AFP :
Survivors of Haiti’s devastating
earthquake looted an aid convoy Friday as the impoverished Caribbean nation scrambled to roll out a relief effort haunted by the chaotic response to past natural disasters.
The mobbing of relief supplies and tumultuous handouts underscored the desperation in the wake of last week’s powerful tremor, which killed more than 2,000 people and destroyed or damaged over 130,000 homes.
The 7.2-magnitude earthquake robbed tens of thousands of Haitians of everything they owned in a matter of seconds, with the hunt for necessities like clean water and food now a daily struggle for many. And while humanitarian convoys have begun distributing aid, the quantities have been insufficient and those tasked with delivering supplies often lack logistical expertise. Chaotic scenes were captured by an AFP photographer Friday in Les Cayes, one of the hardest-hit cities, as bags of rice were handed out to clamoring crowds.
Looters were able to storm one of two supply trucks before law enforcement intervened, according to the photographer, with the remaining goods haphazardly handed out at the local police station. Desperate Haitians have had to rely on the generosity of their neighbors and relatives, many of whom have little to spare. “I have a friend who came from (the capital) Port-au-Prince to bring me water and food and I shared that with my neighbors.
He also gave me some clothes,” said Marcel Francois, a father of two who was dragged from the rubble in the wake of the quake after three hours buried under concrete. From the ruins of his house on the road connecting Les Cayes to the airport, he now has a front-row seat to the recovery effort.
