A multitude of issues are to blame for the fact that thousands of suffering people are still clinging to rooftops awaiting rescue five days after being stranded there, that tens of thousands of people are living in danger in areas covered in garbage and feces, with little or no access to food, water, showers, clean clothes and all the rest. Those things have become luxuries. There are babies who have been wearing the same diaper fo several days, and this is the richest, most powerful nation in the world?

It’s sickening. Especially since authorities on many levels who are speaking from the ground of the disaster have routinely REFUSED help offered by private citizens and even countries.

Two days ago I watched a press conference with Mike Brown, who is directing FEMA in New Orleans. When asked if the US would be accepting foreign aid to assist with the disaster, his response was: No, if we need it we’ll ask for it, and we won’t because we’re more than capable to take care of our own. I thought his attitude at the time was ridiculous, and now even moreso. He mentioned he had experience directing relief efforts in Asia after the tsunami and he knew from experience what needed to be done. Today, however, the Boston Herald has a story claiming Brown was unqualified for the FEMA job, and was asked to resign from his last job - running horse shows - because there were failures in his supervision.

A private company called Innovative Emergency Management (IEM, Inc.) was responsible for the New Orleans hurricane disaster plan. You will find this article very interesting as it seems IEM has done absolutely noting in this situation and is, in effect, shirking their responsibility.

I also made a comment on my last post that, if you are not aware by now, the Red Cross has been denied access to the city of New Orleans where their help has been most needed for days.

Also, wouldn’t you think people who moved from the filthy Superdome to the Astrodome in Houston might want a clean change of clothes? Apparently, according to this first-hand account (via BB), there are few or no visible officials at that shelter and clothing donations were refused.

And when will there be an official list naming who is housed in which shelters? Some kind of registration process is crucial so families can be reunited. –I just heard Red Cross has now set up a network for this.

I’ve been hoping that people who need it are somehow gaining access to support information and to the internet to connect with FREE HOUSING being offered by individuals both on Craigslist as I mentioned yesterday, and now at hurricanehousing.org where more than 40,000 beds are being offered.

Comment RSS - Trackback URI