UN calls for international support in wake of Haiti quake

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has issued an urgent call to the international community to assist Haiti following the catastrophic earthquake that has devastated the impoverished Caribbean nation’s capital.

Buildings and infrastructure in Port-au-Prince suffered extensive damage, while basic services, including water and electricity are near the brink of collapse. The full extent of casualties is still unknown, Mr. Ban said.

Tens of thousands of people are living on the streets, while many more are still trapped under rubble. It is estimated that one-third of the 9-million strong population of Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, has been affected by the disaster.
“Clearly, a major relief effort will be required,” the Secretary-General told an informal emergency meeting of the General Assembly.

Joined by the UN Special Envoy for Haiti, former United States President Bill Clinton, Mr. Ban added that the crisis triggered by the 7.0 magnitude earthquake “rivals, if not exceeds,” the damage wrought by a series of hurricanes that devastated Haiti in 2008.

“The first priority is search and rescue,” with teams from the US, China, France, the Dominican Republic and other nations on their way to Haiti, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes said.

Mr. Ban has ordered $10 million to be released from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to kick-start humanitarian relief efforts. A flash appeal for Haiti is expected to be launched within the next few days.

•Date: 14th Jan 2010 • Region: Haiti •Type: Article •Topic: DR general
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