request of President Obama former Presidents Bush and Clinton have agreed to help.[119]
The US Coast Guard cutters Forward and Mohawk, both arrived in the port of Port au Prince, Haiti on Jan 13. A Maritime Intelligence Support Team aboard the Forward assessed damage to the port. [120] Two US Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft arrived Jan 13 with emergency supplies, medical units and special tactics teams. [121] Other Coast Guard ships including the Valiant and the Tahoma were dispatched.[122]
As of Jan 14, US Air Force Special Tactics officers were controlling operations of the Toussaint L'Ouverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, after having cleared runways and setting-up a 24-hour air traffic control.[123]
The U.S. Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort was deployed to Haiti, as were the USS Underwood and the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson.[124][125] Approximately 2,000 USMC and 3,000 Army personnel from Camp Lejeune and Fort Bragg respectively were sent 14 January.[126][127] The U.S. Navy also announced on 13 January 2010 that the hospital ship Comfort will be deployed to assist in the humanitarian relief efforts.[128]
The Fairfax County, Virginia Urban Search and Rescue Team and the Los Angeles County Search and Rescue Team were alerted and are in Haiti to assist relief efforts.[129][130]
Four injured personnel from the United States embassy were evacuated to the naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, by US Coast Guard helicopters.[131][132] "Elements of the Air Force’s 1st Special Operations Wing will ... provide air traffic control capability and airfield operations at the Port-au-Prince airport..."[133][134]
Vatican City
In his weekly address, Pope Benedict XVI offered his condolences to families of the dead and called on his worldwide charity network to assist.[135]
Venezuela
Foreign Minister Nicolás Maduro ordered 50 representatives from his country to transport food and aid.
Its funny in a way, this disaster is a disaster over a much smaller area compared to the tsunami, however i think the challenges are more dire.
The focus should be on search and rescue and treating the injured, then food and water.
Aid agencies and militaries should be air dropping this stuff around the city or coordinating such with any hospitals inside the city. No doubt there are bottlenecks in ground transportation and at the airport. Setting up just at the airport is a recipe for disaster imo as the populace will rush to get help at that one location. If you're hungry and need water you'll be desperate (or your loved one is dying).
Security forces have to get established quickly otherwise there's gonna be huge problems. The time window for rescuing people stuck in the wreckage is narrowing quickly.
The focus should be on search and rescue and treating the injured, then food and water.
Aid agencies and militaries should be air dropping this stuff around the city or coordinating such with any hospitals inside the city. No doubt there are bottlenecks in ground transportation and at the airport. Setting up just at the airport is a recipe for disaster imo as the populace will rush to get help at that one location. If you're hungry and need water you'll be desperate (or your loved one is dying).
Security forces have to get established quickly otherwise there's gonna be huge problems. The time window for rescuing people stuck in the wreckage is narrowing quickly.
truthseeker
Inactive
Many have been left out, but there are alot more companies donating.
UPDATE 2-Companies offer aid for Haiti earthquake victims
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1317488820100114?type=marketsNews
Companies pledged millions of dollars in aid on Wednesday to help victims of a powerful earthquake in Haiti that devastated much of the impoverished country's capital and killed thousands.
Digicel Group, a top mobile phone operator in Haiti, said it would donate $5 million in cash toward relief efforts and appealed to others to help victims of the quake.
Lowe's Cos Inc (LOW.N) is donating $1 million to the Red Cross' efforts in Haiti. The second largest U.S. home improvement chain also plans to seek monetary contributions from its customers, spokeswoman Julie Yenichek said.
Rival Home Depot (HD.N), the largest home improvement chain, said it will give $100,000 to the American Red Cross.
National Bank of Canada (NA.TO), which will contribute up to C$250,000 to the Canadian Red Cross, said National Bank MasterCard cardholders can exchange reward points for a cash donation to the Canadian Red Cross.
Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS.TO) said it would accept donations to the Canadian Red Cross in its bank branches, and would make a C$250,000 corporate contribution.
Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) has committed $1 million in aid, with half going to the American Red Cross for its Haitian Relief and Development Fund, while cereal maker Kellogg Co(K.N) has pledged $250,000 to the American Red Cross relief effort.
Drugmaker Abbott Laboratories (ABT.N) said it will donate $1 million in humanitarian aid, including medicines and nutritional products
Internet services company Go Daddy said it would give $500,000 to aid quake victims.
Wells Fargo (WFC.N) will contribute $100,000 to the American Red Cross' disaster relief fund, while BMO Financial Group (BMO.TO) pledged $250,000 to the Red Cross effort in Haiti.
FedEx Corp (FDX.N) said it is working with international relief groups including the Red Cross to fly supplies to the island once shipments start moving, while United Parcel Service Inc (UPS.N), which participates in a World Food Program that helps coordinate delivery of aid to disaster zones, said it expects to have its volunteers in the program called up soon.
The magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti on Tuesday, collapsing buildings in the capital Port-au-Prince and burying people under rubble. As many as 50,000 people could be dead because of the earthquake, Haiti's president Rene Preval said.
The devastation crippled the government and the U.N. security and assistance mission which had kept order, and there were no signs of any organized rescue efforts.
Haitian Red Cross spokesman Pericles Jean-Baptiste said his organization was overwhelmed. "There are too many people who need help ... We lack equipment, we lack body bags," he told Reuters on Wednesday.
Reports on casualties and damage were slow to emerge due to communication outages.
PLEA FOR CASH DONATIONS
The best way for corporations to support relief efforts at the moment is to make cash donations, said Caryl Stern, president and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund.
"What we need in the first few days is to enable the humanitarian workers to do their jobs, to go in and do rescue and recovery... and that takes cash," she said.
She also said there is an urgent need for water purification tablets and temporary toilets.
"The biggest risk today is the infection from human debris in the water system," she said.
UPS also said it planned to provide $1 million in aid, half in cash and half in services, while the Kraft Foods (KFT.N) Foundation said it would donate $25,000 to the American Red Cross for relief efforts.
The Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility said it would pay out $8 million to Haiti based on preliminary data of the location and strength of the earthquake.
The disaster pooling facility, launched several years ago with the support of the World Bank and other donors, said the payment was about 20 times Haiti's premium for earthquake coverage of $385,500.
U.S. manufacturer 3M Co (MMM.N), which makes a variety of bandages and other products used in skin and wound care, said it was working with humanitarian relief agencies to ask what medical products it could provide. The company also said it would likely make a monetary contribution.
The Florida Panthers hockey team said that at its next two home games it will collect donations, including food and used clothing, for victims.
Rogers Communications (RCIb.TO) and the Rogers family will donate $250,000 in funds and goods to Partners In Health:Haiti and other relief organizations.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) said it would donate $500,000 to Red Cross emergency relief efforts in Haiti and send pre-packaged food kits valued at $100,000 to Haiti at the request of the Red Cross.
It has a website, www.walmartstores.com/haiti, that customers and employees can use to donate to nonprofits that support relief efforts.
Wal-Mart's Canadian division said its 314 stores will accept donations, and money raised will be donated to the Canadian Red Cross Haiti Earthquake fund.
Wal-Mart won praise for its swift efforts to help victims of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 after the storm destroyed parts of Mississippi and Louisiana. Wal-Mart was one of the first responders on the scene, distributing water, food and other necessities to some of the hardest hit areas.
Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) pledged $100,000 in humanitarian aid.
UPDATE 2-Companies offer aid for Haiti earthquake victims
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1317488820100114?type=marketsNews
Companies pledged millions of dollars in aid on Wednesday to help victims of a powerful earthquake in Haiti that devastated much of the impoverished country's capital and killed thousands.
Digicel Group, a top mobile phone operator in Haiti, said it would donate $5 million in cash toward relief efforts and appealed to others to help victims of the quake.
Lowe's Cos Inc (LOW.N) is donating $1 million to the Red Cross' efforts in Haiti. The second largest U.S. home improvement chain also plans to seek monetary contributions from its customers, spokeswoman Julie Yenichek said.
