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Last Updated: Feb 6, 2017 - 2:32:04 PM |
Meeting of the Group of Friends of Haiti
Date: August 31, 2012
Place: Washington, DC
Credit: Maria Patricia Leiva/OAS
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Representatives
of Foreign Missions from countries across the Western Hemisphere today
met at the Headquarters of the Organization of American States (OAS) in
Washington, DC to assess the damage to Haiti following the passage of
Tropical Storm Isaac.
The meeting, convened by the Chairman of the Haiti Task Force,
OAS Assistant Secretary General Albert Ramdin, also brought together
representatives of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Pan
American Development Foundation (PADF), the Inter American Institute for
Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the International Monetary Fund
(IMF.) Several European Observer States were also present.
According to Assistant Secretary General Ramdin, who addressed
the Group following direct conversations with Prime Minister Laurent
Lamothe, the meeting was convened to seek specific support for the
agriculture and livestock sectors, which have been hit hard by the
storm. Preliminary reports presented at the meeting indicate that over
81,000 hectares under cultivation have been damaged, including crops of
bananas, coffee, avocado and citrus. Initial assessments also indicate
approximately 242 million dollars worth of damage to Haiti’s agriculture
and agricultural infrastructure.
Governments of several OAS Member States, including the
neighboring Dominican Republic have begun to mobilize support.
Representatives of the Dominican Republic informed the meeting that
mobile food units have been sent across the border to provide meals to
tens of thousands of people who have been affected by the storm. Other
Member States have pledged to facilitate and coordinate the movement of
heavy agricultural equipment to replant crops.
In expressing condolences to the people of Haiti following the
loss of life, OAS Assistant Secretary General Ramdin called on the
international community to mobilize more support for the permanent
relocation of over 400,000 people living in tent cities.
“The dismantling of tent cities is a priority. So far the
combined efforts of the government and international partners have led
to a decrease in the number of people living in tents, from 1.5 million
to 400,000, but there is still a long way to go. International financial
institutions in particular must continue to work with other
stakeholders and the government to source support for this priority,”
added Ramdin.
The OAS Assistant Secretary General also recognized the
significant efforts by the Government of Haiti to evacuate close to
15,000 people from communities at risk including those living in tent
cities, prior to the storm. “This is the first time an evacuation of
this scale has been carried out, and so quickly. The government of Haiti
moved swiftly to prevent a disaster of an even greater magnitude. We
must continue to provide support. It’s a long term commitment,“ Ramdin
added.
For more information, please visit the OAS Website at www.oas.org.
© Copyright 2012 by thebahamasweekly.com
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