The admiral is making excuses like a rookie. This must be his first look at devastation.
As in all large major disasters the initial problem is all forms of support are out...roads, bridges, telephone, electric, municipal water, clinics and hospitals, gas stations, banks, stores, etc, etc.
The NGO relief and aid groups cannot fix any of that. Initially they have a hard time just getting the basics in place for themselves. They have to that before they can begin helping others in any large way.
Everyone has to get involved with distribution at least initially.
The large groups of victims are easily located via aerial reconnaissance. Since weather is not a major issue there, the focus should be on delivering food, water and emergency medical care. Choppers can do that, even without landing. Simultaneously, they need to get a ground team to every church to assess need and start large deliveries. The pastors will know where their people are and what they need. The churches will also have a large group food preparation capability. Once support begins, most of the stragglers will figure out where support is and move to it.
The rest can be found by patrols...many of them will be found doing just fine on their own.
Supplies are not reaching victims of the massive earthquake that hit Haiti on Tuesday because of a coordination failure among military operations and humanitarian agencies, Navy Rear Adm. Ted N. Branch said today from the flight bridge of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson.
The efforts of the military and relief groups to reach the estimated tens of thousands of homeless, injured or deceased have been "stymied" by coordination problems among aid groups and by damaged roadways that limit ground transportation, Branch said. "Coordination hasn't come as far as it needs to be. We need to get that process energized," he said.
|
