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Tensions Over Aid Grow In Haiti As Quake’s Deaths Pass 2,000
Published
4 years agoon
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Editor
Relief for the victims of a powerful earthquake and tropical storm began flowing more quickly into Haiti on Thursday, but the Caribbean nation’s entrenched poverty, insecurity and lack of basic infrastructure were still presenting huge challenges to getting food and urgent medical care to all those who need it.
Private relief supplies and shipments from the U.S. government and others were arriving in the southwestern peninsula where the weekend quake struck, killing more than 2,100 people. But the need was extreme, made worse by the rain from Tropical Storm Grace, and people were growing frustrated with the slow pace.
Adding to the problems, a major hospital in the capital of Port-au-Prince, where many of the injured were being sent, was closed Thursday for a two-day shutdown to protest the kidnapping of two doctors, including one of the country’s few orthopedic surgeons.
The abductions dealt a blow to attempts to control criminal violence that has threatened disaster response efforts in the capital.
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Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency late Wednesday raised the number of deaths from the earthquake to 2,189 and said 12,268 people were injured. More than 300 people are estimated to still be missing, said Serge Chery, head of civil defense for the Southern Province, which includes the hard-hit small port city of Les Cayes.
The magnitude 7.2 earthquake damaged or destroyed more than 100,000 homes, leaving about 30,000 families homeless, according to official estimates. Hospitals, schools, offices and churches also were demolished or badly damaged.
The U.S. aid effort has been building since the initial hours after the earthquake. On Thursday, 10 U.S. military helicopters ferried in search and rescue teams, medical workers and supplies that had been pre-positioned in Haiti by the U.S. Agency for International Development after the devastating 2010 earthquake.
A Navy ship, the USS Arlington, was expected to arrive this weekend, said Adm. Craig Faller, who oversees the military response as commander of Miami-based U.S. Southern Command.
“We’ve got the momentum now,” Faller said. “We’ve got the assets in place. We’ve figured out logistics.”
The U.S. government is still working with Haitian authorities and others to determine the extent of the damage and casualties. Faller said a U.S. Geological Survey assessment projected there could be more than 10,000 deaths.
One of the U.S. helicopters landed Thursday in Les Cayes with equipment, medicine and volunteers, including some from the aid group Samaritan’s Purse. Monte Oitker, a biomedical technician with the organization, said volunteers were prepared to operate a self-contained hospital unit, capable of handling a variety of orthopedic procedures.
Distributing aid to the thousands left homeless could be more challenging.
Chery said officials are hoping to start clearing sites where homes were destroyed to allow residents to build temporary shelters.
“It will be easier to distribute aid if people are living at their addresses, rather than in a tent,” he said.
While some officials have suggested an end to the search for survivors so that heavy machinery can clear all of the rubble, Prime Minister Ariel Henry appeared unwilling to move to that stage.
“Some of our citizens are still under the debris. We have teams of foreigners and Haitians working on it,” he said.
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He also appealed for unity.
“We have to put our heads together to rebuild Haiti,” Henry said. “The country is physically and mentally destroyed.”
Tension over the slow distribution of aid has become increasingly evident in the area hit hardest by Saturday’s quake. At the small airport in Les Cayes, people thronged a perimeter fence Wednesday as aid was loaded into trucks and police fired warning shots to disperse a crowd of young men.
Angry crowds also massed at collapsed buildings in the city, demanding tarps to create temporary shelters after Grace’s heavy rain. Also in Les Cayes, 22 prisoners escaped from the jail after the quake hit, said National Police spokeswoman Marie-Michelle Verrier.
International aid workers said hospitals in the worst-hit areas are mostly incapacitated, which is why many patients need to be moved to the capital for treatment. But reaching Port-au-Prince from the southwest is difficult under normal conditions because of poor roads and gangs along the route.
Even with a supposed gang truce following the earthquake, kidnapping remains a threat — underscored by the seizure of the two doctors working at the private Bernard Mevs Hospital in Port-au-Prince, where about 50 quake victims were being treated.
And another problem emerged in the quake-damaged southern provinces, where national police said villagers put up barricades on the roads to prevent aid from getting through, arguing that they need help too.
“For those people who are blocking roads at their leisure to stop it (aid) from getting through to the people, you need to wait until the aid comes to you,” Verrier said. She said special police units would escort aid shipments.
So far, the U.S. military has found the roads it needs to be open and has encountered no security issues from gangs, Faller said in an interview with The Associated Press. The Arlington will come equipped not just with a surgical team to treat victims but a Marine Corps rapid reaction security force that will stay on the ship unless needed.
“They are an insurance policy, frankly,” Faller said. “Marines are trained for that and they’re trained for the appropriate use of force. And there’s a deterrent value to having them in the area, as well. And we intend to be ready.”
Jerry Chandler, the head of the national civil defense agency, said the Haiti National Police presence has also been “an important step to help us move the aid.”
Chandler said his agency also has boats and helicopters “to bring aid and bring it quickly” to certain areas.
A group of 18 Colombian volunteer search-and-rescue workers had to be escorted out of the quake-hit city of Jeremie under police protection after a rumor circulated that they had been involved in the July 7 assassination of President Jovenel Moise. The workers took shelter Wednesday night at a civil defense office, and police escorted them to the airport on Thursday.
Moise’s killing, still unsolved, is suspected of being carried out by a group of Colombian mercenaries. Despite what happened to the Colombian rescue workers, Haiti is welcoming “everyone who is coming to bring assistance,” Chandler said.
Henry said Wednesday that his administration will try not to “repeat history on the mismanagement and coordination of aid,” a reference to the country’s devastating 2010 earthquake, when the government and international partners struggled to channel help to the needy amid the widespread destruction and misery.
The Core Group, a coalition of key international diplomats from the U.S. and other nations that monitors Haiti, said in a statement Wednesday that its members are “resolutely committed to working alongside national and local authorities to ensure that impacted people and areas receive adequate assistance as soon as possible.”
(AP)
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PHOTOS: Peace Restored In Delta Community As Council Boss, Takeme, Wades In
Published
5 hours agoon
July 1, 2025By
Editor
Tuomo, a riverine community in Delta State’s Burutu Local Government Area, is experiencing renewed calm following decisive intervention by local authorities to settle a heated leadership crisis.
On Monday, Burutu LGA Chairman, Dr. Julius Takeme, led a peace delegation to the area, spearheading reconciliation discussions and reinforcing the government’s commitment to long-term stability.
Dr. Takeme highlighted his administration’s resolve to implement Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s broader peace and security strategy for Burutu LGA.

