Today's Playlist: Relief Efforts in Haiti Facing Logistical Difficulties

Friday, January 15, 2010

Relief Efforts in Haiti Facing Logistical Difficulties

After waiting for a couple of days, relief goods and aid started pouring Thursday. But it seems the Haiti people still have to wait a little longer for the supplies because relief and humanitarian teams are having difficulties reaching places. Most of the roads are still impassable and available ones are narrow, sea port was closed because it was severely damaged from the quake, The only available airport was also damaged so it can't handle the volume of incoming aid flights. All the incoming aid can only be delivered by sea or air.

As one of the poorest western countries, almost everything has to be brought in because they have nothing or very little in terms of equipment and infrastructure. Heavy equipments usually for construction purposes have to be brought in to help in the rescue and retrieval operations. Vehicles for the deliveries of the relief supplies and aid. Lots of water, for a couple of days, survivors and emergency teams have scarcity of water. Even the construction materials for the temporary shelters like wood have to be brought in because most of the local sources are heavily exhausted.

Treating the thousands of injured survivors is also becoming a challenge because most of the hospitals in Port-au-Prince where severely damaged. WHO (World Health Organization) also fears outbreak of diseases due to the difficult situation.

At the mean time desperate Haitians resort to salvaging any food, materials for temporary shelter, clothings, anything they can find amongst the rubbles, until the relief and aid reaches them.