China Focus

UN: China 'remarkably efficient' in Haiti aid

By Wu Chong (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-01-20 15:47

NEW YORK: The police force in Haiti will be doubled to 4,000 to provide assistance to both security issues and humanitarian relief despite the United Nations reiterating the general situation on ground in Haiti is "stable and normal" despite some "isolated incidents."

UN: China 'remarkably efficient' in Haiti aid

Chinese doctors refresh bandages for injured Haitian quake victims in Port-au-Prince January 18, 2010. More than 30 countries and regions have sent rescue teams to Haiti after a devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit the Caribbean country January 12, 2010. A 60-strong Chinese rescue team arrived at Port-au-Prince at 2 am local time January 14, 2010. [Photo/Xinhua]

And earlier Tuesday, the UN Security Council unanimously voted for a resolution recommended by the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to increase the overall force levels of the UN peacekeeping mission in Haiti. Accordingly, the Council approved to expand the ceiling of troops to 8,940 and that of the police to 3,711.

"We will see during the next days, weeks and months if we need to reach that ceiling here at the presence of troops and police in Haiti, depending on the revolution of the situation," Edmond Mulet, acting special representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti, told reporters in New York via video call.

Chinese rescue teams working in Haiti were also recognized for being "remarkably efficient" by the UN.

Mulet said the public transportation in Port-au-Prince is now running and increasing, and the public is acting in a sober and responsible way. "They are organizing themselves in communities block by block and in supporting groups within themselves to coordinate the delivery of assistance," he said.

But the security issue is still a concern as on the one hand, about 4,000 prisoners are now running on streets, and on the other hand, more and more earthquake victims are starting to leave Port-au-Prince to other provinces, where food and water is more available, according to Mulet.

The special representative also gave an account on the division of labors by multiple countries, which are now all under the coordination of the UN. Canada, for example, is taking care of the food delivery in the worst-damaged areas, and more field hospitals are coming from nearby countries including Mexico and the United States.

Diesels are being transported from the Dominique Republic to the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince only to help run water distribution systems.

David Wimhurst, communications director for the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti, gave a special recognition to Chinese rescue teams, saying they were "remarkably efficient”.

"It was thanks to them that we were able to make such a progress on our buildings," he said. "We thank China for the very generous, quick and remarkable expertise and help in this terrible tragedy."

Wilmhurst said that over 40 bodies of the UN staff have been recovered so far, including 11 bodies just unearthed on Tuesday morning from the UN building in Haiti. And according to Mulet, about 278 national Haiti staff of the MINUSTAH are still unaccounted for.

The UN headquarter in New York held a mourning on Tuesday afternoon for the hundreds of thousands of victims in Haiti earthquake, with a wreath laying, a moment of silence, a candlelight of vigil and UN flag at half mast.

According to UN, 90 people have been saved by 43 international teams made up of 1,700 people since the earthquake. And as of Monday, 270,000 people had received emergency food assistance, according to the World Food Programme.