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Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Frustration mounts over Haiti aid



Tensions are rising on the streets of Haiti as the bulk of earthquake survivors continue to go without food, medicine or proper shelter. Aid organisations continued to struggle to reach them with supplies on Sunday, six nights after the devastating earthquake that killed tens of thousands of people and left hundreds of thousands homeless. A bottleneck at the capital's small airport – the main entry point for the massive assistance pledged by world leaders following the disaster – means little help has reached the many people waiting for help in makeshift camps on streets strewn with debris and decomposing bodies. Some aid agencies have complained about a lack of co-ordination at the Port-au-Prince airport, where the US military has taken over operations.People could see helicopters flying overhead, US military vehicles in the city and aeroplanes arriving at the airport with supplies, so it was difficult to understand why little aid appeared to be reaching the people. Meanwhile the European Union pledged over $575m in emergency and long-term aid, the bloc said on Monday. The union is also moving towards sending 150 people to assist the police force and help beef up security, as tensions in the Caribbean nation rise.

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