1 According to Agence France-Presse, on the 25th local time, Haitian Public Health Minister Alex Larsen said that the death toll from the earthquake in Haiti may eventually reach 150,000. 90,000 bodies have been counted so far.
It was previously reported that Haiti’s Minister of Communications said that at least 150,000 people had died based only on the number of corpses collected and buried in the capital Port-au-Prince and its suburbs. The truck driver responsible for burying bodies in mass graves said that more than 150,000 bodies of Haitian earthquake victims have been buried.
Haiti’s Communications Minister emphasized that the 150,000 death toll was only the death toll in the capital, Port-au-Prince. Across Haiti, no one knows how many more victims are buried in the rubble.
2 The first international foreign ministerial preparatory meeting on the reconstruction of Haiti concluded this afternoon in Montreal, Canada. Participants agreed that Haiti's reconstruction will be led by Haiti, with the participation, cooperation and coordination of the international community to meet Haiti's current and long-term needs.
Canadian Foreign Minister Cannon issued a presidential statement after the meeting to establish basic principles for the long-term reconstruction of Haiti. These principles include emphasizing respect for Haiti's sovereignty, making it clear that long-term reconstruction will be led by the Haitian government, with the United Nations as the main coordinator, and participating countries and organizations working closely together internationally, domestically and regionally.
Participants pointed out that Haiti’s reconstruction will be a long-term and arduous work lasting ten years, hoping to rebuild Haiti’s response capabilities in terms of environment, climate, disasters and emergencies.
Participants emphasized that a sound monitoring and evaluation system will be established to ensure the efficiency and credibility of the Haitian government and the international community in Haiti's reconstruction. While continuing to provide humanitarian assistance to Haiti, we will strengthen the construction of democratic institutions in Haiti and establish an effective, fair and transparent government to provide the Haitian people with basic human rights services, sustainable social and economic development, and a stable judicial system.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that this meeting is of great significance to the future of Haiti. She promised that the U.S. government, under the leadership of the Haitian government, would work hard and coordinate with other countries to provide the Haitian people with the help they need most so that the people can return to normal life in a timely manner.
The meeting decided to hold an emergency international conference at the United Nations Headquarters in March this year, hosted by the Haitian government and attended by major donor countries and partners, including the United States, Canada, Brazil, France and the European Union.
The one-day Montreal International Foreign Ministerial Preparatory Meeting came to an end. Canadian Prime Minister Harper, Haitian Prime Minister Bellereal, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, French Foreign Minister Kushner and other foreign ministers from Haiti's major donors, United Nations officials and representatives of non-governmental organizations attended the event.
3 Real Estate China Network News It has been ten days since the 7.3-magnitude earthquake occurred in Haiti on January 12. The death toll has exceeded 200,000, there is a shortage of materials, soaring prices, resettlement of victims, post-disaster reconstruction... We are at the moment Following every message coming from Haiti. Donations from all over China are also being sent. In the field of domestic non-public foundations, Wantong Charity Foundation responded immediately and donated US$100,000 to the earthquake-stricken areas in Haiti for post-disaster school reconstruction. The first batch of donated funds has now been sent.
It is understood that the funds came from the spontaneous donations of Vantone Industrial and its subsidiaries, as well as employees. In order to donate to the Haitian people as soon as possible, Vantone executives and employees discussed it overnight, and the donation action quickly spread among employees. Expand. The donation of US$100,000 will be directly sent to Haiti through China Center New York Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Vantone Industrial, for post-disaster school construction. China Center New York Co., Ltd. will serve as the fund supervisor and project progress supervisor for this public welfare project of the Wantong Charity Foundation.
As the Vantone Charity Foundation in the field of non-public foundations, it is committed to communication, publicity, research, funding and related public welfare undertakings in environmental protection, energy conservation, education, social poverty alleviation and other public welfare fields to promote environmental protection. The purpose is to protect, save energy and reduce emissions, and promote the harmonious coexistence between man and nature. The main business area is to promote the construction of domestic ecological communities. This donation to Haiti is the first overseas donation project carried out by the Vantone Charity Foundation since its establishment. In addition, the Vantone Charity Foundation, established in April 2008, also participated in the 2008 Wenchuan disaster relief operation, with a total donation of more than 3 million yuan. Enterprises About 120 employees of the foundation went to the front lines of the disaster area more than ten times, traveling more than 50,000 kilometers and affecting more than 50,000 people. Vantone has accumulated more than 10,000 volunteer hours.
