International community pledges to support Haiti by AFP / Save the Children 12:31pm 15th Mar, 2010   31 March 2010    Dozens of nations and organizations have pledged almost $10 billion in immediate and long-term aid to help Haiti recover from the recent devastating earthquake. Of that amount $5 billion has been pledged for the next 18 months.    UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said “the international community has come together, in solidarity with Haiti and its people”.    “Today, the United Nations are united for Haiti,” he said. “Today, we have mobilized to give Haiti and its people what they need most: hope for a new future. We have made a good start, we need now to deliver.”    Haiti’s President René Préval expressed his thanks on behalf of his 9 million countrymen. “The international community has done their part,” he said. “Now it is up to the Haitian people to do theirs.”    Mr. Ban said reconstruction work must move in tandem with emergency relief and urged donors to provide to continue to support to the humanitarian appeal for Haiti.    “The rainy season is fast approaching. Some camps for displaced persons are at risk of flooding. Heath and sanitation issues are growing more serious,” Mr. Ban said.    Mr. Préval, United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and UN Special Envoy for Haiti Bill Clinton co-hosted the conference, entitled Towards a New Future in Haiti.    They noted the courage and solidarity shown by the Haitians in the midst of the unprecedented suffering resulting from the quake and the outpouring of generosity and support from the country’s international partners. At the same time, they underscored that Haiti’s road to recovery will be a long one and one which will require continued global support.    The conference was co-chaired by Brazil, Canada, the European Union, France, and Spain as leading donors to Haiti, which was already the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere before the disaster.    The 12 January quake struck close to the capital, Port-au-Prince, and resulted in the deaths of more than 200,000 people. It also left one third of the country’s 9 million people in need of aid.    The total value of damage and losses sustained has been calculated at approximately $7 billion, according to the UN Development Programme (UNDP).    Its Administrator, Helen Clark, voiced hope that today’s conference “will pave the way for building back better in Haiti. With sufficient resources, the vision presented today by the Government of Haiti on behalf of Haitian people can become reality.”    She also emphasized the need for Haitian ownership of the recovery process, with international assistance being aligned with the country’s priorities.    “With the necessary resources, we can assist the Government to develop effective social protection to combat extreme poverty; we can help improve access to education, health services, and clean water and sanitation; and we can help promote food security and nutrition,” Miss Clark said.    15 March 2010    Haiti faces further calamity. (AFP)    Two months after arguably the worst natural disaster of modern times, Haiti faces further calamity as more than 200,000 quake survivors camp in putrid tent cities at risk of major flooding.    The full number made homeless by the January 12 earthquake is far higher, some 1.3 million, but as the rainy season approaches the United Nations regards 218,000 people in 21 Port-au-Prince camps as those most at risk.    The government is struggling to buy land to set up emergency camps outside the capital, but these fields would take up to six weeks to turn into viable sites. Kristen Knutson, a spokeswoman for the UN"s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said moving people outside the capital was a "last resort."    Those with houses still standing are being encouraged to return home, but many are still traumatized by what happened and engineers and architects have to painstakingly assess which buildings are structurally sound. Some 600,000 people have already opted to move in with host families.    At the UN logistics base coordinators believe they can stave off a second disaster and are confident they can meet a May 1 deadline to provide tarps and tents to those in need.    "In terms of shelter we believe we are on target with distributions to date," said OCHA spokeswoman France Hurtubise. "We have covered 63 percent of the people affected, 163,000 households have received tarps or tents for a total of 814,620 people."    Mar 12, 2010    The International Save the Children Alliance reaches more than 500,000 children and adults two months after Haiti Earthquake.    Two months after Haiti was devastated by a 7-magnitude earthquake, thousands of children and families who were already facing a daily struggle to recover from the disaster now must contend with the rainy season. Save the Children is working to assist survivors and support children as they attempt to rebuild their lives.    The January 12 quake affected 3 million people, killing more than 220,000 people and leaving more than 1 million homeless and living among the ruins of Port-au-Prince, Léogâne and other shattered towns and villages.    Save the Children is continuing to provide emergency assistance to save lives, alleviate suffering and assist in the recovery of 800,000 people, among them 470,000 children, affected by the earthquake in Haiti. Of particular concern is the health and well-being of children as the rains have begun, swamping temporary settlements and increasing the risk that infectious diseases may take hold among vulnerable populations.    “The rains are only increasing the misery level for children and families,” said Bruno Oudmayer, Save the Children’s emergency team leader in Haiti.    “Displaced children were already vulnerable to disease, malnutrition and exploitation. Now they face the potential for waterborne illnesses and other dangers if their living conditions deteriorate. We must continue to support their health and protection needs as we also work to ensure that families have sufficient shelter and improved sanitation within the settlements to help them through this next potential crisis.”    The organisation continues to expand its health and nutrition programs. Its mobile health teams in Port-au-Prince, Léogâne and Jacmel treat patients, screen children for malnutrition, deliver babies, provide vaccinations and visit pregnant women and those who have recently given birth. Save the Children has 16 infant care tents in the camps, where malnourished children can receive treatment.    Save the Children is very concerned for the health and well being of thousands of mothers and newborns who remain without proper shelter, clean water and basic medical care. Visit the related web page
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