Reply #22: Berlin, Stalingrad, Lenningrad...

[KharmaTrain]

All victims of wars where millions perished...many due to disease and malnurishment than to bullets. It's been said the Haitian disaster is as much a human one as a natural one as the country's lack of infrastructure is now being a major hinderance to relief efforts.

If you have Google Earth, there's a way to get a better look at what's going on...

http://mw1.google.com/mw-earth-vectordb/haiti/Haiti-Earthquake-nl.kml

These are satellite pictures and show both devestation, but also a lot of areas that weren't affected. My question to you is how do you evacuate and where? The city has one runway that is already overloaded...the docks are ruined and the roads, which were poor in "good times" are impassible. And, then, as you point out...who would take them?

I think the disease factor is the biggest threat right now...just looking at the Google Earth pics the city's streets were open sewers before the quake...getting food, water and temporary shelter into the city is the priority and my hopes are with all the international aid coming into the area that order can be restored and some relief will actually happen.

In many ways this country's poverty works in it's favor...we aren't seeing fires from ruptured gas lines...and due to their desolation many have learned to cope and become very resilliant. Here's my hope that the logistical problems can be worked out and aid moves to those who need it...and then to work on a long-term program that uses this opportunity to rebuild not just buildings, but an infrastructure and with it a nation.