Thousands line up for hours for water, MREs

Drinking water and meals ready-to-eat or MREs were distributed yesterday by the local government, volunteers, and members of the U.S Marines Corps that arrived Saturday aboard USS Ashland.

About four trucks of the Marine Corps were used to deliver supplies to three sites: Kagman Elementary School, Hopwood Junior High School, and American Memorial Park.

Residents queue up at the American Memorial Park, one of the distribution centers for typhoon relief goods that were opened on Sunday. (Joel D. Pinaroc)

Residents lined up as early as 6am to be able to get supplies as word got out Saturday night from the government that centers will be open at 9am.

However, at 10am, people lined up at American Memorial Park were still waiting for the supplies to arrive. Lorie Pangelinan of the Department of Commerce who took charge of the site as well as volunteers from American Red Cross had the residents register while waiting.

Over at Hopwood, the line of about a thousand snaked its way through the side of the field past 10am. Residents in front of the line said they were there since 6am and were waiting for hours without breakfast.

ARC handed out water bottles while the residents waited.

“They said something’s wrong with the truck and they’re trying to fix it,” Lorelei Vinas from Susupe said.

“We have already anticipated that our delivery was supposed to be here by eight [or] seven o’ clock but it didn’t happen because there was a delay, something happened with the vehicle,” Mario Salas from DOC who headed the Hopwood distribution said.

Distribution was done first at Kagman. It started past 1pm in Hopwood and almost 5pm in Memorial Park. By that time, close to 1,500 have lined up at AMP.

According to press secretary Ivan Blanco, one of the trucks of the Marines broke down on its way to the site. Trucks overheating were also reported to Saipan Tribune.

However, Capt. Aiden Katz of the U.S. Marine Corps said “none of the trucks broke down” and there was confusion in the distribution. He said they started moving at 5:30am and planned on going to one site at a time, back and forth to the port, to load and unload supplies as they only have limited vehicles.

“We got deployed very quickly to come to Saipan from Guam to bring the food and generators and all the supplies. We only have as much trucks as we have. We have four trucks that are able to move,” Katz said.

Katz said they also delivered water to shelters Sunday night.