FRANCE 24 correspondent Melissa Bell, reporting from Port-au-Prince on Friday morning (0700 GMT+1), says the relief that is pouring into the country has so far done little to alleviate the Haitians' suffering. "It is very hard to see any tangible results," she says. In the meantime, concerns are mounting that desperation is turning to anger in the streets. "There are fears that this could degenerate into something far uglier than the aftermath of an earthquake," Bell says, adding that there have been reports of looting at what few shops remain standing in the capital. Security concerns are already complicating relief efforts. The UN's World Food Programme said on Friday that its stockpiles had been pillaged in the Haitian capital. "Our warehouses in Port-au-Prince have been looted," said spokeswoman Emilia Casell. " We will have to restock."
In the meantime, concerns are mounting that desperation is turning to anger in the streets.
"There are fears that this could degenerate into something far uglier than the aftermath of an earthquake," Bell says, adding that there have been reports of looting at what few shops remain standing in the capital.
Security concerns are already complicating relief efforts. The UN's World Food Programme said on Friday that its stockpiles had been pillaged in the Haitian capital. "Our warehouses in Port-au-Prince have been looted," said spokeswoman Emilia Casell. " We will have to restock."
Life-saving supplies and heavy-lifting equipment struggled to hit the ground in earthquake-devastated Haiti, despite the massive aid efforts launched by the international community. Anger and despair has mounted in the streets.
A Spanish rescuer holds two-year-old Redjeson Hausteen Claude, as his father Reginald Claude looks on, after he was rescued from a collapsed home in the aftermath of the powerful earthquake in Port-au-PrinceBut elsewhere there was little hope. Another child, nine-year-old Haryssa Keem Clerge, had been trapped inside a basement and had been heard begging to be rescued as neighbours clawed at the rubble of one of hundreds of toppled structures teetering on the side of a ravine.Just hours later her lifeless body was finally pulled from the mass of concrete and twisted metal. Wrapped in a green bath towel, it was placed inside a loose desk drawer. With nowhere to take it, the body was then left on the hood of a battered Isuzu Trooper.
A Spanish rescuer holds two-year-old Redjeson Hausteen Claude, as his father Reginald Claude looks on, after he was rescued from a collapsed home in the aftermath of the powerful earthquake in Port-au-Prince
But elsewhere there was little hope. Another child, nine-year-old Haryssa Keem Clerge, had been trapped inside a basement and had been heard begging to be rescued as neighbours clawed at the rubble of one of hundreds of toppled structures teetering on the side of a ravine.
Just hours later her lifeless body was finally pulled from the mass of concrete and twisted metal. Wrapped in a green bath towel, it was placed inside a loose desk drawer. With nowhere to take it, the body was then left on the hood of a battered Isuzu Trooper.
As a Emergency Logistics Manager, nothing on this scale, I can tell you it takes 72 hours before supplies start flowing into the region and another 48 hours, or so, to do the work so you can start distributing those supplies. it's not just a matter of throwing the stuff out the back of an airplane or truck. Things have to be unpacked, inventories, and re-packed for distribution. You have to have distribution channels and you have to have designated supply points spread through out the city to prevent 'clog.' You've got to have the infrastructure to warehouse the supplies, transport the supplies from the arrival point to the warehouse, warehouses, some form of vehicles - even if it is only wheelbarrows - to transport supplies, some kind of food and shelter for the logistics workers ... and so on.
Cuba does this rather well because they SPENT THE DAMN MONEY (!) to build the logistics and other emergency infrastructure. Also, whatever else one can say about 'em, the Communist Party it can be said in their favor that they are organized. Meaning there is a group of (semi) disciplined people that can be thrown into the mix aside from the regular police, fire, hospital, medical, and other standing emergency workers. They established a world-class infrastructure for hurricanes, whether it would work for a 7 magnitude earthquake I doubt. Nobody has. It's probably impossible.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle told reporters he had raised specific human rights cases in his meeting with Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao. But he declined to say which dissidents he had mentioned, saying that wouldn't help their cause.
(But of course, mentioning it does help Guido's cause...)
The wife of Liu Xiaobo, a dissident sentenced last month to 11 years in prison for "incitement to subvert state power," had asked Westerwelle to bring up her husband's case in his high-level meetings. "It would be very important," she told the German press agency, dpa. The German foreign minister is in China as part of a four-day trip to Asia - his first since becoming foreign minister - and is set to meet with opposition groups on Saturday.
The German foreign minister is in China as part of a four-day trip to Asia - his first since becoming foreign minister - and is set to meet with opposition groups on Saturday.
AFP - China said Friday that Google's threat to pull out of the country over cyberattacks and official censorship would not affect Beijing's overall trade and economic ties with the United States. The comments from the commerce ministry came after Washington again demanded explanations from Beijing following the US Internet giant's allegations that it was the victim of cyberattacks aimed at Chinese human rights activists. The company has said it may abandon its operations in China, the world's largest online market with 360 million web users, and also has warned it will stop bowing to China's army of Internet censors.
