Aug 29, 2021 - Politics & Policy

U.S. airlifts humanitarian aid to Haiti after deadly earthquake

Yacob Reyes

U.S. Army officers arrive in Haiti following a 7.2-magnitude earthquake that devastated the country. — U.S. Army officers arrive in Haiti to provide support to the country after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake devastated thousands. Photo: Richard Pierrin/Getty Images

The U.S. is now airlifting food, tarps and other supplies into the areas that were hardest hit by the Aug. 14 earthquake in Haiti, AP reports.

Why it matters: Quickly getting resources to remote communities made vulnerable by the earthquake is the focus of the $32 million U.S. relief effort. Aid efforts will be coordinated with several humanitarian groups already in the country.

Troops under the direction of Miami-based U.S. Southern Command have delivered about 265,000 pounds of relief materials, per AP.

By the numbers: The magnitude 7.2 earthquake killed more than 2,200 people and left another 12,000 people injured.

What they're saying: "We’re just trying to get as much material out to the most affected areas as fast as we can. If you do that, then the frustration level goes down," Tim Callahan, a disaster response team leader for USAID, told AP.

"People need food, water, tents, tarps," Wilkens Sanon of the Mission of Hope Foundation said. "It is very, very bad right now."

Go deeper: U.S. pledges $32 million in aid to Haiti earthquake victims

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U.S. airlifts humanitarian aid to Haiti after deadly earthquake

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