Jacmel, Tourist Area In Haiti, Decimated By The Quake

[Turborama]

Run time: 01:47 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m70qHHzwRic   Posted on YouTube: January 19, 2010 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: January 19, 2010 By DU Member: Turborama Views on DU: 727

 
The coastal city of Jacmel was once home to wealthy coffee merchants. Now the city is a jumble of concrete and wood, cut off help by roads blocked with debris. (Jan. 18)

This is what Jacmel looked like before the quake: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uM03n_OI7zE

http://www.myspace.com/villejacmel

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[Tx4obama]

1. Here's some disgraceful tourists....

Excerpt:

BoingBoing reported this morning on a Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines ship that made its scheduled docking at a private beach. Though the cruise ship delivered 40 pallets of relief supplies while it docked, vacationers frolicked and held a barbecue on the private area, just miles from the devastation caused by the 7.0 earthquake last week.

A MUST SEE ARTICLE:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/18/luxury-cruise-ship-docks_n_427247.html

I understand that there are places that need tourism to make money --- bringing tourists into area that have sustained catastrophic events is DISGRACEFUL!

[Turborama]

2. That's an area of Haiti that wasn't affected by the earthquake

I've seen what happens when tourists stop coming to destinations due to natural disasters and it isn't pretty. I don't like the idea of the tourists getting off the boat and frolicking around but Haiti's economy is fucked up enough as it is.

I'm posting more than 4 paragraphs because it's an important section that needs to be read in full...

Cruise ships still find a Haitian berth

=snip=

The company said the question of whether to "deliver a vacation experience so close to the epicentre of an earthquake" had been subject to considerable internal debate before it decided to include Haiti in its itineraries for the coming weeks.

"In the end, Labadee is critical to Haiti's recovery; hundreds of people rely on Labadee for their livelihood," said John Weis, vice-president. "In our conversations with the UN special envoy of the government of Haiti, Leslie Voltaire, he notes that Haiti will benefit from the revenues that are generated from each call …

"We also have tremendous opportunities to use our ships as transport vessels for relief supplies and personnel to Haiti. Simply put, we cannot abandon Haiti now that they need us most."

"Friday's call in Labadee went well," said Royal Caribbean. "Everything was open, as usual. The guests were very happy to hear that 100% of the proceeds from the call at Labadee would be donated to the relief effort."

Forty pallets of rice, beans, powdered milk, water, and canned foods were delivered on Friday, and a further 80 are due and 16 on two subsequent ships. When supplies arrive in Labadee, they are distributed by Food for the Poor, a longtime partner of Royal Caribbean in Haiti.

Royal Caribbean has also pledged $1m to the relief effort and will spend part of that helping 200 Haitian crew members.

Full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jan/17/cruise-ships-haiti-earthquake

The letter Scooter24 recieved from Royal Caribbean is worth a read, too: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=4229824&mesg_id=4230444

[Tx4obama]

3. Only sixty miles from the earthquake the news said. It's disgraceful.

In my opinion the ship should have delivered the relief supplies and then left.
Having a Barbecue on the beach, swimming, and drinking was over the top.

[aquart]

4. And some guests refused to participate.

[j.charles]

5. gezz

what is causing these quakes

[Tx4obama]

6. earthquakes are 'normal' it is a natural occurance

it has NOTHING to do with the devil .. so don't listen to Pat Robertson

Earthquakes are the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake