'Roadblock of corpses' in desperate Haiti

Nine News ^ | January 15, 2010

[myknowledge]

Haitians have begun blocking their roads with corpses in a dramatic protest against the delay in aid at the capital of Port-au-Prince.

PHOTOS: Earthquake devastation rocks Haiti

The sight was witnessed by TIME magazine photographer Shaul Schwarz, who told Reuters news agency that he saw two roadblocks in the city formed entirely of dead bodies jammed together.

"They are starting to block the roads with bodies; it's getting ugly out there. People are fed up with getting no help," he was reported as saying. (READ MORE: Despair as Haiti sees little sign of aid)

In the third night since the quake, residents have been desperately searching for food, water and medical supplies. (READ MORE: US takes over Haiti air traffic control)

The estimated death toll of the quake is 50,000, with eyewitnesses saying the stench of corpses is filling the streets.

A local US security expert, Blair Hawkins, told Australia's ABC that "the people are getting angry. There's no water, there's no food out there." (READ MORE: Queensland man fears for family in Haiti)

The US is assisting by sending more than 5000 soldiers to the badly damaged capital. The soldiers and aid workers will ferry aid and medical supplies into the city from an aircraft carrier stocked with supplies.

Looting is prevalent throughout the city as desperate survivors try to find food.

Reports say the capital has been lawless since the disaster as policemen are busy rescuing and burying their own families.

[1000 silverlings]

Yes, anything is possible. I think Richie Rich better run for his life, ASAP

[Secret Agent Man]

If they are protesting how slow aid is in getting to them, why block the roads that the aid trucks and people are going to use to get to them? Not sure this is going to help them, unless they plan to attack any vehicle that stops for the roadblock, and then again, that will probably only happen once, then the trucks will stop coming.

[world weary]

I've actually been there, the first impression I got of Hati was when I was standing on the bridge of our ship coming into Port au Prince and I saw one of the locals on the shore drop his pants and take a dump on the beach.

Not a good impression. The government of Hati doesn't seem seriously interested in building the place up, they say they are grateful for the help they are recieving, but they don't do anything with it beyond subsist, waiting for the next handout.

I don't know if you've ever been there but its sickening what the place looks like, trash heaps everywhere, children playing in open sewers, rampent pollution (and its not from foreign companies exploiting loose environemntal laws because there aren't any foreign companies really doing business there). Basicly picture the worst poverty you can possibly imagine and tripple it.

They've chopped down all the trees on their side of the island for wood and not replanted any (every time a replanting occurs, people come and cut down the sapplings for wood) so they get huge mudslides whenever there is a storm. The roads are substandard dirt tracks that wash out in any kind of rain.

I can understand people feeling like these people need to be helped (and they truly do) but they need to come to the realization that they have to help themselves first and the IC can support and help them establish capacity. Every time we give them something they squander it away and ask for more.

Its extremely frustrating.

[ROTB]

That was in 1915 under Woodrow Wilson. It’s 2010 and Obama hasn’t even made a dent on the situation after 3 straight days of chaos.

**************************************

You would think that even the most qualified of candidates would go through a book of “great presidential decisions” between election, and taking office.

How much more ... this one.

[myknowledge]

With what? Bare limbs? Ahhhh, no.

[Eagles6]

Yep. Imagine frontpage pictures of "victims" raiding food/water/medical distribution shot by Marines. Will be be this week, guaranteed.

The Haiti revolution happened about the same time as ours. What's different?

[BerryDingle]

I've actually been there, the first impression I got of Hati was when I was standing on the bridge of our ship coming into Port au Prince and I saw one of the locals on the shore drop his pants and take a dump on the beach. Not a good impression. The government of Hati doesn't seem seriously interested in building the place up, they say they are grateful for the help they are recieving, but they don't do anything with it beyond subsist, waiting for the next handout. I don't know if you've ever been there but its sickening what the place looks like, trash heaps everywhere, children playing in open sewers, rampent pollution (and its not from foreign companies exploiting loose environemntal laws because there aren't any foreign companies really doing business there). Basicly picture the worst poverty you can possibly imagine and tripple it. They've chopped down all the trees on their side of the island for wood and not replanted any (every time a replanting occurs, people come and cut down the sapplings for wood) so they get huge mudslides whenever there is a storm. The roads are substandard dirt tracks that wash out in any kind of rain. I can understand people feeling like these people need to be helped (and they truly do) but they need to come to the realization that they have to help themselves first and the IC can support and help them establish capacity. Every time we give them something they squander it away and ask for more. Its extremely frustrating.

Thanks! I've never been there, but somehow I knew this is exactly what I imagined.

[jonascord]

Any mention of comparisons between our country’s history and Haitian history is racist...

[world weary]

Hati’s revolution was a slave revolution, so its substantially different.

[altair]

You would think that even the most qualified of candidates would go through a book of “great presidential decisions” between election, and taking office.

"Great presidential decisions" and Woody Wilson are an oxymoron.

[GovernmentShrinker]

I don’t believe the claim in the first line, nor does anything in the rest of the article back it up. If you go to the original source, that line is not actually part of the article, but sort of a sub-headline — probably not written by the writer of the article, and probably written by some clueless junior editor.

[Windflier]

"Haitians have begun blocking their roads with corpses in a dramatic protest against the delay in aid at the capital of Port-au-Prince."

You know, this attitude is going to piss off a lot of Americans who will make the observation that the Haitians are biting the hand that feeds.

[abb]

Imagine if Bush were Prez what that Drive-By Media would be saying now.

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

"Haitians have begun blocking their roads with corpses in a dramatic protest against the delay in aid at the capital of Port-au-Prince."

Detroit found a place to get rid of all the unclaimed bodies in their morgue?

[Cementjungle]

Hati has become so dependant on foreign aid that they have no capacity to deal with any kind of disaster themselves. Not saying that we shouldn’t be helping them out in their hour of need, we most definetly should, but we need to help them help themselves and reduce their dependance on us.

The problem is the fact that there's already an established UN presence there, and they're taking charge of this situation. They so far seem to be moving slowly due to bureaucratic stuff.

[Windflier]

Detroit found a place to get rid of all the unclaimed bodies in their morgue?

You're making a joke at the Haitian people's expense? At a time like this? Good grief....

[Windflier]

Imagine if Bush were Prez what that Drive-By Media would be saying now.

Well, if Bush were taking time out during this (nearly) unprecedented human calamity to make a TV campaign spot for a Senate race (like Obama just did), they'd be flaying him alive.

[blueplum]

3 days and they’re “impatient” and ready to riot? 3 days?

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

You're making a joke at the Haitian people's expense?

Story at link...

Unburied bodies tell the tale of Detroit — a city in despair http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2391356/posts

[world weary]

Their HQ was taken out in the quake, and they have people who are unaccounted for. Once more help gets on the ground there they can get a more organized response going. Canada has sent its DART (Disaster Assistance Response Team) with several helo's and 2 Navy ships are enroute in addition to the US forces deployed there.

What we're seeing at the moment is what MINUSTAH can get together given the chaos currently reigning in Hati.