4 According to the British "Daily Telegraph" report on January 25, when people around the world were raising funds for disaster relief in Haiti, a 7-year-old British boy died in just one day. More than 60,000 pounds (approximately RMB 660,000) were raised.
Charlie rides a bicycle to raise funds with his father
Charlie Simpson from London was so sad after seeing Haitian children being rescued from the rubble on TV that he told his mother he wanted to do this Do something. Soon, Charlie took action with the help of his mother. In response to a call from the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), he rode his bicycle around a local park for about 5 miles (about 8 kilometers), calling on people to raise funds for Haiti along the way. He raised 500 pounds (approximately RMB 5,500) in this way. Subsequently, Charlie launched another appeal online.
Unexpectedly, hundreds of people were so inspired by the boy's efforts that more than ￡60,000 was donated in just one day.
"I was so sad when I saw it on TV," Charlie said. He asked his mom to help him create a fundraiser form. "We put it online and it went viral."
"He (Charlie) watched the TV report and burst into tears, and then we talked about what we could do," Charlie Mrs. Simpson's mother told reporters. "He decided to start a 'bike tour' but once father and son set off on their bikes together we had no idea this small effort could have such a big impact. We are so proud of Charlie, he has done a fantastic job and raised "There are so many donations." It is reported that all donations will be sent to Unicef, which is one of the current participants in post-disaster relief operations in Haiti and is mainly responsible for water, sanitation, education and child protection.
Newsom, the main person in charge of Unicef's Haiti rescue mission, said: "Charlie's actions are touching. A child was able to respond and lend a helping hand to the children there after learning about the earthquake in Haiti. This is commendable.”
“His (Charlie’s) efforts can at least help hundreds of thousands of Haitian victims to drink water,” a Unicef ??spokesperson added, “Charlie’s ‘Bicycle Journey’ is profound. It touched us deeply. We had never thought of this kind of fundraising method before, and no one had ever been able to raise 60,000 pounds in one day. Charlie used his actions to tell people that it is not difficult to help the victims. ”
5 China News Service, January 26, 12 days have passed since the earthquake in Haiti. Officials have collected the bodies of about 150,000 victims, but it is believed that there are still 200,000 people buried in the rubble. That means the death toll could be as high as 350,000.
At present, the international rescue team has not given up search and rescue. The security situation in the disaster area is chaotic, and the United Nations has requested more manpower.
Haitian Information Minister Lasegue said that as of Monday, the official death toll was as high as 150,000. This figure is based on the number of corpses collected and does not include those who were collected by their families or those who are still buried in the rubble.
She said: "No one knows how many people are buried in the rubble, but the Prime Minister said there may be 200,000 people."
Yesterday, another 4.7-magnitude aftershock occurred in the local area. Fortunately, there were no people casualties. Dumont, a teacher in the town of Leogan, said: "I heard a rumble, and then there was a loud noise, as if something rushed up from the ground."
At least one of the earthquakes in Haiti happened after There were 50 aftershocks of varying degrees, and the U.S. Geological Survey warned that Haiti will experience more aftershocks in the next month and may have another strong earthquake.
After Haitian officials announced the cessation of search and rescue, the focus of disaster relief has shifted to relieving the victims. However, the French rescue team was still unwilling to give up the search and rescue. According to reports from locals, they discovered another location where survivors were suspected to be buried last Sunday.
French Civil Defense Search and Rescue Captain Chausineide said: "We detected movement underground through radar, but we don't know the specific location of the target yet, and we don't know whether it is a survivor or an animal."
He said radar and sound detectors recorded scraping sounds on the walls and cries. More than 20 rescue team members have been involved in excavation. To ensure safety, a team of French armed police are responsible for security work at the scene.
The United Nations and the US military are trying their best to distribute supplies, but tens of thousands of victims are still lacking food, water and shelter. Robbery crimes are rampant in Port-au-Prince. The Haitian police went to the streets to stop them and even shot the criminals directly, but they still could not control the situation.
A police officer said helplessly: "We are not here to kill people. There are robbers everywhere... What else can we do? We don't have a prison!" Because the prison was destroyed in the earthquake, there was no need for arrests. The police can only give criminals a lecture and then release them.
In order to control the situation, the United Nations called for more troops to enter Haiti to act as makeshift police. In addition to manpower, Special Representative for the United Nations Mission in Haiti Mueller also requested more transportation. Regarding the 20,000 U.S. troops who have arrived in Haiti, he said that they have played a key role in distributing relief supplies.
