Angry Haitians Block Roads With Corpses-witness

[tekisui]

Source: Reuters

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Angry Haitians set up roadblocks with corpses in Port-au-Prince to protest at the delay in emergency aid reaching them after a devastating earthquake, an eyewitness said,

Shaul Schwarz, a photographer for TIME magazine, said he saw at least two downtown roadblocks formed with bodies of earthquake victims and rocks.

"They are starting to block the roads with bodies, it's getting ugly out there, people are fed up with getting no help," he told Reuters. (Reporting by Andrew Cawthorne)

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N14234713.htm

[slackmaster]

1. Desperate people doing things that aren't going to make the situation any better

It could happen just about anywhere. That's why I keep myself well prepared for earthquakes and other kinds of SHTF situations.

[Maru Kitteh]

11. SHTF situations.

That's a good way of putting it right there.

[malaise]

14. You know we can be as prepared as we like

but if the entire house/office/apartment/hospital/hotel is flattened, we'll be in the same situation as the Haitians. You think all those NGO offices and the UN staff weren't prepared? This was a catastrophic earthquake for which no one could have prepared. Unless you're walking around with earthquake emergency food and your documents on your body, any one of us could be in the position of the Haitian people today.

I don't think people have a clue what happened in Haiti on Tuesday. All the buildings that followed international building standards were also flat on the ground.

I know for sure that if anything like this hits Kingston Jamaica, the loss of life will be no different and the level of dislocation would be just as bad. All that would separate us is that we have two main airports and several sea ports but the destruction and loss of life would be no different and I don't know that either hubby or I would be able to reach our well organized documents as we seek to crawl out of a space after the total collapse of the building.

[slackmaster]

16. I hear you - Most of my earthquake preparations are at home, which fortunately is about 4 miles

From where I work. I wear good walking shoes and carry with me enough supplies to allow me to walk home.

Unless of course I happen to be somewhere much farther from home when it hits.

Or if it's so bad that my house is destroyed. Then I am screwed.

[malaise]

20. Remember Port-au-Prince was flattened

in 36 seconds. There's video now of the quake as it happened. Count the seconds.

[Maru Kitteh]

23. I can't think of anything this horrific in scope since Nagasaki.

The tsunami is obviously a close second, but from what I've seen, this situation eclipses even that horror.

[malaise]

28. That tsunami was a catastrophe

What makes it different is that it was in several places - this is one place and just the scale of destruction is hard to contemplate. It's amusing to read reactions to the Haitian people's behavior - I don't know how I'd behave in a situation like this - lying around the dead and injured (my family and neighbors)hungry and thirsty.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

34. Good point.

The tsunami was many thousands of small catastrophes all over the place. This is just one big on, in possibly the worst place it could happen. The earthquake in Bam is probably the only thing in recent memory that comes close.

[malaise]

35. The 2008 Sichuan earthquake

in China was massive as well. Bam was also horrific. I don't know any other city the size of Port-au-Prince with so many people. This really is the worst place for such a quake.

[nadinbrzezinski]

36. Bam and Sichuan had one thing Port Au Prince does not

some existing infrastructure and remaining command and control.

They also could drive trucks and heavy lift... which here mostly cannot be done.

Those differences are so critical is not even fathomable for most people.

[malaise]

43. Absolutely

I don't think most people understand that there is no command and control here and the infrastructure is all gone. This is a recipe for chaos on steroids.

[Violet_Crumble]

48. What the tsunami did to Aceh wasn't merely a small catastrophe...

It devastated Aceh every bit as thoroughly as Port-au-prince has been devastated now.

[nadinbrzezinski]

30. You know some people like to be that way

Me I make preparations... and HOPE they actually allow me to make it until the cavalry arrives.

These days that means increasing my supplies from 72 hours to one week... and not counting all of that will survive either.

I don't feel smug, and if we have a quake... and I need to ahem SHARE with those that did not prepare, or lost their supplies, I am willing to.

:-)

I hope others are so inclined, but I know humans who are desperate are not likely to survive. Survival instinct is a nasty trait... just as our help others trait is a beautiful thing to see.

