Stephen Harper, the 22nd Prime Minister of Canada
The Chronicle Herald reports on disputes to claims by Prime Minister Harper that Navy ships sent to Haiti after the January 12th earthquake were filled with relief supplies.
The PM claimed that after the quake:
“Ships of the Atlantic fleet were immediately ordered to Haiti from Halifax, loaded with relief supplies”
The article notes that:
When the ships arrived off Haiti, later in January, sailors were put to work in the blazing sun, doing manual labour for aid groups, supporting the work of the Disaster Assistance Response Team, helping out in orphanages, medical clinics and displaced person camps, and providing security during aid distribution conducted by the UN.
But a Chronicle Herald reporter and photographer embedded with the military for the mission observed that they didn’t have much food, water, medical equipment or tents to distribute, beyond what they needed for their own crews.
The article further notes that:
During the voyage, some sailors wondered if the ships might have been better off staying in port a little longer — say 12 hours — to take on more relief supplies, food aid and medical equipment before sailing for Haiti.
Source: CanadaHaitiAction
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