Katrina Exposes Apartheid and Apathy

Watching all the footage, it's distressing. It's obvious that many of the thousands and thousands of people are both poor and black.

I saw a report where a (white) woman witnessed hotel guests packing and filling their SUV's but refused to take her with them.
A (white) man spent 8 hours swimming with his two dogs and no one in passing boats offered to help.
Some scottish tourists hid away on a hotel balcony, fearful to be seen by the growing mob.
One woman asked, why people in nearby cities were not driving in their cars to New Orleans to help fellow human beings. Those people might suggest: why didn't you leave when you had the chance.
There appears, so far, to have been an apathetic response from the government and its agencies. At ground level it reveals a rift between black and white, and rich and poor. Will the rich muck in and help, or just give interviews and donations. Will individuals drive down to help evacuate the destitute and the sick.

There is a real sense that helping the mob endangers the rescuers, and this trend is increasing.

But there is also a sense that not much help has been offered, that it's been slow to arrive (people have said they have not been offered anything to eat or drink for up to 5 days). There's a lack of urgency. For example why has water not been dropped in containers (from helicopters) especially around the convention centre housing around 30 000 starving, thirsty people.

Why is there just not a concerted effort to airlift people. Bussing people out is simply too little, too late, and too slow. Is it too expensive? It may prove even more expensive to have a city full of sick and dying, poisoned people. Use nearby airports and use those massive military helicopters with big rotors on both end. Or use civilian volunteers, using their own vehicles from nearby.
In the end, this lack of urgency and energy will probably lead to a staggering death toll, because each passing day people get weaker without food and shelter. And beyond that is the spread of diseases like typhoid and cholera. Once that happens, people won't be trying to get on buses. Rescuers will have to carry the sick onto buses and trucks.

I've heard that around 300 000 people may be in the New Orleans area, and that so far only 3 000 have been bused out. That figure may have tripled or quadrupled by now, but it's still a fraction of what is needed.
Even with excellent on-the-ground support, it is an exercise in futility to treat symptoms and merely alleviate local problems and not remove people to where there is ongoing infrastructure and support.

I'm not an expert but at this rate, casualties every hour are going to escalate in the hundreds.
The toll, when all this is over may top 5 000, but if relief efforts fail to gain momentum, that figure may double, then triple. It's a race against time. Do those in charge of relief efforts realise this?