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| Haiti Relief Lacks Leadership, Says Italian Expert |
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| Date: 25-Jan-2010 |
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A senior Italian official has strongly criticised the Haiti earthquake relief operation, saying it could have been managed much better.
Guido Bertolaso, the head of Italy's civil protection service, said there was a lack of leadership in the international aid operation.
He also criticised US forces in Haiti, saying troops had no training in running a civilian relief operation.
It is believed the quake on 12 January killed as many as 200,000 people. An estimated 1.5 million people have been left homeless.Mr Bertolaso, who arrived in Haiti on Friday, described it as "a terrible situation that could have been managed much better".
"When there is an emergency, it triggers a vanity parade. Lots of people go there anxious to show that their country is big and important, showing solidarity," he said.He told Italian TV channel RAI he hoped it was "the last time the world acts in this way".
Mr Bertolaso, a government minister, said it was logical and "commendable" for the US to lead the relief efforts, but "too many officers" meant they had not been able to find a capable leader.
"We're missing a leader, a co-ordination capacity that goes beyond military discipline," he said.
"It's a truly powerful show of force, but it's completely out of touch with reality."They don't have close rapport with the territory, they certainly don't have a rapport with the international organisations and aid groups." The US effort in Haiti has also drawn criticism from some Latin American leaders.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez criticised the US for sending too many soldiers but not enough medical supplies. John Caulfield, a US diplomat in Caracas, Venezuela, dismissed the allegations, saying Washington wanted to provide aid to the Haitian people "and not be distracted by those political criticisms".
Meanwhile, Haiti's main creditors are due to meet on Monday in the Canadian city of Montreal to map out a plan for its reconstruction.
UK-based charity Oxfam has urged donor countries to have Haiti's foreign debts cancelled. It said about $900m (£557m) owed to the UN, the World Bank and countries including the US, France, Canada and Brazil should be written off.
As the relief operation continues, aid workers have criticised Haitian government plans to relocate hundreds of thousands of people from the capital, Port-au-Prince, to large camps outside the city. |
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| Source: BBC |
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