Groups of people observe the effects of a 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Los Cayos, Haiti
WASHINGTON, Aug 18 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The US military’s Southern Command is sending eight helicopters to assist in the disaster relief effort in Haiti after an earthquake devastated a remote region of the country, making access difficult.
The deployment is double what Southcom detailed on Sunday and includes three CH-47 Chinooks and five UH-60 Black Hawks.
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) is leading the American effort to deliver supplies to the Caribbean nation. But officials say the relief mission has been slowed because the 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit the country’s southwestern peninsula, which is only accessible by single-lane roads.
Those roads are unsafe due to the turbulent security situation that has unfolded in Haiti since the assassination of its president, Jovenel Moise, last month. The roads have also been battered by recent flooding, mudslides and the earthquake.
All eight helicopters are from Joint Task Force-Bravo based in Honduras, a Southern Command spokesman said.
“The current mission focus for Joint Task Force-Haiti is to conduct life-saving and assessment support to the ongoing foreign disaster assistance effort led by the U.S. Agency for International Development,” the spokesman said.
Southern Command earlier Monday said that the helicopters would be providing air transport to move USAID disaster relief personnel and supplies to affected areas.
The last time the United States sent troops to Haiti was in 2010, after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake left 300,000 dead.
Saturday’s earthquake resulted in the deaths of at least 1,400 people, according to the Haitian government.
While the White House has been consumed by the frenzied withdrawal from Afghanistan, National Security Council [NSC] officials have been holding daily meetings on the crisis in Haiti, administration officials said. — NNN-AGENCIES
