HAITI

'Chaos' Costing Lives

Aid agencies call on U.S. to take direct control.

Even a week after the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti, civilians have yet to receive aid due to logistical confusion and overall chaos, international aid agencies say. While the U.S. claims control of the main airport and the U.N. says it is "overseeing distribution," lines of communication are still blurred and there have been several avoidable deaths because of it. "I don't really know who is in charge," said Doctors Without Borders operations manager Benoit Leduc. "Between the two systems I don't think there is smooth liaison [over] who decides what." Many organizations are asking for the U.S. to take direct control of all aid. "Obama has to say: I'm in charge lads," instructed John O'Shea, the head of Irish medical charity Goal. "Everybody would row in behind him. Like or lump the Americans, they're people who have the ability to get a job done," he said. But a French minister blasted the U.S., saying they should be helping Haiti, not "occupying" it.