UNITED NATIONS: Secretary-General asks former President Bill Clinton and U.N. special envoy to Haiti to step up relief effort
Record ID:
561959
UNITED NATIONS: Secretary-General asks former President Bill Clinton and U.N. special envoy to Haiti to step up relief effort
- Title: UNITED NATIONS: Secretary-General asks former President Bill Clinton and U.N. special envoy to Haiti to step up relief effort
- Date: 4th February 2010
- Summary: UNITED NATIONS (FILE) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) UNITED NATIONS BUILDING EXTERIOR U.N. FLAGS
- Embargoed: 19th February 2010 12:00
- Keywords:
- Topics: International Relations,Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
- Reuters ID: LVAC916NCGNQBG413ES2ZMVZXS13
- Story Text: The United Nations on Wednesday (February 3) assigned former U.S. President Bill Clinton, now U.N. special envoy to Haiti, to coordinate international relief efforts in the earthquake-devastated country.
Clinton will seek to organize a mass of aid initiatives and offers that have poured in since the magnitude 7.0 earthquake killed up to 200,000 Haitians and made up to 1 million homeless on Jan. 12.
Three weeks after the quake, a huge U.S.-led international relief operation has been struggling to help survivors. The United Nations, whose mission chief in Haiti and nearly 100 other staff were killed, has admitted early aid efforts were disorganized but says the situation is improving daily.
At a news conference following a briefing of the U.N. Secretary Council, Ban told reporters he had asked President Clinton to assume a leadership role in coordinating international aid efforts from emergency response to the reconstruction of Haiti.
"We agreed that one of the most urgent needs right now is shelter. The storm season is just a month away. Important as they are, tents alone will (inaudible). In meeting this and other needs, we agreed that we must move as urgently as possible to develop a clear strategy that mobilises all U.N. agencies and their partners including national governments, NGOs and the private sector," Ban said.
"Needless to say he has hit the ground running and will be in Haiti on Friday," the Secretary-General added.
Ban told reporters he had asked Clinton to launch a new emergency appeal on Feb. 17 to fund humanitarian efforts for the rest of the year. The United Nations launched its first "flash" appeal -- for $575 million (USD) -- last month and said last Friday it had been 82 percent funded.
The United Nations, which has more than 12,600 troops and police in Haiti, has been overseeing the emergency relief effort in coordination with the U.S. military, which has mobilized more than 10,000 personnel to help the country.
The Secretary-General also briefed the Security Council on the recent London conference on Afghanistan, which reiterated its long-term commitment to helping the government assume greater responsibility for security, to improve governance and fight corruption.
"All involved must ensure that this year's elections will be an improvement on the last," the Secretary-General said. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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