AFP - China said Friday that Google's threat to pull out of the country over cyberattacks and official censorship would not affect Beijing's overall trade and economic ties with the United States.
The comments from the commerce ministry came after Washington again demanded explanations from Beijing following the US Internet giant's allegations that it was the victim of cyberattacks aimed at Chinese human rights activists.
The company has said it may abandon its operations in China, the world's largest online market with 360 million web users, and also has warned it will stop bowing to China's army of Internet censors.
AFP - Japan's defence minister on Friday ordered the end of a naval refuelling mission in the Indian Ocean that has supported the US-led war in Afghanistan since 2001, his ministry said. "The defence minister issued an order at 11:00 am (0200 GMT) today to the fleet commander to end refuelling activity in the Indian Ocean at 12:00 pm on January 15 and to send the troops home," the ministry said in a statement. The move fulfils a pledge by Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's centre-left government, which took office in September vowing a less subservient relationship with security partner the United States.
"The defence minister issued an order at 11:00 am (0200 GMT) today to the fleet commander to end refuelling activity in the Indian Ocean at 12:00 pm on January 15 and to send the troops home," the ministry said in a statement.
The move fulfils a pledge by Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's centre-left government, which took office in September vowing a less subservient relationship with security partner the United States.
A roadside explosion narrowly missed two cars carrying Israeli diplomats at the border crossing between Jordan and the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Thursday. No casualties were reported.
Prince william will face protesters, including MPs, when he opens the Supreme Court building in Wellington on Monday. Labour MP Clare Curran and Green MP Keith Locke will stand with republican advocates when a banner is unfurled saying: "It's Time For A Republic."
Labour MP Clare Curran and Green MP Keith Locke will stand with republican advocates when a banner is unfurled saying: "It's Time For A Republic."
Dear UK: we don't want your useless inbreds either.
Wrestling with a multibillion-dollar budget deficit, Arizona decided Friday to close nearly all of its state parks, including the famed Tombstone Courthouse and Yuma Territorial Prison. The State Parks Board unanimously voted to close 13 parks by June 3. Eight others had already been closed, and the decision would leave nine open -- but only if the board can raise $3 million this year. The action represents the largest closure of state parks in the nation, although several other states are considering similar moves. "It's a dark day for the Arizona state parks system," said Renee Bahl, the system's executive director. "We have 65,000 acres around the state and the majority of them are closing." The Arizona parks receive about 2.3 million visitors per year who bring about $266 million into the state, Bahl said.
Wrestling with a multibillion-dollar budget deficit, Arizona decided Friday to close nearly all of its state parks, including the famed Tombstone Courthouse and Yuma Territorial Prison.
The State Parks Board unanimously voted to close 13 parks by June 3. Eight others had already been closed, and the decision would leave nine open -- but only if the board can raise $3 million this year.
The action represents the largest closure of state parks in the nation, although several other states are considering similar moves.
"It's a dark day for the Arizona state parks system," said Renee Bahl, the system's executive director. "We have 65,000 acres around the state and the majority of them are closing."
The Arizona parks receive about 2.3 million visitors per year who bring about $266 million into the state, Bahl said.
Unlikelier still is the idea that, if elected, the candidates could accomplish their goal, critics say. "This is the triumph of hope over reality," said Garrison Nelson, a political science professor at the University of Vermont and a longtime observer of the state's political scene. "The whole movement was spawned by having George W. Bush as president. My guess is that with (Barack) Obama as president and this being Obama's second-best state, the wind has been taken out of their sails." In fact, Obama's failure to close the detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has fueled some of the candidates' positions.
"This is the triumph of hope over reality," said Garrison Nelson, a political science professor at the University of Vermont and a longtime observer of the state's political scene. "The whole movement was spawned by having George W. Bush as president. My guess is that with (Barack) Obama as president and this being Obama's second-best state, the wind has been taken out of their sails."
In fact, Obama's failure to close the detention camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has fueled some of the candidates' positions.
if they bring in 266 million dollars a year, that's not chump change is it? can it really cost that much and more to 'ranger' them?
and what will happen to that land? ring fenced for cheyney style wildlife shootouts? rockefeller safaris?
or will it be left to the wannabe indians, dopegrowers, survivalists, etc. who will probably much prefer going there without uniformed rangers telling them what to do where.
it seems insane to throw away that income, which will probably rise as more aging boomers trade in the underwater house for the winnebago sunchaser lifestyle.
can't they run them cheaper?!? all those frickin uniforms, shiny badges and the latest SUVS i bet.
why not make it part of a new deal employment policy? it would give something of great value to underprivileged city kids to do some wilderness time, especially with some training in basic ecology. might see some serious perspective changing over time.
better to give it back to the indians, who were the best ecologists the continent ever had, right CH?
well snagged ARG. ~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~
