HAITI: Lawlessness on streets of Port-au-Prince

Record ID: 731265

  • Title: HAITI: Lawlessness on streets of Port-au-Prince
  • Date: 20th January 2010
  • Summary: PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI (JANUARY 19, 2010) (REUTERS) DEAD BODY ON STREET, PEOPLE SETTING FIRE TO THE BODY TO GET RID OF IT MAN LIGHTING MATCH AND SETTING FIRE TO BODY BODY BURNING BODY BEING DRAGGED AWAY CITY STREET BODY BURNING
  • Embargoed: 4th February 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Haiti
  • Country: Haiti
  • Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
  • Reuters ID: LVAA5U9HTMC8YAOB6QTHMB62ZC19
  • Story Text: Haitians took matters into their own hands on Tuesday (January 19) to remove bodies still left on city streets one week after a devastating earthquake killed up to 200,000 people.
    In the city's downtown area, locals set fire to a decomposing body to get rid of human remains which have been left to rot amid a sputtering recovery effort.
    While a huge international relief operation to help earthquake survivors tried to gain momentum, the ravages from the earthquake have left gaping wounds across the city - and desperation is giving way to a simmering anger over the slow pace of assistance.
    As the United States and United Nations deploy more troops to secure the relief operation, hundreds of people have been swarming over damaged stores in downtown Port-au-Prince, seizing goods.
    On Tuesday (January 19), a number of buildings were set on fire as Haitian police struggled to impose order on the city's anarchic streets.
    As U.S. troops fanned out from the city's presidential palace, other areas were still chaotic with groups of Haitians organising salvage efforts from ruined stores.
    United Nations relief agency officials said the security situation was under control and had not hampered distribution of food rations to 270,000 Haitians so far.
    Haitian officials say the death toll from the magnitude 7 earthquake that destroyed much of the capital on Jan. 12 was likely to be between 100,000 and 200,000.
    Haitian President Rene Preval said U.S. troops will help U.N. peacekeepers keep order on Haiti's streets, where overstretched U.N. and Haitian forces have been unable to provide full security.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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