Something stinks about this Haiti earthquake (regarding banks)

[mobes]

Haitians line up as private banks reopen

(AFP) – 7 hours ago

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haitians lined up outside private banks in the capital Saturday as they awaited the reopening of branches closed since an earthquake devastated the city 11 days ago.

After Haiti's central bank reopened on Thursday, private banks have been asked to respond to the needs of thousands of clients who want to withdraw money, which they have been unable to access since the January 12 disaster.

Haiti's association of private banks said that each customer would be allowed to withdraw the equivalent of up to 2,500 dollars. It also called for security forces to be on hand for the reopening.

A statement from New York-based Citi said that it had reopened operations for its Haitian corporate clients in relocated offices.

"No institution or individual in Haiti escaped unscathed by the tragic events of January 12th," said Gladys Coupet, Citi's Haiti corporate officer.

"We at Citi were no exception, having lost five of our dear employees, an unwarranted tragedy that has deeply saddened all of us. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, their friends and their acquaintances."

Residents in Port-au-Prince also descended on money transfer shops that reopened on Friday, desperate to receive money from their relatives abroad, especially in the United States.

Haiti's minister for diaspora affairs Edwin Paraison said his ministry was working to ensure aid and money from Haitians living abroad could reach relatives in the quake-stricken country, many of whom survive on remittances.

"We have made available telephone numbers and Internet addresses so that Haitians can get the latest news about their families and we are coordinating aid coming from the diaspora," he said.

According to the World Bank, remittances are usually estimated to account for around a third of GDP in Haiti, the western hemisphere's poorest nation.

Signs of normal life have been slowly returning to the country's capital since the 7.0-magnitude quake, which killed more than 110,000 people and left at least 600,000 homeless.

Markets and street vendors have been returning to business, causing long traffic jams in some streets.

"It's incredible! Haitians have started their normal lives again very quickly," said a foreigner in Port-au-Prince, surprised to see some streets completely jammed with people.

In other parts of the capital, fruit and vegetables produced in part of the suburb of Petionville were being sold in richer streets that had started to run out of food.

"We are out of food at home, we have almost nothing to eat," said a woman who was getting out of her car to buy fruit, bread, sugar and water.

"We have not been able to stock up but we should be able to hold on for a few more weeks," said the Syrian manager of a supermarket in Petionville.

Wholesalers meanwhile are wary of making any purchases in case they are looted, as has already happened in some areas, even as some products spoil in refrigerators because of a lack of electricity.

Some disaster victims have refused to line up to receive rations or water distributed by international aid organizations, despite the difficult conditions they face.

"We are hoping to last out for longer with our own supplies -- it's a survival situation," said one young man.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/ar ... solBt4dNiw

[Travis]

Forgive me for my ignorance but what is your point?