Jan. 15 – China and India have begun mobilizing aid relief to the Caribbean island country of Haiti devastated by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake with 50,000 people feared dead.
Yesterday, Chinese soldiers arrived in Haiti via Air China flight bringing in 20 tons of relief supplies. Fifty Chinese rescue personnel and three sniffer dogs joined United Nations rescue efforts in the capital of Port-au-Prince.
“The U.N. has been coordinating since this morning all of the international aid arriving at the airport and will also distribute the help by nationality across the different site,” Commander Samuel Bernes told AFP.
China’s Red Cross Society has donated US$1 million of emergency aid to Haiti while India also issued a cash donation of US$1 million for relief operations.
The epicenter of the earthquake was located just off Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince, devastating houses and government buildings including offices of foreign organizations like the United Nations.
International emergency efforts face major challenges as relief teams race against time to rescue those buried under the rubble. Haiti is already one of the poorest countries in the Americas and even before the quake had to make do with their under developed seaport, airport and roads. Extensive damage to its main transportation routes will make it even more difficult for aid to come into the country quickly.