[malaise]

37. I only hope that when the big one hits Kingston and St Andrew

hubby and I can access our emergency stuff. I'm beginning to think we should keep emergency supplies in every room so at least we have food and water if we're trapped. :D

[nadinbrzezinski]

44. I should not laugh

one of my kids, his parents were in Mexico City when the big one hit. They do that now... or at least did when I knew them.

They were also angry when son volunteered to train for confined space... they thought, it was to save them. They got better about it after his first call.

[malaise]

45. You may as well laugh

It makes sense :D

[hyphenate]

56. The earthquake was only 6 miles under Port au Prince

which is why it wreaked so much havoc. As Californians know, the further down a quake is, the more widespread the damage will be. Haiti's capitol was built, I gather, from mostly stone and masonry, with little metal, and most likely little wood. Stone without strength will crumble easier than stone with rebar or a metal shell. These people were living in an area with a ticking time-bom right under the city.

[malaise]

60. This one took down all stone

Everyone of every race and class took a massive hit here. This was a catastrophe of epic proportions.
The fact that even the most wealthy Haitians' homes were destroyed means that finally everyone has a reason for rethinking the approach to development in Haiti. Even Bill Clinton noted that truth.

add

[HipChick]

61. and the heat..it's climbing up to 91F tomorrow..

Hungry,Thirsty and hot..I do not know how I might behave..

[roguevalley]

47. this horror is beyond the pale. how can anyone ever try and have a

happy life after this? how can their children ever be happy again? I am aghast for the Haitian people and their suffering. This is so awful.

[HillbillyBob]

51. SHTF I may be to stupid..what does this acronym mean

?
We try to keep prepared after living through hurricanes and partner lived through earthquakes. I grew up with snow storms, we kept extra heating fuel etc.
We live in NC now, but I went through H Andrew and no power or gas after.
We do as well as we can with what resources as we can gather, even to keeping seeds to grow food.

[piedmont]

53. Shit hits the fan. nt.

[cali]

2. oh no.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

3. Well, that's an unorthodox (and seemingly counterproductive) way of expressing disapproval. n/t

[gateley]

4. They must be so desperate -- and I don't even know if they're aware that

some help has arrived and is in the process of being distributed, since I heard they don't have internet and the cell batteries are probably all dead. :(

[virgogal]

5. The aid is getting there as quickly as it can.

[gateley]

7. WE know help is on the way, I'm not sure if they do. They must be so scared. nt

[virgogal]

9. True. eom

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. I am not surprised

desperation leads to strange things

[SmileyRose]

8. that doesn't even make sense

I can't imagine living in a situation so desperate that even basic common sense dies.

[Tejas]

29. I was confused when watching

the morning news, they had video of a single tire being burned in the middle of a street. Any ideas on what's up with that?

[nadinbrzezinski]

31. anger

I predict a whole sale change vis a vis their government for starters.

[Flaneur]

54. Big quakes can change things.

After the Mexico City quake, you saw the rise of civil society and soon, the end of PRI dominance.

After the Nicaragua quake of '74, it wasn't long until the end of the Somozas.

[Shell Beau]

10. Fear and desperation can lead people to do crazy things.

I have such heartache for these people. But this is counter-productive. I can see that because I am not in a desperate place. :cry:

[highplainsdem]

12. This is tragic. But dehydration can cause confusion and irritability/anger,

and so many of them have to be badly dehydrated by now.

[gateley]

25. I didn't even think of that -- you're right. Tweety talks about how when he

was there with several years ago for a visit, he saw a kid drinking water out of a pot hole! He said there was no public water source, no pipeline, people had to find their own water. He mentioned even when he was in Mozambique with the Peace Corps, the had a public water source. I just can't imagine. Again, really good point about the dehydration -- they mentioned it was in the 90's today. too.

[blondeatlast]

39. Indeed, and potable water was already scarce before the quake. Good God;

I can't even imagine the devastation and desperation--then I read something like this and it's even worse. :scared:

[HillbillyBob]

52. Haiti has been in desperate straits since I can remember

My Gramma (rip) always said that desperate people do desperate things.
I had thought that it was a 'saying' until I found myself in a desperate place.

[laughingliberal]

13. I can't even imagine the trauma these people are in

The thought of a country that now has around 3 million people walking around with acute PTSD symptoms.