Haitian authorities plan to relocate some of the hundreds of thousands of victims who have lost their homes, which has already overwhelmed some places. In Saint-Marc, a small city 80 kilometers away from Port-au-Prince, about 10,000 victims have poured in, and buses are still carrying victims into the city, hoping to find food and shelter.
Mueller said it could take years to clean up the disaster area and count the victims. Many experts believe that Haiti's reconstruction work will last at least ten years. In the next few years, hundreds of thousands of Haitians will need to live in temporary shelters and rely on foreign aid.
6 On January 13, a strong earthquake occurred in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti. Eight Chinese peacekeeping policemen, including Zhu Xiaoping and Guo Baoshan, who were performing peacekeeping missions there, were unfortunately killed. Three of them were police officers from the Yunnan Border Guard Corps. In the past few days, the Hunan Border Defense Corps of the Armed Police has held various commemorative activities and called on everyone to learn from the martyrs.
Yang Ming, a police officer at the Zhangjiajie Border Inspection Station, is the only police officer in the province’s border defense system who has participated in peacekeeping missions in Haiti. He has gone to Haiti twice to perform missions and served as a team combatant, English translator, and team liaison officer. Work.
Yesterday, Yang Ming compiled his diary and introduced to reporters his unforgettable peacekeeping experience in Haiti to express his deep nostalgia for his comrades.
1 Boy stares at the garbage swept out
Yang Ming, 28, is from Zhijiang, Hunan and currently serves as a staff officer at the Zhangjiajie Border Inspection Station Headquarters. August 13, 2006, was a very special day for him, because it was his 25th birthday, and he also embarked on a peacekeeping journey in Haiti on this day. This was also the first time that Yang Ming was selected by the Ministry of Public Security to join the Chinese peacekeeping police anti-riot team to perform a mission in Haiti, which lasted until April 2007.
"Blue water, quiet islands, white beaches, gray sailboats..." Looking at the beautiful scenery of Haiti Bay from the plane, Yang Ming really felt that Haiti was a paradise on earth. But when the plane slowly landed, Yang Ming discovered that it was completely different. The airport in Haiti is near the port, surrounded by mountains, and has only one runway. Whenever a landing aircraft taxis to the end of the runway, it must make a 180-degree turn and return to the apron in the middle of the airport. Outside the airport, there are dilapidated bungalows, disorderly streets, desolate and barren fields, and ragged pedestrians.
Poverty and backwardness are Yang Ming’s most profound impressions of Haiti. When they first arrived at the Haiti mission area, Yang Ming and his teammates cleaned up the camp, and some waste items and expired food were thrown into the garbage. Yang Ming found that next to the garbage dump, a little boy about 10 years old was staring at the garbage they had cleaned up. After they left, the little boy hurried over, picked up the expired food and held it tightly in his arms. Yang Ming wrote in his diary that day: In the streets and alleys of Port-au-Prince, discarded garbage can be seen everywhere, piled up in mountains, and the smell is overwhelming. The scars of war are everywhere, and the remaining bullet holes in the walls are witnesses of suffering. Every time he saw these, he always felt various emotions, both bitter and sad.
2 The National Castle is just a hillside
Yang Ming’s first mission in Haiti was to garrison the National Castle. Speaking of castles, the first thing Yang Ming thought of was the thick walls and tall houses, like a dreamy fairy tale world. However, Yang Ming searched for a long time, but found no trace of the castle.
At 6 a.m., Yang Ming and his teammates boarded two Trakas and embarked on the road to the castle. They were all extremely excited and speculating with great interest on the various possibilities of the new service. More than 20 minutes later, the car climbed up a steep and long slope, stopped in front of a large closed iron gate, and arrived at the National Castle. Yang Ming said that the National Castle is surrounded by densely packed private houses, and right in front is the blue sea. The air is fresh and very comfortable. While waiting for the task to be arranged, he searched over and over again at the garrison, but he still couldn't see the castle.
On that day, the Chinese anti-riot squad, the Brazilian peacekeeping force, and the Haitian police drove out of the garrison in three heavily armed vehicles and began patrolling the Bel Air area of ??Port-au-Prince. Yang Ming told reporters that the Bel Air area is the most prosperous place in Haiti. It has the presidential palace and government agencies are gathered here. The situation is relatively stable, but the peacekeeping tasks are also extremely heavy. After the patrol, it was already lunch time when we returned to the Brazilian camp for a short rest. Yang Ming and his teammates ate the field food they brought with them to satisfy their hunger. They gave canned fish and other field food to the Brazilian soldiers and local black people. The Brazilians and black people kept giving thumbs up: "OK, OK!"
