Bill Quigley: "Disgraceful" Suspension of Medical Evacuations Captures US Indifference to Magnitude of Haitian Suff : Indybay

It’s been three weeks since Haiti was hit by the massive 7.0-magnitude earthquake that devastated much of the country. The official death toll stands at 170,000 and is expected to rise. Many more were left injured and homeless. A full 21 days after the quake, survivors are still desperate to receive aid, with food, water and medical relief not reaching the areas it is needed most.

In the Haitian town of Gressier, residents blocked roads and seized trucks on Friday to protest the lack of aid. Residents said that trucks with humanitarian assistance have driven through the town on the road to Léogâne, but have not stopped to distribute any in Gressier. When we drove to Gressier two weeks ago, a young man approached us to say just that.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military on Monday resumed medical evacuation flights of critically injured Haitian earthquake victims after suspending the flights for five days. This is Air Force Colonel Len Profenna.

The US military had ended the evacuation flights on Wednesday because Florida officials complained that their hospitals were overwhelmed and that they needed a plan for reimbursement for the care they were providing. The federal government announced on Monday that it would reimburse American hospitals who treat earthquake victims. Medical officials said the suspension of flights had been catastrophic for patients.

In the meantime, Haitians continue to bury their dead. On Monday, dozens of residents in the northern Haitian town of Titanyen gathered to bury relatives in a mass grave. One resident, Cartel Casseus, blasted the international community’s response to the disaster and called for the return of ousted President Jean Bertrand Aristide.

For more we are joined here in the Democracy Now! studio by Bill Quigley, the legal director at the Center for Constitutional Rights. He just returned from a trip to Haiti on Saturday.

Bill Quigley, legal director at the Center for Constitutional Rights. He just returned from a trip to Haiti.

Bill Quigley: "Disgraceful" Suspension of Medical Evacuations Captures US Indifference to Magnitude of Haitian Suff

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