United Nations’ food stockpiles in Haiti have been looted, an official said on Friday.
The World Food Programme’s warehouses which were in place prior to the earthquake were raided, spokeswoman Emilia Casella, said.
The UN’s food organization believes nearly 2 million people were “food insecure” even prior to the latest blow to Haiti owing to previous natural disasters and conflicts.
WFP would aim to continue food distributions from its remaining supplies, the spokeswoman told reporters.
“At this point we are trying to get the food we have our hands on to the people,” Ms. Casella said, adding that these supplies were a “drop in the bucket.” Meanwhile, the UN does not need more search and rescue teams and mobile hospitals.
Elizabeth Byrs, a spokeswoman for the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said that “so far we have enough search and rescue teams.” Some “40 teams have registered through our centre and are mobilized,” she added.
Field hospitals have also arrived and no additional ones were required “at the moment,” Ms. Byrs said, even as the UN continued to report that overcrowded medical centres in the capital Port au Prince, were turning away patients for lack of capacity.
Aid workers have described the logistical aspect of the aid effort as a nightmare, with communications in the country down.
“Priority for the moment is medical teams, nurses, surgeons for trauma and medicines of all sorts,” Ms. Byrs told reporters in Geneva.
