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Posted on 09/24/2004 8:02:06 PM PDT by Hodar
By AMY BRACKEN
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GONAIVES, Haiti (AP) - U.N. troops fired smoke grenades Friday as crowds of Haitian flood victims tried to break into a food distribution site, increasingly desperate over the slow pace of relief after Tropical Storm Jeanne devastated the city.
At least 1,160 people were killed in last weekend's storm and crews are continuing to find bodies in the mud and debris. Another 1,250 people remained missing.
About 500 people gathered at a Roman Catholic school where CARE International passed out food to women only in hopes of reducing the crowds. The crowd swelled, however, and men, women and children tried to push through an iron gate.
Argentine U.N. troops fired grenades, chasing people away. But the sunburned, unwashed flood victims returned in surges once the air cleared of smoke.
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Genevieve Montaguere, a nun from Guadeloupe, said the school distributed food for 1,000 families but ran out of drinking water.
Mud has formed a crust across this city of 250,000. Hungry and thirsty survivors - some of whom lost entire families and everything they own in last week's floods - were becoming increasingly desperate.
"This is crazy," said Arito Ferreira, a Portuguese police officer among the 650 U.N. peacekeepers in Gonaives. "They come in here without warning. They are trying to do good but people will get hurt."
An 18-wheeler carrying relief supplies from the Church of God was attacked by residents when it entered the city. People jumped on the moving truck, pried open the doors and threw out boxes of supplies. Troops shoved and pushed crowds off the truck.
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The food carriers battled their way to Gonaives from the port of St. Marc to the south, fording floodwaters and mudslides that remain a hazard on National Route 1. At least three truckloads of aid were mired in ditches along the flooded road Thursday.
Poorly maintained roads disintegrated and utilities failed, compounding problems for relief workers.
"Trucking in clean water to Gonaives is a logistical nightmare," said Abby Maxman, a local director for CARE.
Floodwaters finally receded Friday in the seaside slum of Raboteau, one of the hardest-hit areas. Mud caked over animal carcasses and storm debris, and people rushed to clean mounds from their homes - those without shovels using branches from downed trees.
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The General Hospital was out of commission because of knee-deep mud believed to still hold bodies, and medical supplies were running out. Health workers feared an outbreak of waterborne diseases.
"It's a critical situation in terms of epidemics," said Francoise Gruloos, Haiti director for the U.N. Children's Fund.
Some 1,013 bodies were counted and buried in the city by Thursday night, said Dieufort Deslorges, spokesman for the government's civil protection agency.
But an Associated Press photographer on the ground watched people stop the burial of a truckload of bodies Thursday. Cemetery workers demanded money for the extra work. Others objected that no religious rites accompanied the burials - many Haitians believe a corpse interred without ceremony will wander and commit evil acts.
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Other protesters wanted officials to recover bodies in waterlogged surrounding fields and to help search for the missing.
"They may be presumed dead," said Toussaint Kongo-Doudou, a spokesman for the U.N. stabilization mission in Haiti, which put the number of missing at 1,251.
Deslorges said the number of bodies recovered had risen to 1,160 by Friday morning and nearly 300,000 people were homeless in Haiti's northwest province.
In the neighboring Dominican Republic, the death toll rose to 24 after rescue workers discovered five bodies crushed in a collapsed cave near the northern tourist town of Samana.
Jeanne also killed seven people in Puerto Rico, making the overall Caribbean death toll at least 1,191.
At dawn Friday, a group of farmers walked across fields turned to swamps, carrying empty buckets and sacks in hopes of buying something to eat at Aupotau market town where they usually sell their produce - the closest place that is not devastated, they said.
Two overcrowded tap-taps - Haiti's gaily painted truck-buses - passed them by before they got a ride, indicating the shortage of transportation because of flooding and a shortage of gasoline. Where it could be found, gas had tripled to $6 a gallon.
Only Antonie Netsede had something to sell - a sack of eggplant she dug from the mud that had destroyed her onions and shallots.
"This is the last of what I have," she said.
Several nations have been flying in relief food and supplies. In addition, members of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have sent aid, the federation's Hans Havik said.
But getting the relief supplies to the needy would be difficult, he said.
"We're working on organizing security at the distribution points because this is an increasingly important issue with people going four or five days without food or water," Havik said.
The U.S. government has said it would provide more than $2 million - an increase from $60,000 that some criticized for its paucity.