And Yang Ming also took advantage of the break. , couldn’t wait to ask the translator about the location of the castle. Yang Ming was stunned by the translator’s answer: “The hillside where this garrison is located is the castle.” The translator told Yang Ming that castle means palace in French and also means defensive wall. Here It was once a battleground for military strategists, so battlements and forts were built. Later generations called it the National Castle, which is still in use today.
3 Courses dedicated to the study of mosquitoes
Less than three months after arriving in the mission area, the Jordanian peacekeeping force was shot by unidentified armed men, and two peacekeeping policemen died. The sacrifice of his colleagues changed Yang Ming's initial thoughts about his own safety. "I used to think that we had advanced weapons and well-equipped equipment, and the militants would definitely stay away and never dare to initiate conflicts." Yang Ming realized that Haiti was not his own As simple as you imagine, danger is everywhere. Only when you complete your mission and set foot on the country can you say it is safe. As long as you are in Haiti, you must always remain vigilant, raise your security awareness, and never let down your guard.
Like Haiti’s unstable environment, Haiti’s natural environment is also relatively harsh. The climate is hot and mosquitoes are rampant. The peacekeeping center also offers courses specifically for the study of mosquitoes. Yang Ming joked with his teammates that in addition to being wary of stray bullets and militants while on duty in Haiti, he also had to deal with the ubiquitous mosquitoes. In the dormitories, gyms, armored vehicles and other places where they are located, mosquitoes are "fighting as a group". After being bitten by a mosquito, large purple-red swellings will appear, which are extremely itchy. The swellings will disappear after three or four days. Yang Ming and his teammates suffered greatly, and some team members were even bruised and bruised. They finally launched the "Mosquito Suppression Action", spraying disinfectant every day, flushing the hall with water every Saturday, and filling in the ground that is prone to water accumulation. Finally, they finally realized that "electric mosquito swatters are basically not used, toilet water is basically not wiped, and mosquitoes are not bitten." Squirting" situation.
On November 12, 2006, the Chinese anti-riot squad had been in the mission area for three months, and the duties at duty points 2 and 3 on Highway 1 were successfully completed. The Chinese anti-riot team provided extra meals at the camp, but they only had two more dishes than usual. "We are still very happy because everyone has a bottle of fragrant beer, and drinking is absolutely prohibited on weekdays." Yang Ming recalled the extra meal that day, and it seemed that the cheers of his teammates "Give it a go!" echoing in the ears.
4 There is also a music carnival in the barren land
European Christianity and Voodoo from Africa have influenced each other in Haiti. Under the influence of the strong musical atmosphere in Latin America, this area In this barren land, a grand national festival gradually emerged - the Haitian Music Carnival. Parades, floats, songs and dances create a strong carnival atmosphere. But Carnival also means excessive drinking, illegal consumption of forbidden substances, and often triggers riots and violence. From August 2008 to June 2009, when Yang Ming was selected to perform peacekeeping missions in Haiti for the second time, he defended the Haitian Music Carnival. When it comes to defending the music festival, Yang Ming only has five words: tired and happy.
From February 18th to February 20th, 2009, it was the Haitian people’s music carnival. The main tasks of peacekeeping forces from various countries are to assist the Haitian police to ensure the safety of the celebration, and to provide security for the United Nations Mission in Haiti to combat all forms of violence. At 1 p.m. every day, the armored convoy departs from Thornaby Camp on time and heads east along Yingbin Avenue to the designated patrol location. The patrol route of Yang Ming and his teammates is roughly the same as the route of the carnival celebration floats. Therefore, the task of maintaining stability is also a top priority.
At 10:00 pm on February 18, 2009, a group of supporters of the former president began to criticize the policies introduced by the new government after being drunk, and began to abuse and attack the current president and foreign peacekeeping forces. Things gradually turned into riots During the incident, a local police car that was the first to arrive at the scene was smashed and burned. Two local police officers were injured by wine bottles and stones and fell into a pool of blood. After receiving the police information, the Chinese anti-riot team, the Jordanian anti-riot team, the Brazilian peacekeeping force, and the Haitian special police rushed to the scene for reinforcements. The Haitian police immediately blocked the scene of the riot. The thugs tried to blend into the crowd and flee the scene. Yang Ming and his teammates immediately used the strong lights on the armored vehicle to target the leading thugs. The Haitian special police quickly rushed into the crowd in the direction of the light and subdued several thugs. .
