Haiti Despair, Anger Mount as Earthquake Toll Rises; Gangs Offer to Help Aid Efforts

On Saturday, tensions in Haiti mounted over a lack of relief to rural areas severely damaged by the terrible earthquake that struck the poor Caribbean island last week, killing 2,207, according to the country's Civil Protection Agency. Many Haitians who lost their homes and livelihoods in the magnitude 7.2 earthquake on August 14 said they didn't know where to begin rebuilding.

Exasperation with the length of time it takes for relief to arrive began to boil over on Friday, with citizens storming aid trucks in several towns around the country. Former President Michel Martelly was also involved in a brawl after visiting a hospital in the city of Les Cayes, where one of his employees left an envelope of cash behind, sparking a riot.

Earthquake survivors in Haiti left miserable

Another food delivery was halted at a church near Les Cayes' airport on Saturday afternoon after an enraged crowd became aggressive, forcing charity workers to abandon the operation.

On Sunday, a Haitian gang leader offered a truce and assistance to villages devastated by the earthquake, perhaps providing a respite for a relief operation beset by hijacked aid trucks and disarray. Many Haitians resumed worship in or outside damaged churches for the first time since the magnitude 7.2 earthquake on Aug. 14, sometimes for the first time since the quake, CBC News reported.

It was unclear how significant the cease-fire offer would be: While formidable, Jimmy Cherizier, alias "Barbecue," is far from the sole gang leader in Haiti, and widespread social media rumors of a previous gang truce failed to prevent attacks on the aid operation. Roads have been blocked, assistance trucks have been hijacked, and supplies have been taken, forcing relief workers to carry supplies by helicopter. Desperate crowds have squabbled over food packets in several instances.

The death toll rose for the first time since the authorities placed it at 2,189 late Wednesday. According to the authorities, 344 people are still missing, 12,268 people have been injured, and approximately 53,000 homes have been ruined as a result of the earthquake

Hundreds of Haitian earthquake victims fought over - and scooped from the muddy ground - rice and chicken that spilled from plastic food containers as they waited for hot meals delivered to a scorching makeshift camp this week.

Politicians send aid efforts to help Haitians

In the absence of a coordinated government response, famous Haitian politicians have stepped in to help, transporting injured people out on private planes, giving medical supplies and food, and even handing out cash. With general elections looming, their projects have taken on political connotations, and the epicenter has effectively turned into a campaign launchpad for some of Haiti's presidential and congressional candidates.

The politicians' efforts in the capital, Port-au-Prince, have prompted thorny concerns about the delicate line between providing desperately needed relief and cynically exploiting the misery. Politicians in the country have a history of profiting from natural calamities, as per the NY Times.

Following Hurricane Matthew's landfall in Haiti in 2016, which coincided with the presidential election, candidates inundated the area with donated water bottles and boxes of matches with their faces pasted on them. President Jovenel Mose, who was killed at his house last month, extended his campaign lead by delivering a cargo of rice to storm victims only days before the election. The bags of rice were emblazoned with his party's slogans, which enraged community leaders.

According to the US Geological Survey, the quake struck at a depth of 10 kilometers near the town of Petit-Trou-de-Nippes, some 125 kilometers west of the capital, Port-au-Prince. Partly as a result of the quake's damage to roads and bridges, as well as the subsequent deluge by a tropical storm, aid has trickled into the area.

However, gangs have assaulted convoys and kidnapped trucks, sabotaging efforts to provide water, food, and medical supplies. Per Voice of America, since President Jovenel Moise was slain in his house on July 7, the country has been in turmoil. Martine Moise, his wife, was injured in the crime.