Days after the quake, food and health kits distributed, no tents yet

Laurole Edouard, a Les Cayes city director, said Monday the local government was still waiting for tents to be distributed to displaced residents. Survivors of the 7.2 magnitude earthquake had received kits of food and health items, but they really need the shelter tents can provide. Edouard said churches, hotels, homes and schools have been seriously damaged or ruined by the quake.

Haiti town mayor:  Donations should go to local officials, not central government

Fritsnel Chéry, the mayor of Roche à Bateau, a small town near Les Cayes, said he is worried that the help from outside Haiti will not reach the earthquake victims who need it, as was the case when Hurricane Matthew hit Les Cayes in 2016, causing severe damage. 
 
Chéry and other southern area mayors met with the Interior Minister Lizst Quitel Monday to assess the needs of the people and discuss how to better coordinate the government response.
 
Coming from that meeting, Chéry said in an interview with the Haitian Times that all the other mayors surrounding Les Cayes are positioning themselves to play a leadership role. They want to be the authorized channel to receive and distribute the help to the people in need.
 
Watch the video for more of Chéry’s comments.





Official says 30,000 tents needed for homeless, machinery to free people trapped

Serge Chéry, a South Department government official, said the region needs at least 30,000 tents for displaced people who lost their homes in the areas affected by the earthquake. Chéry said they received food and health kits, but no tents had been distributed as of Monday afternoon. 
 
The Haitian government was waiting for partner organizations that promised to provide tents and equipment to rescue people and clear the rubble, Chéry said. 
 
Collapsed buildings still line the main street of Les Cayes and many victims were still under the rubble, being dug out by Good Samaritans with their bare hands.
Emmanuel Julien, earthquake victim in Marceline, a southern town, awaits rescue on Monday, Aug. 16, 2021.

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