Dr. Julius Takeme, Chairman, Burutu LG during the meeting on Monday, 30 June, 2025
Addressing the main source of discord—the controversial selection process for a new Amananawei (traditional ruler)—he emphasized the need for transparent and lawful resolution to avoid further division within the community.
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“The council has zero tolerance for lawlessness or abuse of power,” Dr. Takeme declared, warning against intimidation, violence, or any form of extrajudicial detention.

A cross section of community people during the peace/reconciliation meeting on Monday, 30 June,2025.
In direct remarks to Tuomo Community Chairman, Mr. Edonyaibo Morentei Warebi and the newly confirmed Amananawei, Chief Arebebe Ebiyemi, he stressed the responsibility of leadership to uphold legality and promote inclusiveness.
“Leadership should be anchored on the rule of law, not on threats or coercion,” he told them, urging both leaders to unite the community and fulfill their electoral commitments. He further warned against any mishandling of the reconciliation process, assuring residents that the administration remained fully invested in protecting lives and fostering peace.
The chairman was accompanied by a high-level delegation that included the Nigeria Police Area Commander for Burutu, ACP Redengha Timpa, whose on-the-ground presence was vital in maintaining order and preventing renewed conflict. Senior officials from the local government also joined the mission, demonstrating a coordinated approach to crisis management.

A cross section of community women during the peace/reconciliation meeting on Monday, 30 June,2025.
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During his address, Dr. Takeme commended the police for their professionalism and praised ACP Timpa’s continuous engagement as a key factor in defusing tensions and restoring a sense of security among residents.
In response, Chief Arebebe Ebiyemi delivered a vote of thanks, acknowledging the chairman’s consistent intervention and pledging to work tirelessly for peace and unity. Community Chairman Mr. Warebi promised a leadership style grounded in inclusiveness and dialogue, describing this period as an opportunity to rebuild community trust and heal divisions.
Chief Ebiyemi further assured the council of his readiness to collaborate with all stakeholders in promoting a more harmonious and united Tuomo.

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has reduced the ex-depot price of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol, from N880 to N840 per litre.
Spokesman for the Dangote Group, Anthony Chiejina, confirmed the price adjustment to The PUNCH on Monday night, saying the new rate took effect on June 30.
“PMS price has been reduced from N880 to N840 per litre effective 30th June,” Chiejina said.
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Recall that the Dangote refinery hiked the price of petrol to N880 as tension escalated during the 12-day crisis between Israel and Iran, raising the price of crude oil to almost $80 per barrel.
The PUNCH earlier reported that marketers anticipated that there would be a new price regime from Monday.
Dangote’s partners like MRS, Heyden and AP are expected to adjust their pump prices soon.
News
Ondo Confirms Petitions Seeking Coroner’s Inquest Into Akeredolu’s Death
Published
6 hours agoon
June 30, 2025By
Editor
Ondo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Olukayode Ajulo, on Monday confirmed receipt of petitions demanding a formal coroner’s inquest into the death of former Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.
In a statement shared with The PUNCH, Ajulo declared that the public has every right under the Coroners Law of Ondo State to demand clarity in cases where foul play is suspected or questions linger.
“It is not out of place for citizens to demand its invocation when there are legitimate concerns.
“The Attorney General is duty-bound to act in accordance with the law once such concerns are raised by members of the public,” he stated.
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According to Ajulo, the Ministry of Justice has received multiple petitions, including from professional bodies and residents of the late governor’s hometown, urging his office to investigate what they described as troubling inconsistencies surrounding Akeredolu’s death.
Ajulo disclosed, “We have received petitions from groups both within and outside the state.
“Let me be clear: due process will be followed. The law is there to serve the people and ensure that truth and justice prevail.”
He noted that while emotions are running high, no individual will be presumed guilty, and neither will the process be derailed by sentiment or political interference.
“If invitations or arrests need to be made, the process will not deviate from doing the needful,” he declared.
Ajulo clarified that decisions such as inspecting the governor’s remains or summoning individuals fall squarely under the discretion of the Coroner Judge.
“The law will be allowed to take its course,” he emphasized.
Calling for calm and restraint, the Attorney General urged all stakeholders to approach the matter with a “deep sense of responsibility” to the legacy of the late governor and the peace of the state.
“We must approach this issue with civility, dignity, and a deep sense of responsibility to the legacy of the late Governor and the peace of the state,” he said.
Reaffirming the stance of the state’s leadership under Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Ajulo wrote, “No one is above the law, and no one is beneath its protection. “Where the law provides a remedy, the government of Governor Aiyedatiwa will not be found wanting.”
Until his death, Akeredolu was a two-term Governor of Ondo State and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association.
Reports from the state government stated that he died on December 27, 2023, at 67, after a prolonged battle with prostate cancer.
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