MELISSA BLOCK, host:
From NPR News, this is ALL THINGS CONSIDERED. I'm Melissa Block.
ROBERT SIEGEL, host:
And I'm Robert Siegel.
Countries around the world are contributing to a massive relief operation for Haiti. But despite all the goodwill, aid efforts are hampered by logjams at the airport in Port-au-Prince.
NPR's Jackie Northam has that story.
(Soundbite of airport)
JACKIE NORTHAM: The multitude of problems and frustration surrounding the earthquake relief effort in Haiti are played out at the country's largest airport in Port-au-Prince. Thousands of sick and desperate Haitians wait for a flight out. Meanwhile, supplies and aid workers have difficulty getting in, says Rebecca Gustafson, with DART, the State Department's first-response team for disasters.
Ms. REBECCA GUSTAFSON (DART, State Department): Everyone wants to give. Everyone wants to be a part of this operation. And the biggest thing that I can tell people is it is very difficult right now to get into the airport. And it's very difficult not only once you to get into the airport, but to move things out of the airport.
NORTHAM: The airport in Port-au-Prince is arguably the weak link in the massive relief effort gathering steam. Over the past few days, medical workers, drugs, search and rescue teams and communications specialists have had problems getting into this tiny airport.
Colonel Greg Kane, director of operations for the 18th Airborne Corps, says planes have been stacked several layers high all the way to Miami. He says the airport just doesn't have the capacity for this type of operation.
Colonel GREG KANE (Operations Director, 18th Airborne Corps, U.S. Army): As you can see, there's one taxiway, one runway. And any aircraft that comes in, it takes a long time to download or requires fuel will take up a parking space which will prevent another aircraft from landing.
NORTHAM: Kane says there are only about a dozen parking spaces on the runway. But he says that doesn't mean there should be logjams such as this.
Col. KANE: Back in 1994 when I was here for Restore Democracy, we had aircraft landing, taking off every three to five minutes. And that was an air bridge for 72, 96 hours.
NORTHAM: But Kane says he sees the pace is picking up slowly.
Col. KANE: C-17 is getting ready to back up. That landed right before us, so he's only been on the ground about 40 minutes. He downloaded his vehicles and his equipment pallets and he's heading out. I'm just trying to figure out where is - is that from Little Rock?
NORTHAM: One of the key problems is the control tower at the airport. Its radar and communications systems were damaged in the earthquake. The other factor, military officials quietly say, is the local authorities aren't up to the size or the pace of this operation. Earlier today, the U.S. military in agreement with the Haitian government took control of the airport operations. It's just a basic setup.
Major MATTHEW JONES (U.S. Air Force): And this is our Hard-Sided Expandable Light Air Mobile Shelter. We call it HELAMS. And this is the trailer that provides us all com capability right out of this facility.
NORTHAM: Air Force Major Matthew Jones enters a small military trailer sitting on a grass field next to the airport runway. He says all the logistics for air operations will now be run from this tiny room.
Maj. JONES: You have logistics piece is all from here. And obviously there's nothing to plug into. It's all run from satellite communications and generators for the electricity, which brings its own challenge.
NORTHAM: But Jones says the U.S. control center has the technology and the software to more easily coordinate the increasing numbers of planes, people and supplies coming into Haiti. The priority, he says, is still getting in search and rescue teams and medical workers and supplies. After that, Jones says, comes a wave of food, water and tents expected at a much faster pace than the past few days.
Jackie Northam, NPR News, Port-au-Prince.