As many American individuals and agencies, and many from other countries, rush aid to the tragic victims of Haiti’s terrible earthquake, the death toll is rising and difficulties are being encountered in getting help to the injured and hungry.
Already the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti has suffered destruction of its hospitals, schools, commerce, travel and communications from the earthquake. Aircraft, ships and many aid volunteers are having difficulties reaching those most in need.
The early estimates of 50,000 dead and many more injured have risen to a possible death toll of 200,000 people, as many unidentified bodies are being buried in mass graves in an effort to avoid post-earthquake disease.
While many governments, humanitarian agencies and individuals are seeking to lend helping hands for recovery, there are frustrations and insurmountable barriers to the delivery of the available and much-needed aid.
Many people still lack sufficient water, food and medical care. There is fear a second wave of disaster will come from disease as a result of the deaths and destruction.
The rush to give assistance to the unfortunate Haitian people will need to be sustained for many months and years to come to minimize the tragically rising death toll among the nearly 9 million people of the nation.
And then there will be the huge challenge of attracting outside aid to rebuild and revive the stricken country and its poor people.
There is much to do.