Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Friday it will soon travel to Haiti, which was devastated by an earthquake occurred earlier this week to show solidarity with the people of the impoverished nation in the Caribbean.
The Secretary General of travel plans at a time when the United Nations continues to run in aid to victims. The earthquake of magnitude 7.0 is said to have affected a third of the population of 9 million people in Haiti. Many of those most affected in the capital, Port-au-Prince, have no access to food, water, housing and electricity.
UN emergency teams in the estimation, because the goal of many buildings in the worst affected areas in the capital were damaged or destroyed.
“We are still in search and rescue, and you try to save as many lives as possible,” Ban told the press at UN headquarters in New York on Friday.
With the UN official in Haiti, Hedi Annabi, is still missing, Ban has sent Edmond Mulet, former Special Representative for Haiti and the current Undersecretary-General for peacekeeping, the countries to take full control of the Stabilization Mission United Nations (MINUSTAH).
Arriving in Port-au-Prince, Thursday, Mulet had talks with leaders of Haiti, MINUSTAH, which said that in the process of rebuilding its capacity, and stressed the full support of the UN mission in government, and reconstruction of the devastated capital .
The Secretary General also announced that it has sent to Tony Banbury, the Secretary General of the United Nations field operations, to serve as a member of the mullet.
“I’m going to go very quickly in Haiti, both to show solidarity with the people of Haiti and United Nations personnel and assess the situation for me,” said Ban.
A large scale humanitarian operation is underway, he said, “even if it is necessarily slower and more difficult than any of us would like, we are mobilizing all resources as soon as possible.”
With the limited airport capacity, the roads are still blocked, and the lack of vehicles and fuel in Haiti, the logistical situation, the Secretary-General said, it is very difficult.
“However, the international community’s response has been generous and strong, and we work quickly and effectively, despite the difficult circumstances,” he said.
The United Nations has launched an emergency appeal for approximately U.S. $ 550 million this afternoon, with most of these funds should be directed to the urgent needs such as food, water and shelter.
The UN spokesman Martin Nesirky Monday announced that the UN staff more than 300 are still missing, or missing, with 36 MINUSTAH military and civilians and a staff member with the World Food Program (WFP) has been confirmed as dead.
The Christopher Hotel, which houses the headquarters of the United Nations in Haiti and other buildings housing the offices of the world organization collapsed in tremor.
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