- Title: Security tightens in hurricane affected areas of Haiti as aid arrives
- Date: 11th October 2016
- Summary: JEREMIE, HAITI (OCTOBER 10, 2016) (REUTERS) HELICOPTER AS SEEN FROM INTERIOR VARIOUS OF HELICOPTER DIALS AERIAL OF SHORELINE AS SEEN FROM HELICOPTER AERIAL OF HOUSES DESTROYED AND TREES DOWNED FROM HURRICANE MATTHEW BOX OF AID FROM USAID VARIOUS OF UN MINUSTAH OFFICIALS FROM BRAZIL CARRYING BOXES OF AID AID BOXES ARMED MINUSTAH SOLDIER GUARDING AID DELIVERY ARMED SOLDIERS GUARDING TRUCK CARRYING AID AS IT DRIVES OFF (SOUNDBITE) (English) JEAN-LUC PONCELET, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO) HAITI REPRESENTATIVE, SAYING: "For the western part of the southern peninsula, so all those areas like Grand Anse and Le Sud, it is a complete disaster. For those areas, it is really catastrophic. There is another area in the country, in the north, northwest, that is really badly affected on the coastal area too. For the rest of the country, the information is really pretty satisfying that everything is back to normal." PONCELET TALKING TO WORKER (SOUNDBITE) (English) JEAN-LUC PONCELET, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO) HAITI REPRESENTATIVE, SAYING: "Look, I think we have to be careful and not misinterpreting. I think the population is very anxious. They haven't had any real systematic support over the last days. They've been through a hurricane that lasted for many, many hours and, obviously, they are looking for food and for water which is really the aid that needs to be done. So we have had indeed those blockades on the road and we have been able, several times, to discuss with the community to indicate, 'Those are supplies to go to the community,' for example, we have a truck coming to Jeremie now and several of those (unintelligible) are true. Obviously, we have to understand the circumstances here and the condition for the people is very, very hard." URUGUAY PATCH ON MINUSTAH UNIFORM VARIOUS OF LITTLE GIRL IN FRONT OF DESTROYED HOUSE AREA RESIDENTS IN FRONT OF DESTROYED HOUSE RUBBLE VARIOUS OF SHELTER THAT WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED (SOUNDBITE) (English) RONALD LEWIS, JEREMIE RESIDENT AND VICTIM OF HURRICANE MATTHEW, SAYING: "The situation in Jeremie is very bad. As you can see, everything is gone, the town, all the town destroyed, destroyed. So we need the international support because every family are very poor. They have no water, they have no food. They need medicine for treatment. They need good water. So please try to see what you can do to help us." HURRICANE VICTIM WALKING PAST ROWS OF HOUSES COMPLETELY DESTROYED RUBBLE OF FURNITURE IN WHAT USED TO BE A HOUSE PAN FROM MISSING ROOF TO INTERIOR OF WHAT USED TO BE A HOUSE VARIOUS OF ITEMS SITTING IN REMAINS OF DESTROYED HOUSES HOUSE WITH NO ROOF RUBBLE OF DESTROYED HOUSES WOMAN HANGING LAUNDRY NEAR DESTROYED HOUSE (SOUNDBITE) (French) JEAN SAINT FLAIR, HAITIAN NATIONAL POLICE INSPECTOR, SAYING: "The firefighters clean the hospital, clear the road and, together with other officials, provide for the security of the community. The head of the police station sent the sheriff of Jeremie to control anything that could happen-- unrest over food, about chlorine (for water). He works together with civil action in the community of Jeremie with the mission that, for ten days, everyone comes with a team to distribute aid to help the people of Jeremie." VARIOUS OF BACK HOE CLEARING RUBBLE RUBBLE VARIOUS OF ADOLESCENT BOYS GATHERING WATER BOYS CARRYING WATER (SOUNDBITE) (French) JEAN SAINT FLAIR, HAITIAN NATIONAL POLICE INSPECTOR, SAYING: "The national police and civil protection are working together right now to combat anything (bad) that could happen in Jeremie, not just right now in the present, but also in the future. We are all working together for the security of the community. There is much planning about cholera in Jeremie because there is cholera right now in Jeremie." VARIOUS OF HURRICANE VICTIM PRAYING AND CHANTING TO VIRGIN LOCALS WALKING THROUGH TOWN HELICOPTER FLYING OVERHEAD VARIOUS OF BRAZILIAN MINUSTAH OFFICIALS GUARDING, IN CAR
- Embargoed: 26th October 2016 06:23
- Keywords: aid security Jeremie Matthew World Health Organization Jean-Luc Poncelet
- Location: JEREMIE, HAITI
- City: JEREMIE, HAITI
- Country: Haiti
- Topics: Disaster/Accidents,Wind/Hurricane/Typhoons/Tornadoes
- Reuters ID: LVA00153K79L3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Haitian authorities expressed concern over security on Monday (October 10) in the areas devastated by Hurricane Matthew as aid started to arrive.