Rival Home Depot (HD.N), the largest home improvement chain, said it will give $100,000 to the American Red Cross.
National Bank of Canada (NA.TO), which will contribute up to C$250,000 to the Canadian Red Cross, said National Bank MasterCard cardholders can exchange reward points for a cash donation to the Canadian Red Cross.
Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS.TO) said it would accept donations to the Canadian Red Cross in its bank branches, and would make a C$250,000 corporate contribution.
Bank of America Corp (BAC.N) has committed $1 million in aid, with half going to the American Red Cross for its Haitian Relief and Development Fund, while cereal maker Kellogg Co(K.N) has pledged $250,000 to the American Red Cross relief effort.
Drugmaker Abbott Laboratories (ABT.N) said it will donate $1 million in humanitarian aid, including medicines and nutritional products
Internet services company Go Daddy said it would give $500,000 to aid quake victims.
Wells Fargo (WFC.N) will contribute $100,000 to the American Red Cross' disaster relief fund, while BMO Financial Group (BMO.TO) pledged $250,000 to the Red Cross effort in Haiti.
FedEx Corp (FDX.N) said it is working with international relief groups including the Red Cross to fly supplies to the island once shipments start moving, while United Parcel Service Inc (UPS.N), which participates in a World Food Program that helps coordinate delivery of aid to disaster zones, said it expects to have its volunteers in the program called up soon.
The magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti on Tuesday, collapsing buildings in the capital Port-au-Prince and burying people under rubble. As many as 50,000 people could be dead because of the earthquake, Haiti's president Rene Preval said.
The devastation crippled the government and the U.N. security and assistance mission which had kept order, and there were no signs of any organized rescue efforts.
Haitian Red Cross spokesman Pericles Jean-Baptiste said his organization was overwhelmed. "There are too many people who need help ... We lack equipment, we lack body bags," he told Reuters on Wednesday.
Reports on casualties and damage were slow to emerge due to communication outages.
PLEA FOR CASH DONATIONS
The best way for corporations to support relief efforts at the moment is to make cash donations, said Caryl Stern, president and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund.
"What we need in the first few days is to enable the humanitarian workers to do their jobs, to go in and do rescue and recovery... and that takes cash," she said.
She also said there is an urgent need for water purification tablets and temporary toilets.
"The biggest risk today is the infection from human debris in the water system," she said.
UPS also said it planned to provide $1 million in aid, half in cash and half in services, while the Kraft Foods (KFT.N) Foundation said it would donate $25,000 to the American Red Cross for relief efforts.
The Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility said it would pay out $8 million to Haiti based on preliminary data of the location and strength of the earthquake.
The disaster pooling facility, launched several years ago with the support of the World Bank and other donors, said the payment was about 20 times Haiti's premium for earthquake coverage of $385,500.
U.S. manufacturer 3M Co (MMM.N), which makes a variety of bandages and other products used in skin and wound care, said it was working with humanitarian relief agencies to ask what medical products it could provide. The company also said it would likely make a monetary contribution.
The Florida Panthers hockey team said that at its next two home games it will collect donations, including food and used clothing, for victims.
Rogers Communications (RCIb.TO) and the Rogers family will donate $250,000 in funds and goods to Partners In Health:Haiti and other relief organizations.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) said it would donate $500,000 to Red Cross emergency relief efforts in Haiti and send pre-packaged food kits valued at $100,000 to Haiti at the request of the Red Cross.
It has a website, www.walmartstores.com/haiti, that customers and employees can use to donate to nonprofits that support relief efforts.
Wal-Mart's Canadian division said its 314 stores will accept donations, and money raised will be donated to the Canadian Red Cross Haiti Earthquake fund.
Wal-Mart won praise for its swift efforts to help victims of Hurricane Katrina in 2005 after the storm destroyed parts of Mississippi and Louisiana. Wal-Mart was one of the first responders on the scene, distributing water, food and other necessities to some of the hardest hit areas.
Walt Disney Co (DIS.N) pledged $100,000 in humanitarian aid.