[EFerrari]

15. I was born in 1955 and I think this is the worst thing I've ever seen.

[laughingliberal]

21. We were born the same year! Yes, it's the worst I've seen, too

Have signed up with RNRN to go and help if needed. Am bracing myself for the horror of it. Of course, I usually don't feel the trauma of emergencies til a while later. Guess the adrenaline and desire to meet the needs around me takes over. Then, a few weeks later, I fall apart.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

17. Are they shooting at helicopters too?

:eyes:

[TicketyBoo]

18. How exceedingly odd.

I would be interested in reading more about this.

I hope they are efficient in getting the water distributed quickly, at the very least.

[bridgit]

19. Someone should be helping them clear out drop zones

[malaise]

22. The problem is that no one is thinking clearly

human chains can get things like water and basic food moving while they wait for heavy equipment.

[bridgit]

24. Very much agreed

[avaistheone1]

55. True.

[Pirate Smile]

26. CNN was reporting that the top priority was getting the rescuers on the ground to try to rescue

people so that was the main focus re which planes, etc. they were having land and off-load. The reporter did say he sees the shift to supplies has been happening.

If you had unlimited space and manpower, you would, of course, do both but they weren't in that situation.

[TornadoTN]

27. Hopefully, we can start getting communications running and people on the street

At least in the sense that we can get literature dropped, military and relief liaisons in the city coordinating with the people directly, and a massive show of force with our logistical capabilities - trucks, helicopters, planes, etc. - to help the people realize that the world is here to help.

Sadly, they probably don't believe it due to the years of being destroyed by corrupt governments and an international community that largely turned a blind eye to everything that was going on there. They are right to be skeptical, but I honestly believe the efforts here (for now at least) are in the right place and are going to help these people.

[marshall]

32. Don't they realize they are blocking the path for aid to get to them?

Unless it's the powers that be in Haiti purposely blocking aid so that they can have it all for themselves.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

33. I'm not sure there are any powers that be in Haiti any more.

In fact, it's not clear to me that there is any functioning organizational structure in the country at all at this point. As for their actions, counterproductive as they may be I hesitate to criticize them, simply because I am unaccustomed to spending days on end without food or water, surrounded by dead bodies.

[blondeatlast]

41. As someone mentioned upthread, the victims have PTSD--and have to be

extremely dehydrated. I've been extremely dehydrated and can remember that my thinking was completely wrong--imagine what the victims are experiencing. It probably makes sense to them.

This is a living nightmare.

[nadinbrzezinski]

38. You should read some history on Haiti

this actually is part of a pattern of showing anger against the government... or whatever passes for one there.

No, not trying to be condescending. But this is not the powers that be, I suspect that this is actually anger at whatever passes for government for not sharing in the bounty flying in. Call it a sneaky, from having dealt with rumor networks.

[blondeatlast]

42. What "powers that be"? nt

[Cali_Democrat]

40. I call bullshit on this.

Maybe there are just so many damn bodies that roads are being blocked. :shrug:

It's like a 3 sentence story with no details.

[tekisui]

46. Could be.

Could very well be. This comes from a photographer on the ground.

[ecstatic]

57. Yep. I suspect we'll see much more of this, just like during Katrina

Where all sorts of bullshit stories were reported, and everyone was quick to believe them.

[Hannah Bell]

58. +100

[Name removed]

49. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[proteus_lives]

50. Talk about cutting off your nose off to spite your face.

[VOX]

59. I call bullshit as well. Scores of thousands dead, bodies are stacked everywhere...

The thinking -- through what must be unimaginable mass shock -- is probably that stacking bodies on the roadside will somehow get them dealt with quicker.

And Reuters is claiming that it's some form of protest? Bunk. With so many thousands dead, the piles of bodies are no doubt blocking the road(s) just by numbers alone, and probably most other open spaces in the region.

[malaise]

62. Look M$Greedia want sto cash in big time so they really

have to push the ratings. They can't wait for some riots and violence. Black people fighting for food - that's orgasmic to M$Greedia.
---
Any sane authorities would commandeer all places with food, drink and basic necessities and distribute to people in need.