Several hard-working individuals here on Daily Kos have been diligently keeping the plight of the Haitian people front and center and on the Rec list as they recover from the devastating earthquake. I won't call them out by name, not because they are not deserving of acknowledgement but because I am afraid that I would miss someone who has contributed to this effort.
That is why, when I ran across the following article on MSNBC, I was greatly disturbed.
According to this article, the Haitian government has decided that the people of Haiti need tarps and not tents to shelter them during the long recovery.
Tents are too big, too costly, and too inefficient, the group says
How absolutely and utterly ridiculous! Tents are too inefficient, but tarps are going to offer the shelter these individuals need during the coming months, including the spring storms.
officials say there is no room for family-sized tents with their wide bases...Besides, they are bulky and don't last long enough to justify their cost, the aid community has decided.
This is an outrage, both morally and ethically.
Ironically, many of those charged with deciding are themselves sleeping in tents.
Nancy Pelosi and a delegation of U.S. lawmakers that toured the area on Friday apparently were concerned enough to discuss the situation with the Haitian President and Prime Minister. However, speaker Pelosi basically shrugged her shoulders and walked away from this. As quoted in the article
Asked about tents vs. tarps, Pelosi simply replied: "That's a decision that has to be made here."
How is this even an option? All of the money that has been raised, not just here on this site but from every corner of the world, and this is the response of the government? Let's just throw some sheets over these people because that will be enough to keep them warm and dry while the country is recovering! I am simply sick to my stomach over this.
UPDATE: Please see this important diary as well. It's on the Rec list now and very informative.