Lack of security, disorganization at the airport blamed for delays
The world foreign ministers are planning to hold a meeting in Montreal next Monday to assess the situation in Haiti and shore up the UN’s long- and short-term relief efforts in the devastated country. Aid has been slow to arrive in the Caribbean nation due to what aid groups describe as a “bottleneck” at the U.S.-controlled airport in Port-au-Prince. According to a World Food Program official, the Americans’ have so far prioritized military flights rather than aid deliveries, delaying planes carrying supplies. Both U.S. military officials and UN secretary-general Ban Ki Moon have pledged to accelerate the pace of aid deliveries. Meanwhile, the security situation in Port-au-Prince continues to deteriorate, prompting thousands to flee the city. With little to no security on the ground, shops, pharmacies, and even aid groups, have been reluctant to distribute materials to residents of the quake-ravaged city. So far, eleven Canadians have been confirmed dead in Haiti and 859 are still missing.