The reality on the ground in HB
Adam Pearse writes:
But what came in the days following the cyclone cannot be justified.
Some of the aforementioned communities saw no support for days. Looking around at their homes and livelihoods reduced to nothing, they thought help was surely on its way.
As reserves of fuel, food and water ran dangerously low, they thought a supply drop by chopper or truck must be imminent.
Without power to pump their water, they thought portaloos and medical kits were en route, as any cuts risked becoming septic while they waded through the sludge that filled their living rooms.
Unfortunately, it seems the demand nearer to town was too great.
It’s something rural communities are aware of and freely recognise – resources necessary to survive days of isolation aren’t usually common the closer you get to the city centre.
The cyclone first hit nine days ago, and we still have 2,000 or so people that can’t be contacted.
Farmers are paying thousands of dollars out of their own coffers to charter private helicopter flights to arrange evacuations of children or bring in supplies because publicly contracted operations are too busy with rescues.
Looting, becoming common in town, is spreading into rural areas, putting already traumatised residents further on edge.
Puketapu was among the first of these areas to install roadblocks or checkpoints at access points into their village, and others appear to be following suit.
It is unimaginably tough for those in affected rural areas.
Given the latter point, it was perhaps telling Hipkins continued to insist to reporters that the Government was “throwing everything” at the cyclone response.
When Civil Defence controller Ian Macdonald, who was appearing with Hipkins, was asked if the region had enough helicopters, he casually said more would be nice, but he was confident there were enough.
That will provide little comfort for the likes of Puketitiri, which reportedly hadn’t had a supply drop as of Sunday, six days after the cyclone.
Six days with no supplies??