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Violence in Haiti hindering aid work
WASHINGTON – Some incidents of violence in Haiti have hindered rescue workers trying to help earthquake victims, a top official leading the U.S. government's relief efforts said Sunday.
Providing humanitarian aid requires a safe and secure environment, said Lt. Gen. Ken Keen of the U.S. Southern Command. While streets have been largely calm, he said, violence has been increasing.
"We are going to have to address the situation of security," Keen said. "We've had incidents of violence that impede our ability to support the government of Haiti and answer the challenges that this country faces."
Keen said about 1,000 U.S. troops are in Haiti and that 3,000 more are working from ships. More than 12,000 U.S. forces are expected to be in the region by Monday.
Fear of looters and robbers has been one of the factors slowing the delivery of aid. After Tuesday's earthquake, maintaining law and order fell to the 9,000 U.N. peacekeepers and international police already in Haiti even though those forces also sustained heavy losses in the disaster.
Keen said U.S. forces are working with U.N. peacekeepers and that local police are beginning to assist in providing security.
Rescue efforts and getting food, water and medical supplies to earthquake victims were the focus of efforts Sunday, U.S. officials said. An estimated 100,000 or more people may have died in the magnitude-7.0 quake.
Rajiv Shah, who leads the U.S. Agency for International Development, said U.S. relief workers are also trying to rescue people from under the damaged and destroyed buildings.
"Our first priority was to go in with urban search and rescue teams," said Shah, who visited Haiti on Saturday with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. "They work around the clock to try and save lives."
Rescuers, he said, still hoped to find more survivors buried in the rubble.
"On next priority, which started in parallel, was getting those commodities down there and making sure we have the food, water, shelter and basic needs met for the people of Haiti," Shah said.
Keen and Shah spoke on ABC's "This Week," NBC's "Meet the Press" and "Fox News Sunday — three of five Sunday shows on which they were appearing.
WASHINGTON – Some incidents of violence in Haiti have hindered rescue workers trying to help earthquake victims, a top official leading the U.S. government's relief efforts said Sunday.
"We are going to have to address the situation of security," Keen said. "We've had incidents of violence that impede our ability to support the government of Haiti and answer the challenges that this country faces."
Keen said about 1,000 U.S. troops are in Haiti and that 3,000 more are working from ships. More than 12,000 U.S. forces are expected to be in the region by Monday.
Fear of looters and robbers has been one of the factors slowing the delivery of aid. After Tuesday's earthquake, maintaining law and order fell to the 9,000 U.N. peacekeepers and international police already in Haiti even though those forces also sustained heavy losses in the disaster.
Keen said U.S. forces are working with U.N. peacekeepers and that local police are beginning to assist in providing security.
Rescue efforts and getting food, water and medical supplies to earthquake victims were the focus of efforts Sunday, U.S. officials said. An estimated 100,000 or more people may have died in the magnitude-7.0 quake.
Rajiv Shah, who leads the U.S. Agency for International Development, said U.S. relief workers are also trying to rescue people from under the damaged and destroyed buildings.
"Our first priority was to go in with urban search and rescue teams," said Shah, who visited Haiti on Saturday with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. "They work around the clock to try and save lives."
Rescuers, he said, still hoped to find more survivors buried in the rubble.
"On next priority, which started in parallel, was getting those commodities down there and making sure we have the food, water, shelter and basic needs met for the people of Haiti," Shah said.
Keen and Shah spoke on ABC's "This Week," NBC's "Meet the Press" and "Fox News Sunday — three of five Sunday shows on which they were appearing.
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