25k people dead.
millions of aid dollars, more in supplies such as medicine, food, blankets and the like, and many experienced aide workers ready to go in to assist in assessing the damage, distributing relief, and providing assistance and they're just turning away people and have only allowed a few select portions of supplies to come in and they're not letting in any aide workers.
One United Nations official said he had never seen delays like this before in delivering relief supplies and aid officials. In Indonesia after the tsunami in 2004, he said, an air bridge of daily flights was established within 48 hours.
"The frustration caused by what appears to be a paperwork delay is unprecedented in modern humanitarian relief efforts," said the official, Paul Risley, a spokesman for the United Nations World Food Program, in Bangkok. "It’s astonishing."
He said his agency alone had submitted 10 visa applications for relief workers but that none had been approved before consulates shut down for the weekend.
"yes lots of people are dying, but it's 4:30 on a Friday!"
