Over 150000 Killed in Port-au-Prince by Earthquake
The government in Haiti raised the confirmed death toll from the earthquake to more than 150,000 on Sunday, but this is just the number for deaths inside Port-au-Prince, the capital. They have warned that up to 300,000 could be dead after figures from outside the city and those who aren’t accounted for yet are added.
Haiti’s communications minister said that no one knows how many bodies are still buried under rubble. It could be 200,000 or even 300,000 - who knows, he added. People can still be seen laying among the rubble in neighborhoods.
The figures from this announcement have been based on data from the state company that collected and buried bodies, CNE. This is a sharp jump from the 111,481 death toll confirmed on Saturday. Before the announcement on Sunday, authorities estimated up to 200,000, while as many as 3 million are predicted to be in need of aid. Aid agencies say that basic supplies, along with food and water, are reaching more people, but clinics are starting to see more complications and infections from amateur medical treatment they tried to do on their own.
Some countries are expanding their number of troops in Haiti to help deliver food and water. The commander of the US military operation, Lieutenant General Ken Keen, said that the aid they have available is being spread, but a tremendous amount of people are still in need.
The US military has 13,000 personnel in Haiti, as well as on ships, and have overtaken the peacekeeping mission of the UN. They have formally obtaining broad authority for control over air and sea ports while securing roads to support relief efforts.
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