US troops deployed to Haiti during a bloody revolt to oust former Haitian president Jean-Bertrand Aristide will begin leaving in the midst of another crisis as the nation tries to recover from deadly floods.
Rushing help to people in submerged villages after floods killed more than 1,400 in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, the troops control the few helicopters that can reach inaccessible areas. In the past few days, they have airlifted more than 45,000kg of food and drinking water and evacuated the injured from submerged towns like Mapou.
For some of the 1,900 US troops -- 1,500 of them Marines -- the end to their Haiti mission is a bittersweet moment.
PHOTO: EPA
"On the one hand, we'll leave with a sense of accomplishment," said Marine Lieutenant-Colonel Dave Lapan, spokesman for the US-led multinational task force sent to secure and stabilize the nation. "On the other hand, there's so much this place needs."
A symbolic handover is set for today, but only a fraction of the planned 8,000 or so UN troops and police have arrived, and none have brought helicopters needed to help flood victims.
Most of the US troops will stay on for a while to help with the transition.
Afterward, many will head back to Iraq. Fewer than a dozen US troops will participate in the UN force.
Floods and mudslides brought on by three days of heavy rain wiped out entire villages in Haiti's southeast around the farming community of Mapou, a week before hurricane season.
Desperate survivors from 14 surrounding villages clamored for food and water on Sunday, as the military helicopters swooped down every hour or so with more aid and some 1,000 Haitians stood waiting in the heat, shouting and hitting their bellies.
Soldiers did regular patrols to keep people from stealing food.
"People have been hiding in corn fields and jumping each other at night to get rice and other food," said US Marine Corporal Scott Rossman.
Survivor Philis Milfort, 87, lost eight relatives.
"Now I have no house, no animals, and no family -- and now the people who they appointed to distribute the food are only giving it to their friends," Milfort complained, hobbling on crutches because he lost a leg three years ago to disease.
UN and aid workers complained Sunday some of the food wasn't reaching people.
"Right now there is no equity" said Bernard Gianoli, a UN disaster assessment official.
"The food distribution has to be improved," he said.
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