The crisis was only the latest in long-suffering Haiti, a country of 8 million people that has suffered 30 coups d'etats fed on greed that perpetuated endemic poverty. This week's tragedy was fueled by massive deforestation that left surrounding valleys unable to hold the rain unleashed by some 30 hours of pounding by Jeanne.
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Ok, I'm a cold, heartless and mean Republican. Let'em get out of this themselves. Where was their aid and comfort when we got hit on 9/11? Dancing in the streets? When Florida got hit by huricanes, did they send ANYTHING? Have we gotten so much as a lousy 'thank you' post card?
We have been hit by Frances and Ivan, with Jeanne on the way. And Haiti is whining about how much free stuff they got?!? Newsflash, we don't owe them a golly-darn thing. We have our own problems to worry about, let them 'grow and learn' from this experience on their own, and maybe someday they will be worthy of our friendship again.
I know. People are in there trying to help, and they're being prevented from doing so. (some crazy was wielding some weapon daring them to come closer)
People care, and I know they're much worse off than we are (we got slammed by Ivan), but they've got to start helping their own too.
I agree too, that has anyone heard of anyone. outside the USA offering to help us in Florida after our Hurricane Grand Slam Season? But who is expected to be always there when the rest of the world faces disasters? (with plenty of $$$$$) And not much "Thanks!" either. That's what chaps me.
Where did Li'l Miss Bracken get this information? DNCBS News?
Searches are our friends.
I guess what I'm saying is that maybe we should STOP running in to give aid. Cease, desist, refrain and deny aid; as the country's policy. Churches, groups and individuals may do whatever they wish; I'm talking about tax dollars.
First off, it is now assumed that somehow the USA OWES them something. Secondly, there is NEVER any gratitude (why be gracious to someone who owes you something?).
Personally, I think it's human nature to actually hate those who unquestionably help you out of every problem; maybe it's envy/jealousy. Consider the spoiled child who's mother meets his every demand. Does the child treat the mother with love and respect? No, usually quite the opposite. Spoiled children strike, scream and throw tantrums when their mother doesn't act fast enough. The idea of saying "Thanks", or later repaying the favor is completely out of the question.
Consider Palestine, Mexico, and every 3rd world sewer in the world. We have GIVEN them untold BILLIONS of dollars. Countries like our friend Mexico didn't waste any time turning their back on us in the UN; so much for gratitude. When we have earthquakes, we are on our own. The other countries then sit back and make comments as to how THEY would have done things differently, or better. But do they offer to help? No.
If there is NOTHING in it for us, why are my taxdollars going out to ingrates? Now, if your church, synagogue or mosque wants to send food, water and clothing; that's fine. But NOT MY TAXDOLLARS! Not anymore. I'm tired of being the doormat.
A new government might help, too. This is what happens when a corrupt, inept government is in place and a disaster strikes. The inept government is incapable of taking care of the crisis. It's people suffer to the nth degree. This is nothing new. It doesn't matter where in the world or what crisis, environmental or terrorist, the outcome is the same.
Yes, indeedie they are. This story is not listed under 'Haiti or flood'.
I know, Hodar. I should make the decision to help these people, (through my church or the Red Cross) not the government.
BTW, hasn't the UN done their usual outstanding job there? (chortle)
That was a pathetic amount of aid to send. I'm all for taking what we give to the ME and palis and start using that for other causes. These people are suffering and we should help, it's the right thing to do.
This is where I must disagree with you. If your church, your friends, your job or any civic group wants to donate; by all means they should. I too may chip in a few bucks.
However, when the gov't GENEROUSLY gives $2, that money comes from somewhere. That somewhere is our tax dollars. If they can give $2 of our tax dollars as charity, they can give $200 Trillion. Where is this 'generosity' outlined anywhere in the Constitution?
Furthermore, this generosity does not create goodwill. Quite the contrary, it breeds distrust, disdain and contempt. Ask a Haitian what he thinks of Canada; and he will have very little negative to say; for Canada typically does very little outside of their borders. Ask them about the USA, and we are big, mean and evil.
Look at EVERY single example of our charity; and I will show you countries that HATE us. Mexico, Central America, Europe and everywhere in between. We give them money, we bail them out of wars; and we are hated for it.
Time to sit back, and let the Red Cross and churches do their thing. I'd much rather see my tax dollars spent rebuilding Florida, Alabama, Loisianna and elsewhere.
Ummmm, the gov't they currently enjoy is the EXACT same gov't that Clinton and the UN (with US Troops serving under UN control) forced into place in Clinton's last term. Remember....
No good deed goes unpunished.
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