Saturday, September 03, 2005

Red Cross Never Allowed into N.O. per DHS orders

I am printing everything from the American Red Cross Website (ARC) verbatim b/c I fear that they will be scrubbing this ASAP. Why? B/c brave people like Shock called Homeland Security and demanded an answer on why exactly ARC is not allowed to enter N.O.
ARC website: Q: Hurricane Katrina: Why is ARC not in New Orleans? 1) Access to New Orleans is controlled by the Natl Guard and local authorities and while we are in constant contact with them, we simply cannot enter N.O. against their orders. 2) The state Homeland Security Dept had requested--and continues to request--that the ARC not come back into N.O. following the hurricane. Our presence would keep people from evacuating and encourage others to come into the city. 3) The ARC has been meeting the needs of 1000s of N.O. residents in some 90 shelters throughout the state of LA and elsewhere since before landfall. All told, the ARC is today operating 149 shelters for almost 93,000 residents. 4)The ARC shares the nation’s anguish over the worsening situation inside the city. We will continue to work under the direction of the military, state and local authorities and to focus all our efforts on our lifesaving mission of feeding and sheltering. 5) The ARC does not conduct search and rescue operations. We are an organization of civilian volunteers and cannot get relief aid into any location until the local authorities say it is safe and provide us with security and access. 6) The original plan was to evacuate all the residents of N.O. to safe places outside the city. W/ the hurricane bearing down, the city govt decided to open a shelter of last resort in the Superdome downtown. We applaud this decision and believe it saved a significant number of lives. 7) As the remaining people are evacuated from N.O., the most appropriate role for ARC is to provide a safe place for people to stay and to see that their emergency needs are met. We are fully staffed and equipped to handle these individuals once they are evacuated. Combine this info w/this 1st hand account by Steve Rose, and you tell me if it is impossible to believe that Bush & Co purposely w/held aid, comfort & supplies (as a truck driver suggests) so Bush could save it up for his photo ops Friday w/the Natl Guard arrival?
Posted by Tina :: 12:02 AM :: 0 Comments:

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