Haitian authorities said the confirmed death toll from Saturday’s earthquake has risen (Miami Herald) to 1,941 people. Relief workers reported being under-equipped in the aftermath of a tropical storm. They also voiced concerns about gangs blocking (WaPo) a major supply road, a symptom of political instability as Haiti continues to reel from the murder of President Jovenel Moise.
Officials said the quake left around thirty thousand people homeless (AP). Ten inches of rain from what became Tropical Storm Grace temporarily halted relief efforts on Monday and early Tuesday, but they have since resumed. International reinforcements from groups such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) are aiding the relief effort. Haitians have stressed (Reuters) the need for relief funds to be channeled through local groups after international aid organizations, such as the American Red Cross, were accused of misusing donations following an earthquake in 2010.
Analysis
“The key question facing Haiti—as it confronts widespread gang violence and lack of confidence in elections—is whether any new intervention will help ordinary Haitians or hurt them, as well as whether it can halt political and gang violence,” Georgia State University’s Henry Carey writes for the Washington Post.
“The earthquake has just given a fatal blow to a regional economy already on its knees for about two-and-a-half years,” Quisqueya University’s Etzer Emile tells the Associated Press.
