The Two America’s
I was so shocked to hear about Cuba’s experience of Category 5 hurricane Ivan last September. What a contrast with Katrina!!
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/090305Y.shtml
1.5 million people were evacuated. 20,000 homes were destroyed. No one was killed.
"Merely sticking people in a stadium is unthinkable" in Cuba, Valdes said. "Shelters all have medical personnel, from the neighborhood. They have family doctors in Cuba, who evacuate together with the neighborhood, and already know, for example, who needs insulin."
They also evacuate animals and veterinarians, TV sets and refrigerators, "so that people aren't reluctant to leave because people might steal their stuff," Valdes observed.
After Hurricane Ivan, the United Nations International Secretariat for Disaster Reduction cited Cuba as a model for hurricane preparation. ISDR director Salvano Briceno said, "The Cuban way could easily be applied to other countries with similar economic conditions and even in countries with greater resources that do not manage to protect their population as well as Cuba does."
Leave a population alone to fend for themselves with no food or water and of course they loot as we all would if confronted with dying of starvation or dehydration. Is it such a stretch to imagine that providing necessary resources prevents looting and violence from happening?
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/090305Y.shtml
1.5 million people were evacuated. 20,000 homes were destroyed. No one was killed.
"Merely sticking people in a stadium is unthinkable" in Cuba, Valdes said. "Shelters all have medical personnel, from the neighborhood. They have family doctors in Cuba, who evacuate together with the neighborhood, and already know, for example, who needs insulin."
They also evacuate animals and veterinarians, TV sets and refrigerators, "so that people aren't reluctant to leave because people might steal their stuff," Valdes observed.
After Hurricane Ivan, the United Nations International Secretariat for Disaster Reduction cited Cuba as a model for hurricane preparation. ISDR director Salvano Briceno said, "The Cuban way could easily be applied to other countries with similar economic conditions and even in countries with greater resources that do not manage to protect their population as well as Cuba does."
Leave a population alone to fend for themselves with no food or water and of course they loot as we all would if confronted with dying of starvation or dehydration. Is it such a stretch to imagine that providing necessary resources prevents looting and violence from happening?