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As death toll passes 700, rescue crews face difficult challenges after Haiti earthquake
More than 700 people have lost their lives and officials fear the number of dead will rise from the major earthquake that struck Southwestern Haiti, a region experiencing common aftershocks following Saturday’s quake that will likely hinder search and rescue teams along with humanitarian relief efforts.
Concerned about potential chaos, Haiti’s prime minister said all donations from foreign countries and relief organizations must be delivered to the island’s government so it can coordinate the distribution of make-shift shelters, food and medicine to the areas most affected by the devastating quake.
The edict, issued by Prime Minister Ariel Henry, puts Haiti’s Office of Civil Protection in charge of all donations. He said the goal is to limit the mismanagement of donations that took place after Hurricane Matthew struck five years ago, when the distribution of aid to storm-ravaged communities was uneven. Some areas received a lot of donations, while others were ignored, leading to outbreaks of violence.
On Sunday, foreign assistance from the U.S. government, United Nations and others was already starting to arrive in Haiti. The U.S. Agency for International Development deployed an urban search and rescue team to join Haiti’s disaster response effort. The 65-person deployment brought 52,000 pounds of specialized tools, equipment and medical supplies to assist in search operations, officials said.
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https://www.yahoo.com/news/death-toll-passes-700-rescue-134806290.html