The southern part of Haiti experienced a 7.0-level earthquake on Tuesday, Jan 12.
President Barack Obama has already promised an “all-out rescue” to the victims in the poor Central American country. Beginning Thursday the 14 and Friday the 15 Soldiers from North Carolina’s Fort Bragg as well as Camp Lejeune Marines will deploy to lend aid and make peace in the current chaos.
Rescue volunteers and more than $100 million in relief funds are headed to Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, beginning this week.
High on the list of priorities for the soldiers and volunteers are water purification, medical aid, and engineering support. These deployments could last anywhere between a few weeks and three months, depending on how much aid is needed.
This rescue is a worldwide effort. France, China, Canada and Spain delivered medicine, food and water, with more supplies promised from other countries.
Hindering these rescue missions, however, is the severe damage to the Port-au-Prince airport. It took the Chinese six hours to unload their plane full of supplies because of the rubble from the poorly-engineered building.
Haiti’s President, Rene Preval, estimates the number casualties to be in the thousands. Unfortunately, no one knows for sure due to the immense piles of debris and wreckage.
There is minimal water and electricity available to the victims. Residents are forced to sleep in parks and even on the streets next to the destruction at night for fear of being caught inside during an aftershock. So far several aftershocks have shook the country’s remaining structures into debris.
There are several websites and hotlines devoted to the search of family and loved ones in the desperate country. CNN.com offers a forum to post pictures and communicate with those with internet access in Haiti.
Excellent article Alex. Short and to the point.
Sorry this comment is so late. I just subscribed to The Mycenaean online!!