Haiti earthquake: corpses used as roadblocks as anger grows

Shaul Schwarz, a photographer for TIME magazine, said he saw at least two downtown roadblocks formed with bodies of earthquake victims and rocks.

"They are starting to block the roads with bodies, it's getting ugly out there, people are fed up with getting no help," he said.

President Barack Obama has promised Haitians they would not be forgotten, offering $100 million in immediate earthquake aid and the backing of every element of US power.

A large-scale US military and civilian aid operation has gained momentum with Washington sending rescue teams, ships, helicopters, planes, a floating hospital, emergency supplies and more than 5,000 ground troops.

However, there was little sign of the aid effort on the ground in the capital, where chaos ruled.

Gunshots were heard throughout the night and looting was commonplace as desperate survivors scrambled to find scarce supplies of food, water and medical equipment.

Gangs were also reported to be roaming the streets, making up rumours of a looming tidal wave so that they coudl steal from fleeing families.

Complicating the relief effort, the city's airport was closed for several hours due to severe overcrowding and a lack of airport fuel.

The Pentagon has rejected criticism that it may have acted too slowly to deploy its military might in the first 24 hours of the disaster, saying it moved in assessment teams quickly.

But the relief effort faced serious challenges, Mr Obama said, with roads in Haiti impassable, communications rudimentary, and aftershocks still rumbling.

Here’s a link with some before and after sat images. The port is destroyed. The docks are gone, the cranes are toppled, loading structures gone. The while splotches are I think “sand blows” where the sand and water jetted up through the asphalt weakening the area.

http://www.popsci.com/node/42783

Agreed 110%. (Are you in the geotechnical field?) I try to tell folks around here the same thing.

Part of my work includes geotechnical studies, but primarily failure analysis and mitigation. Some have claimed that the building failures were the result of inadequate reinforcing. That may be, however what I am beginning to see from the photos is concrete failure in many instances. I read somewhere that Haiti lacks bulk plants and imports most of the cement from the US. Reports indicate that Haitians cannot afford to follow the standard 1,2, and 3 mix and increase the sand in the ratio. This is what I am seeing in many of the photos.

I am still hearing the media is claiming the aid is not reaching the victims on the ground. They are continuing to commit an injustice to those attempting this humanitarian effort. Further, claims of gunfire are preventing many from moving out from the airport.

If our military is involved, I pray they are allowed complete autonomy in the application of force to restore order. Many bad guys will die, but more civilians will ultimately be saved. I think Haiti will be one of the worse quagmires we could get involved in for the long term.

The best outcome I see is for the military to reestablish order and basic infrastructure. When this is complete, turn the assistance back over to those charities that were already present, NGOs and the United Nations. This will be the biggest no win situation for all involved.

Is anyone surprised that they are setting up road blocks with corpses?

Thanks for your post which explicates why they are blocking the roads, PA Engineer.

It is to keep the "technicals" (those small trucks with gunmen) OUT.

This is what many on FR have tried to explain for years, that in a scenario where it all goes to hell, thugs will leave their own environs and go looking for food, ammo, and "stuff" to loot.

These people are trying to keep the Bad Guys out of their neighborhood.

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