by Gloria Edmonson Nelson

Created on: January 25, 2010

Haiti is a logistical nightmare because of its extreme poverty. Although we do not want to make their poverty the problem  for another problem, it is truly the reason that Haiti is having so many problems receiving help, and it will be the reason Haiti (even with the world's assistance) will continue to require continuous assistance.

Even with China being one of the first to send one million dollars, and a British supermodel since (alone) $1.5 million, and CNN raising $8.5 million during a two-hour telethon; the people are still having traumatic problems getting medical help, receiving food and water, and also being protected. When a man is killed because he is suffering from hunger and was allegedly fighting for a bag of rice; that is a nightmare. When bags of rice had to be dropped from the air rather than being prepared for the victims; that is a nightmare. When there is no place to bury hundreds of bodies that are piled together; that is a nightmare.

One would believe that the millions of dollars that are being raised would lessen some of these nightmares. One positive report is the divers are supposed to have repaired an old port so that ships can now dock there. It is hoped that this will reduce some of the problems that the victims, medical staff, and volunteers faced during the first week after the earthquake.

Because the logistics were so horrific, medical personnel and others were supposedly told by top officials to leave or to go to Dominican Republic for their own safety. Some people did leave; however, there were many who remained; however, because of the logistics; they are jeopardizing their own safety.

There is also uncertainty as to whether another major earthquake will occur there, in fact, the week following; the media was shaken by a 5.9 aftershock, causing one person to jump from the window. Although he only suffered a head injury, there is no guarantee that aftershocks will not continue. Buildings in Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas of Haiti were not constructed as they should have been; consequently, any shake would cause them to fall.

With over a million children in Haiti without parents, that, in and of itself, is a logistical nightmare. Where will these children go? Although people from throughout the world are requesting adoptions; if the parents are dead, hospitals demolished; identification of the children and their ages are almost impossible to determine. With their history of child sex slave trade; will this be exacerbated? Who will take one million children?

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