In the northwest area of Jeremie, where houses were flattened and victims wandered the littered streets trying to resolve their immediate needs, aid began to arrive.
Heavily-armed MINUSTAH troops from the United Nations guarded boxes of medical supplies, food and water to be distributed.
As the death toll from the storm rose to 1,000 people and threats of cholera spread in affected areas, representatives of international aid organizations monitored the situation.
World Health Organization (WHO) Haiti representative Jean-Luc Poncelet said the good news-- if there could be good news-- is that the devastation was limited to certain geographic areas and the parts of the country that were lightly damaged were operating normally.
"For the western part of the southern peninsula, so all those areas like Grand Anse and Le Sud, it is a complete disaster. For those areas, it is really catastrophic. There is another area in the country, in the north, northwest, that is really badly affected on the coastal area too. For the rest of the country, the information is really pretty satisfying that everything is back to normal," he said.
A Reuters tally of numbers from local officials showed that 1,000 people were killed by the storm in Haiti, which has a population of about 10 million and is the poorest country in the Americas.
The official death toll from the central civil protection agency is 336, a slower count because officials must visit each village to confirm the numbers.
Officials said 522 people were killed in Grand'Anse alone on Haiti's western peninsula. A tally of deaths reported by mayors from 15 of 18 municipalities in Sud Department on the south side of the peninsula showed 386 people there. In the rest of the country, 92 people were killed, the same tally showed.
As victims become more desperate, there have been reports that residents have been blocking roads in hopes of looting aid trucks. Poncelet verified that the blockades had happened, but warned against interpreting the actions.
"Look, I think we have to be careful and not misinterpreting. I think the population is very anxious. They haven't had any real systematic support over the last days. They've been through a hurricane that lasted for many, many hours and, obviously, they are looking for food and for water which is really the aid that needs to be done. So we have had indeed those blockades on the road and we have been able, several times, to discuss with the community to indicate, 'Those are supplies to go to the community,' for example, we have a truck coming to Jeremie now and several of those (unintelligible) are true. Obviously, we have to understand the circumstances here and the condition for the people is very, very hard," he added.
Victim Ronald Lewis asked for the international community to send aid.
"The situation in Jeremie is very bad. As you can see, everything is gone, the town, all the town destroyed, destroyed. So we need the international support because every family are very poor. They have no water, they have no food. They need medicine for treatment. They need good water. So please try to see what you can do to help us," he said.
With reports of a cholera outbreak in the southwest of the country, authorities were focused on getting water, food and medication to the thousands of victims.
Haitian national police inspector Jean Saint Flair said several organizations were cooperating to address the areas of critical need and stabilize the security situation in Jeremie.
"The firefighters clean the hospital, clear the road and, together with other officials, provide for the security of the community. The head of the police station sent the sheriff of Jeremie to control anything that could happen-- unrest over food, about chlorine (for water). He works together with civil action in the community of Jeremie with the mission that, for ten days, everyone comes with a team to distribute aid to help the people of Jeremie," he said.
Cholera causes severe diarrhea and can kill within hours if untreated. It is spread through contaminated water and has a short incubation period, which leads to rapid outbreaks.
The threat of cholera means time is of the essence in providing victims with clean water and medicine.
Saint Flair said authorities are looking into the future to anticipate areas of concern.
"The national police and civil protection are working together right now to combat anything (bad) that could happen in Jeremie, not just right now in the present, but also in the future. We are all working together for the security of the community. There is much planning about cholera in Jeremie because there is cholera right now in Jeremie," he added.
The powerful hurricane, the fiercest Caribbean storm in nearly a decade, slammed into Haiti on Tuesday with 145 mile-per-hour (233 kph) winds and torrential rains that left 1.4 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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