 Lt.
Col. Lindsay Rowe, chief secretary for The
Salvation Army's Caribbean Territory, says:
"Like all other relief
agencies, The Salvation Army is experiencing a great deal of
difficulty and frustration in its efforts to get emergency response
personnel and vital supplies of food, water and medical aid on the
ground in Haiti. With the main seaport severely damaged and the
airport stretched beyond its capacity, making vital supplies
available to waiting teams and desperate people is a logistical
nightmare.
"Even when the supplies reach the airport, many streets and roadways
are impassable, leaving victims stranded without access to aid. The level of
tension is rising as people approach their third day without access to vital aid
supplies and medical treatment."
On Thursday, a plane carrying experienced emergency
response personnel from the U.S. was diverted from Port-au-Prince
when it was decided to close the airport to all but military
aircraft. The plane finally landed at Cape Haitian, a drive of some six
to eight
hours from Port-au-Prince, and the team obtained vehicles to
begin the arduous trip.
Team member Maj. Tom Louden said the road had large holes that they had to go around on the edge of cliffs
with no guard
rails. Because of the road conditions, the team could travel at only
20 miles per hour. Louden reports that even away from the
worst-hit areas, people were walking around aimlessly. At times there
were so many people in the street, they had to wait for the street to
clear to be able to pass through the crowds.
Another team is preparing to go to Haiti from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with a plane full of essential supplies. Also heading
there are members of International Emergency Services from
International Headquarters, London.
Staff members from Caribbean Territorial Headquarters in Kingston, Jamaica,
have made arrangements for supplies and several volunteer doctors to
travel to Haiti on two planes, and Rowe says more containers are loaded and ready to be shipped when the ports are
open to receive them.
[Text from file received from Salvation Army] |
