The head of Italy’s disaster-response department has trashed U.S.-led relief efforts in Haiti, calling them “pathetic” and saying people were more interested in getting on television than helping out the needy.
Guido Bertolaso, head of Italy’s Civil Protection Agency, and a well-respected relief coordinator, told Italian television that the U.S. military “tends to confuse military intervention with emergency intervention. There’s a capacity for coordination that’s missing, which is useful so that the assistance that’s been sent isn’t lost.”
Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini quickly distanced the government in Rome from Bertolaso’s comments, which surprised many. He said Bertolaso was not speaking in any official capacity.
Bertolaso coordinated relief efforts after the 2009 earthquake in L’Aquila, and showed U.S. President Barack Obama around the area when he visited for the G8 summit of world leaders.
Bertolaso said the forces helping Haiti were frequently more focused on public relations than providing assistance.
“Once they’ve arrived on the scene of a disaster, organizations too often think about putting up a big poster with their symbol on it, to look good in front of cameras, rather than getting to work to bring aid to those who need it,” he said.