300 in Limbo as Houston's Last Ike Shelter Closes

Mayor warns of 'humanitarian crisis' if help doesn't come quickly

(NEWSER) - Three days after tornadoes devastated the South, the thousands left homeless are emerging as a major problem, reports the LA Times . At least 1,100 are living in emergency shelters, with thousands more in churches or with friends and family. Tuscaloosa Mayor Walter Maddox warned of a "humanitarian crisis" if more help did not come soon. "I lost everything I had to Katrina, so I came here," said an 80-year-old man from New Orleans. "Now I lost everything here." More»

State of emergency has left 5K homeless

(NEWSER) - Hugo Chavez is letting dozens of people made homeless by Venezuelan flooding crash at his palace, and he told them yesterday—as the death toll hit 25—that they can stay there until the government finds them new homes. Visiting a slum, the AP reports that Chavez urged other residents to evacuate: “They told me that you did not want to leave until Chavez came. Well, here I am.” Chavez also said he’d call for military buildings to be evacuated for refugees’ use. More»

Agency funds preparation projects; some scientists want to see more

(NEWSER) - FEMA may be best known for its response in times of crisis, but it also tries to provide help before disaster strikes, NPR reports. In the tiny Missouri hamlet of Niangua, a tornado shelter mostly funded by the agency will soon be able to house the entire town—a relief for citizens who have seen eight natural disasters in just a couple of years. More»

(NEWSER) - The poor and homeless in Milan will get a pricey treat this holiday season, the BBC reports. Officials will distribute 88 pounds of beluga caviar seized from smugglers to the city’s shelters and soup kitchens. The sturgeon roe, confiscated in November en route from Poland, is valued at around $550,000. Nations are cracking down on illegal caviar trading after 600 tons of it were traded in the EU during a 6-year span. More»

(NEWSER) - A select group of homeless people in Los Angeles now have some relatively decent digs, the Los Angeles Times reports. The EDAR, which stands for for Everyone Deserves a Roof, is a portable shelter that can be used to transport belongings by day. At night it unfolds into a rainproof pop-up tent. Some 60 of the units have been distributed to shelters and individuals in LA, and aid organizations are evaluating the system for an expanded rollout. More»