EMAIL SIGN UP!
Most Popular This Week
Popular content
Today's Top News
Blocking Doctors? Let the Aid to Haiti Go Through
The TV story seems to be that aid from America is pouring in to Haiti. But on the ground the US military is blocking doctors and American aid workers with longstanding relationships in Haiti from bringing in desperately needed aid, and the US is also being slow to expand airdrops of water, water purification tablets, and food. Where is the United States Congress? Because the US military is involved, does that mean no-one can say anything?
Yesterday, Doctors Without Borders reported that
A Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) cargo plane carrying 12 tons of medical equipment, including drugs, surgical supplies and two dialysis machines, was turned away three times from Port-au-Prince airport since Sunday night despite repeated assurances of its ability to land there...Since January 14, MSF has had five planes diverted from the original destination of Port-au-Prince to the Dominican Republic. These planes carried a total of 85 tons of medical and relief supplies.
One of their staff members said,
"We have had five patients in Martissant health center die for lack of the medical supplies that this plane was carrying.... Today, there are 12 people who need lifesaving amputations at Choscal Hospital. We were forced to buy a saw in the market to continue amputations."
Groups ready to deliver aid to Jacmel - the fourth-largest city in Haiti - were told they would receive no clearance to land there from the U.S. military, even though they already had both aid supplies and the means for distributing them. This aid is only now being delivered - thanks to assistance from the Dominican Republic, not the U.S.
Finally, the US has started to airdrop water and food. AP reported that "The U.S. military has airdropped water and food into Haiti after earlier ruling out such a delivery method as too risky." But the airdrop AP reported was merely a test, not an effort to distribute supplies widely.
The risk cited earlier by Defense Secretary Gates was that airdrops might trigger riots if there were no infrastructure on the ground to distribute the supplies. But the primary driver of potential violence is shortage: if there is plenty to go around, there is no reason to fight. The US corporate media are obsessed with images of looting and conflict, slavishly devoted as they are to their "Lord of the Flies" meta-narrative that human beings are beasts who must be constantly supervised by Men With Guns, but so what? Any marginal increase in the probability of conflict has to be weighed against the certainty that people will die if they don't have clean water.
That's why these airdrops of food and water - including water purification tablets, because in some places people have access to water, but not clean water - should be immediately expanded.
The US operation has been putting "security concerns" above all else - at a high cost in Haitian lives. Perhaps that's not a surprising consequence of putting the military in charge, but that's why Congress needs to get engaged. You can write to your representatives in Congress here.
- Posted in
Comments
Note: Disqus 2012 is best viewed on an up to date browser. Click here for information. Instructions for how to sign up to comment can be viewed here. Our Comment Policy can be viewed here. Please follow the guidelines. Note to Readers: Spam Filter May Capture Legitimate Comments...
6 Comments so far
Show AllGo Home Yankee and fix what needs to be fixed there. Then things will work out in Haiti
this is beyond words ....these army personal most be severely brainwashed to explain that they let this happen with thenm and the haitian .....this is so discusting and it tells you these people who are called politicians who ordered the whole shit to move like they do - dont care about people wether 100000 or 200000 died ....help us god and help ourselfs ....who is next ?
If U.S. citizens were paying attention at the time, they would have seen that this happened in New Orleans, as well, after Hurricane Katrina. Coast Guard boats attempting to bring in supplies and diesel fuel were turned away, Wal-Mart trucks with food and water were turned away, Cuba's offer of doctors and supplies was refused. Blackwater ruled many streets and have been accused of shooting locals and taking guns away from citizens.
It is not impossible that we will find out that the actions in Haiti are not the case, but more than likely they are. The U.S. has used and abused the people of Haiti, so why would it be any different now. I am ashamed of my government and have been for many years. This is just one example of why.
i'm pretty sure our little earth is in for some amazing weather. not only do our nimby sweatshop factories all over contribute to rapidly increase global warming, but unfettered capitalist greed has depleted our planet including this once rich island nation of its natural defenses. unusual weather patterns, a side effect of global warming will continue to haunt and amaze.
the military response is first of all a strategic occupation to protect the wto who fear bric members may take advantage of this latest emergency. "charity" is but an excuse! imf, or international monetary fund has magnanimously offered to "loan" $100,000,000 for reconstruction, thus assuring these impoverished peoples will continue existing as slave and slum lords for generation to come.
the peace corps, various humanitarian aid groups, organizations like doctors without borders have acquired experience in dealing with catastrophe. groups of this type should be the "leaders" in rescue; the top priority saving lives. the military trained to take and hold territory could provide much needed manpower.
we live in an upside down world. hold on tight! we're all in for a rough ride while nature works against our economic interests to heal and refurbish.
The Americans are bastards!
There is the excuse that the airport was designed for about 4 flights per day and has only one functioning landing strip. So there are obviously some flights that have to be redirected. But having said that, the military flights of soldiers are NOT being sent elsewhere, but the flights with actual aid that is necessary to help people are being sent to Santo Domingo where the stuff then has to be trucked back.
And the excuse that there are security problems in Haiti which necessitate a military presence are false if you check with the people actually there extending aid. The only people yammering about riots and looting are the pundits safely ensconced in their offices in the US, not the people on the ground.