Haitian quake victims rush aid sites, take food and supplies

The attacks on relief shipments illustrate the rising frustration of those left homeless after the August 14 magnitude 7.2 earthquake.

Haitians left hungry and homeless by a devastating earthquake swarmed relief trucks and in some cases stole desperately needed goods on Friday as leaders of the poor Caribbean nation struggled to coordinate aid and avoid a repeat of their chaotic response to a similar tragedy 11 years ago. The attacks on relief shipments illustrate the rising frustration of those left homeless after the August 14 magnitude 7.2 earthquake, which killed nearly 2,200 people, injured more than 12,000 and destroyed or damaged more than 1,00,000 homes. “I have been here since yesterday, not able to do anything,” said 23-year-old Sophonie Numa, who waited outside an international aid distribution site in the small city of Camp-Perrin, located in the hard-hit southwestern Les Cayes region. “I have other people waiting for me to come back with something.” Ms. Numa said her home was destroyed in the quake and that her sister broke her leg during the temblor.