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world news Dialuna 16 augustus 2021

Rescuers racing in Haiti as storm threatens to follow quake

(AP) — The death toll said more than 7,000 homes
from a magnitude 7.2 Aftershocks continued jolt- were destroyed and nearly
earthquake in Haiti soared ing the area Sunday. 5,000 damaged. Hospitals,
on Sunday as rescuers schools, offices and churches
raced to find survivors In the badly damaged coast- were also affected.
amid the rubble ahead of al town of Les Cayes, some
a potential deluge from families salvaged their few People in Les Cayes tried to
an approaching tropical belongings and spent the pull guests from the rubble
storm. night at an open-air football of a collapsed hotel, but as
pitch. On Sunday morning, the sun set on Saturday, they
Saturday’s earthquake left at people lined up to buy what had only been able to recover
least 724 dead and 2,800 in- little was available: bananas, the body of a 7-year-old girl
jured in the Caribbean island avocados and water at a local whose home was behind the
nation, with thousands more street market. facility.
displaced from their de-
stroyed or damaged homes. Some in the town praised “I have eight kids, and I was
Survivors in some areas were God for surviving the earth- looking for the last one,”
forced to shelter in streets quake, and many went to Jean-Claude Daniel said residents after as many as er aircraft and ships, Nieman
or soccer fields with the few the city’s cathedral, which through tears. “I will never 300,000 Haitians were killed. added.
belongings they were able to appeared outwardly undam- see her again alive. The earth-
salvage from their homes. aged even if the priests’ resi- quake destroyed my life. It U.S. President Joe Biden Argentina and Chile also
dence was destroyed. took a child away from me.” authorized an immediate re- were among the first nations
Yet the devastation could sponse, calling the United to promise help.
soon worsen with the com- “We only have Jesus now,” Hospitals were overwhelmed State a “close and enduring
ing of Tropical Storm Grace, said Johanne Dorcely, 58, at a moment when Haiti has friend to the people of Haiti.” The North Carolina-based
which was predicted to reach whose house was destroyed. been struggling with the pan- He named USAID Admin- aid group Samaritan’s Purse
Haiti late Monday or early “If it wasn’t for Jesus, I demic and a lack of resources istrator Samantha Power to announced Sunday it would
Tuesday, bringing the poten- wouldn’t be able to be here to deal with it. The country oversee the U.S effort to help airlift 13 disaster response
tial for torrential rain, flood- today.” of 11 million people received Haiti. specialists and 31 tons of
ing and landslides. The U.S. its first batch of U.S.-donated emergency supplies to Haiti.
National Hurricane Center Prime Minister Ariel Henry coronavirus vaccines only last Power announced Sunday Those include shelter ma-
forecast 4 to 8 inches (10 to declared a one-month state month via a United Nations that USAID was sending terials and water filtration
20 centimeters) of rain in of emergency for the whole program for low-income a search and rescue team units.
Haiti and the Dominican Re- country and said he was rush- countries. from Virginia t the request
public, with up to 15 inches ing aid to areas where towns of Haiti’s government. The Humanitarian workers said
in some southern parts of the were destroyed and hospitals The earthquake also struck 65-person team will bring gang activity in the seaside
island they share. overwhelmed with patients. just over a month after Presi- specialized tools and medi- district of Martissant, just
A former senator rented a dent Jovenel Moïse was shot cal supplies to assist with the west of the Haitian capital,
The earthquake struck the private airplane to move in- to death in his home, send- disaster response, Power said also was complicating relief
southwestern part of the jured people from Les Cayes ing the country into political on Twitter. efforts.
hemisphere’s poorest nation, to Port-au-Prince for medical chaos. His widow, Martine
almost razing some towns assistance. Moïse, who was seriously Working with USAID, the “Nobody can travel through
and triggering landslides that wounded in the attack, post- U.S. Coast Guard said a he- the area,” Ndiaga Seck, a
hampered rescue efforts. The “The most important thing is ed a message on Twitter call- licopter was transporting UNICEF spokesman in
disaster added to the plight to recover as many survivors ing for unity among Haitians: medical personnel from the Port-au-Prince, said by
of Haitians who were already as possible under the rubble,” “Let’s put our shoulders to- Haitian capital to the quake phone. “We can only fly over
grappling with the coronavi- said Henry. “We have learned gether to bring solidarity.” zone and evacuating the in- or take another route.”
rus pandemic, a presidential that the local hospitals, in jured back to Port-au-Prince.
assassination and a wave of particular that of Les Cayes, As he boarded a plane bound Seck said information about
gang violence. are overwhelmed with for Les Cayes, Henry said he “For now, the Coast Guard deaths and damage was slow
wounded, fractured people.” wanted “structured solidar- is working where the most coming to Port-au-Prince be-
The epicenter of the quake ity” to ensure the response urgent need is,” said Lt. cause of spotty internet ser-
was about 125 kilometers Sunday’s count from Haiti’s was coordinated to avoid the Commander Jason Nieman, vice, but UNICEF planned
(78 miles) west of the capital Office of Civil Protection confusion that followed the a spokesman. Another heli- to send medical supplies to
of Port-au-Prince, the U.S. raised the previous death toll devastating 2010 earthquake, copter was being sent from two hospitals in the south, in
Geological Survey said. from 304 dead. The agency when aid was slow to reach the Bahamas, along with oth- Les Cayes and Jeremie.

Trudeau triggers Canadian election, voting day Sept. 20

(AP) — Prime Minister 20 after visiting the governor position to pass legislation. eligible Canadians are fully so they will fall in behind
Justin Trudeau triggered general, who holds a mostly vaccinated and over 82% him, but if he loses he’s
an election Sunday as he ceremonial position repre- The election comes as Cana- have received at least one toast,” Bothwell said.
seeks to capitalize on Can- senting Britain’s Queen Eliz- da is experiencing a new wave dose. The government has
ada being one of the most abeth II as head of state. of COVID-19 cases, driven spent billions to prop up the Trudeau, the son of the
fully vaccinated countries by the delta variant of the economy amid lockdowns late Liberal Prime Minis-
in the world. “We’ve had your back, and coronavirus. Trudeau called that have now lifted. ter Pierre Trudeau, became
now it’s time to hear your it “the fourth wave amongst the second youngest prime
Trudeau announced the elec- voice,” Trudeau said. “Cana- unvaccinated people.” But if the result is another minister in Canadian histo-
tion would be held on Sept. dians need to choose how we minority government, the ry when he was first elected
finish the fight against CO- Trudeau isn’t as popular as “knives will start to come with a majority of seats in
VID-19.” he once was, but his gov- out,” said Robert Bothwell, a Parliament in 2015. The Lib-
ernment’s handling of the professor of Canadian history eral’s victory ended almost 10
Trudeau is seeking to win a pandemic has been widely and international relations at years of Conservative Party
majority of seats in Parlia- viewed as a success. After a the University of Toronto. government in Canada, but
ment. His Liberal Party fell slow start Canada now has scandals combined with high
just short of that two years enough vaccine for every “Trudeau is not widely liked. expectations have damaged
ago and must rely on the op- citizen. More than 71% of He’s what the Liberals have Trudeau’s standing.