US takes over airport in haitian capital

[VIBGYOR]

US takes over airport in haitian capital
By Julia in Featured, Follow-up, Julia
Saturday, Jan. 16 2010 @ 12:41PM

Médecins Sans Frontières

​At the request of the haitian government, the United States Army has taken over operation of the Port au Prince airport in Haiti's capital to unblock the delivery of supplies to what the UN is calling the worst disaster they've ever dealt with.

Humanitarian supplies from around the world are trapped at the airport, where supply planes are being turned away and the navy says they can't land their helicopters to pick up supplies because of lack of organization on the ground. The International Red Cross says they can't get any planes in. The Netherlands are sending a warship with supplies today after a supply plane was unable to land yesterday.

The haitian government has been relocated to a police station near the airport for increased security. President Rene Preval Secretary of State Clinton is arriving today to meet with President Preval, fly american survivors home, and deal with local officials who are "reluctant to give up power," according to Raymond Joseph, Haiti's ambassador to Washington.

Preval admits that his government isn't functioning: "The government has lost its capacity to function properly, but it has not collapsed." Former President Bill Clinton, who President Obama asked to assist US efforts in Haiti, described the government as "disabled." The Mayor of Port au Prince describes conditions in his city as "anarchy."

Secretary of State Clinton is arriving today to meet with President Preval, fly american survivors home, and deal with local officials who are "reluctant to give up power," according to Raymond Joseph, Haiti's ambassador to Washington. Additional US warships, and up to 10,000 troops, will be there by Monday.

Haiti's government estimates the death toll from Tuesday's earthquake at 200,000, but international aid agencies are afraid that if supplies don't arrive soon, starvation, lack of water, fuel and sanitation, and panic-induced violence will drive the numbers much higher.

 

[nkfnkfnkf]

US is only in a great hurry to evacuate their own citizens out of Haiti, not anything else, they block entire airport for essentially this purpose and emergency relief supplies are not able to get in due to the Americans in a hurry to flee for their own lives.:oIo:

http://tw.news.yahoo.com/article/url/d/a/100118/4/1yylk.html


海地強震災後五日美全面撤僑 我自由撤離
中時 更新日期:"2010/01/18 02:39" 仇佩芬、劉屏／台北海地太子港連線報導

中國時報【仇佩芬、劉屏／台北海地太子港連線報導】

海地強震災後第五日，美國宣布全面從海地撤僑，中華民國政府決定採行「預防性措施」，外交官留守當地，但眷屬及台商自由撤離。我方目前已撤出八名駐外人員眷屬及台商，暫時安置在鄰國多明尼加共和國，只留使館人員和技術團成員，勉力維持使館運作。

海地與美國關係一向密切，在海地的美僑約有四萬至四萬五千人、鑑於當地情勢混亂，美國政府決定全面撤僑，動用軍艦、飛機、車輛及租用的民間飛機等，以最快速度把僑民撤運至多明尼加等安全地區。

外館人員留守 眷屬則安置多國

我方外交部則表示，目前使館及技術團人員正全力協助海地救災，並且確保當地國人安全。是否考慮將人員全數撤離，外交部表示，「撤僑」涉及邦誼維繫等政治意涵，茲事體大，仍需進一步評估。

目前首都太子港情勢仍相當混亂。我國駐海地大使館在強震中被毀，使館人員在技術團辦公處恢復運作，由使館參贊張台輔暫代大使。為保護當地台人安全，外交部經評估後決定，除使館及技術團人員留守太子港之外，將六名眷屬、一名台商及一名赴當地出差的台灣人，先行送往多明尼加。

武裝警衛護送 台特搜隊抵災區

這八位眷屬與台商抵達海地與多明尼加邊境後，稍作停留，未幾，中華民國特搜隊通過邊境進入海地。二支隊伍寒暄後，互道珍重。

護送眷屬的是駐海地大使館祕書鄭鴻基。他在邊界與自己的妻女相擁而別，妻女進入多明尼加，預計再行車六小時，抵達首都聖多明各。鄭鴻基則獨自回頭，護送特搜隊前往二小時車程之外的首都太子港。

法務部調查局派駐多明尼加大使館的祕書陳秀銘護送特搜隊至邊境，然後由鄭鴻基接手。由於海地不靖，所以駐海地大使館安排了六位全副武裝的警衛，配備M-16等長短槍枝，乘坐吉普車在前開道。

重傷公使齊王德 術後轉趨穩定

在邊界迎接特搜隊的還有中華民國駐海地技術團團長向水松。他告訴特搜隊，海地的鄉村尚好，城市秩序較為紊亂，最大問題是缺乏燃油，用水也有些問題。向水松的妻子鄭郵香表示，眷屬撤離海地，是要讓夫婿免於後顧之憂，以便戮力從公。

在震災受傷的我駐海地大使徐勉生和公使齊王德，目前正在多明尼加治療。傷勢較重的齊王德在手術之後轉趨穩定，已由加護病房轉到一般病房，肋骨折斷處正插管排除肺部積水，但大體而言術後情況良好。