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| Getting aid to Haiti earthquake victims | Getting aid to Haiti earthquake victims |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| To find out how governments and aid agencies have been getting relief supplies to earthquake victims, click on the pictures on the map below. | To find out how governments and aid agencies have been getting relief supplies to earthquake victims, click on the pictures on the map below. |
Airdrops | Airdrops |
| Airdrops allow food to be given out without having to land the aircraft. The US Air Force C-17 planes involved in the first airdrop came from a base in North Carolina and dropped 14,000 meals and 15,000 litres of water in a secured area 5 miles north east of Port-au-Prince. The problem with airdrops is that without proper control on the ground there may be rioting as people fight over supplies. | Airdrops allow food to be given out without having to land the aircraft. The US Air Force C-17 planes involved in the first airdrop came from a base in North Carolina and dropped 14,000 meals and 15,000 litres of water in a secured area 5 miles north east of Port-au-Prince. The problem with airdrops is that without proper control on the ground there may be rioting as people fight over supplies. |
Airports | Airports |
| Port-au-Prince airport is small, damaged and congested and lacks the warehouses needed to store all the aid before it can be distributed. The US has been managing the airport and has established a slot system to maximise its capacity. About one hundred flights a day are landing there, but there have been reports of disputes between countries and agencies about who gets priority for landing their planes. | Port-au-Prince airport is small, damaged and congested and lacks the warehouses needed to store all the aid before it can be distributed. The US has been managing the airport and has established a slot system to maximise its capacity. About one hundred flights a day are landing there, but there have been reports of disputes between countries and agencies about who gets priority for landing their planes. |
Road | Road |
| It takes 18 hours to travel the 160 miles from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic to Port au Prince. The route is very congested with people trying to leave Haiti and relief supplies trying to get into the country. Bottlenecks due to relief traffic have been causing delays of up to an hour at the border crossing point and disorganised reliefefforts were further hampering operations. A field office has been set up at Jimani for the transfer of supplies into Haiti. A fleet of 30 long haul trucks was secured in Santo Domingo on Monday 18 January. Distribution points are being set up within Haiti to ensure aid reaches all the outlying population centres. | It takes 18 hours to travel the 160 miles from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic to Port au Prince. The route is very congested with people trying to leave Haiti and relief supplies trying to get into the country. Bottlenecks due to relief traffic have been causing delays of up to an hour at the border crossing point and disorganised reliefefforts were further hampering operations. A field office has been set up at Jimani for the transfer of supplies into Haiti. A fleet of 30 long haul trucks was secured in Santo Domingo on Monday 18 January. Distribution points are being set up within Haiti to ensure aid reaches all the outlying population centres. |
Sea | Sea |
| Port au Prince harbour was badly damaged in the quake and it may be many months before it's fully operational again. US divers have been surveying the harbour and and will begin a salvage operation to remove underwater debris. The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson will serve as a "floating airport" for relief operations with 19 helicopters on board.Other US ships have been deployed carrying medical staff and equipment, as well as troops and relief supplies. Other supplies may be diverted to ports further north, such as Cap Haitien, Saint Marc and Gonaives. | Port au Prince harbour was badly damaged in the quake and it may be many months before it's fully operational again. US divers have been surveying the harbour and and will begin a salvage operation to remove underwater debris. The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson will serve as a "floating airport" for relief operations with 19 helicopters on board.Other US ships have been deployed carrying medical staff and equipment, as well as troops and relief supplies. Other supplies may be diverted to ports further north, such as Cap Haitien, Saint Marc and Gonaives. |
Carrier | Carrier |
| The USS Carl Vinson is moored off Port au Prince. It is carrying 19 helicopters and will act as a floating airport, ferrying supplies and troops to and from the island. Some of those injured in the earthquake have also been treated on board the ship. Other US ships are being deployed to Haiti, including the hospital ship USS Comfort. Others will bring helictopers capable of lifting heavy loads, trucks and other equipment needed to begin repairing the island's infrastructure. | The USS Carl Vinson is moored off Port au Prince. It is carrying 19 helicopters and will act as a floating airport, ferrying supplies and troops to and from the island. Some of those injured in the earthquake have also been treated on board the ship. Other US ships are being deployed to Haiti, including the hospital ship USS Comfort. Others will bring helictopers capable of lifting heavy loads, trucks and other equipment needed to begin repairing the island's infrastructure. |
| Back to more Haiti earthquake coverage. |