A Rescue at U.N. Headquarters Essay

In their article, A Rescue at U. N. Headquarters, as Other Wait and Hope, Thompson and MacFarquhar illustrated the attempt of the United Nations to save the lives of those still trapped victims of the earthquake in Haiti as well as the condition of the people of Haiti whose homes had been devastated. A week after the earthquake, Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations secretary general, visited Haiti for the first time on Sunday (Thompson & MacFarquhar, 2010). Thompson and MacFarquhar (2010) described that day as â€Å"one of trials and triumphs for the agency†. A missing United Nations official was pulled alive after five days of being trapped in the ruins of Christopher Hotel (Thompson & MacFarquhar, 2010). A Danish employee, Jens Kristensen, was also rescued that day. Still, the families of those who are still missing urged Mr. Ban to hasten the search, â€Å"Everywhere he went during his six-hour visit here, he was greeted by people who urged the United Nations to do more, act faster and plan more carefully (Thompson & MacFarquhar, 2010). Nieves Alvarez, a staff member, not only asked to speed up the operation but also expresses her dismay because of the obvious nationalism showed by the Chinese rescuers who left after finding some of their people’s bodies as well as American rescuers who left after sometime (Thompson & MacFarquhar, 2010). Food and shelter is also a great problem. Civilians in the food distribution site are even complaining about the scarcity of the supply. Sally Lazard, 37, said â€Å"We need more than cookies. You see where we live? We have no water, no toilets, no food†¦. If people go too long without food, they will fight for it† (Thompson & MacFarquhar, 2010). â€Å"Water supply is so scarce that taking a bottle off someone’s desk can lead to hurtful confrontations† (Thompson & MacFarquhar, 2010). Civilians also feared of being attacked by gangs in the street and asked for protection form the United Nation staffs after the first few days of the earthquake. Reference Thompson, G. & MacFarquhar, N. (2010, January 18). A Rescue at U. N. Headquarters, as Others Wait and Hope. The New York Times.