5 High-level officials from various countries spoke highly of the Chinese anti-riot squad
During the Haitian Music Carnival, the Chinese anti-riot squad also had another important task - to protect the Montana Hotel. Yang Ming told reporters that the Montana Hotel is one of the best hotels in Port-au-Prince. It houses senior United Nations officials and foreign delegation members and is an important target for illegal armed attacks. In order not to affect the hotel's business, Yang Ming and his teammates brought their own field food and moisture-proof mats for fixed-point guarding. As night fell, Yang Ming and his teammates could only take turns to rest in the open space in front of the hotel. However, the heavy body armor made it impossible for the Chinese riot control team members to get a sound sleep. Yang Ming said that at that time, he really wanted to lie in bed and have a good sleep. But the hard work is well worth it. Under the strict guard of Chinese riot police, no attack occurred at the Montana Hotel during the three days of Carnival, and the hotel's normal operations were not affected in any way. Senior officials from various countries staying in the hotel spoke highly of the work of the Chinese anti-riot squad.
Peacekeeping warrior Zhu Xiaoping is a student of Hunan University
Studying for a master's degree in management engineering at the school
News from this newspaper (correspondent Zeng Huanhuan and reporter Xu Yuan) According to Xinhua News Agency Recently, the State Council and the Central Military Commission issued orders to posthumously award Comrades Li Qin, Zhong Jianqin, and He Zhihong the honorary title of "Peacekeeping Heroes"; the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the Ministry of Public Security decided to posthumously award Zhu Xiaoping, Guo Baoshan, Wang Shulin, Li Xiaoming, Comrade Zhao Huayu was awarded the honorary title of "National First-Class Hero Model of the Public Security System". 48-year-old Zhu Xiaoping was the director of the Equipment and Finance Bureau of the Ministry of Public Security before his death. Yesterday, reporters learned from Hunan University that Zhu Xiaoping studied for a master's degree in management engineering at the school.
"Xiaoping, your passing makes the teacher sad, but also makes the teacher proud! You will live in our hearts forever!" On January 23, Chen Shou, a doctoral supervisor at the School of Business Administration of Hunan University, went to the police station A deep tribute to Zhu Xiaoping, the student who died in the Haiti earthquake, was left on the ministry website. On September 18, 1994, 32-year-old Zhu Xiaoping worked in the Ministry of Public Security and was admitted to the School of Business Administration of Hunan University to study for a master's degree in management engineering while studying under Chen Shou.
"Low-key, calm, and conscientious." This was Chen Shou's first impression of Zhu Xiaoping. Among the students of that generation, Zhu Xiaoping was very low-key both in class and in life. Chen Shou thought this was his professional habit. "Students studying for a master's degree on the job are under a lot of work pressure, but Xiaoping is very serious about his work and can always complete everything assigned by the teacher with excellence."
In 1996, the class led by Chen Shou Students defended their graduation thesis one after another, but Zhu Xiaoping did not come. "This is not like Zhu Xiaoping's usual style." Chen Shou felt puzzled. At this time, Zhu Xiaoping also called his supervisor, saying that he had been sent to Hong Kong for coordination before the return due to work needs and was unable to come to complete the thesis defense. “At that time, Zhu Xiaoping’s credits had been completed, and if he did not participate in the thesis defense on time, it would mean giving up his degree.
"Despite this, Zhu Xiaoping still put the national interests first and gave up the defense. While Chen Shou felt sorry for Zhu Xiaoping, he also had respect for his student.
What Chen Shou did not expect was that This phone call with Zhu Xiaoping became the last contact between them.
Due to work reasons, Chen Shou was unable to go to Beijing to attend Zhu Xiaoping’s farewell ceremony. He wrote a message to the students online. (
7 As of today, it has been two weeks since the earthquake in Haiti, and the death toll caused by it, based on the number of bodies found in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, has reached 150,000. Reborn after the disaster, where will this country go in the future, how will the people survive the difficult times, and how will the various forces wax and wane in this country? All this can't help but arouse people's inquiry and sigh. From today on, this newspaper will launch "Haiti Questions." "A series of observations, let readers think about the future of this Caribbean island country.
The United Nations Security Council unanimously passed a resolution on the 19th and decided to send 3,500 additional peacekeepers to Haiti to assist Haiti with humanitarian assistance, maintenance of stability and post-disaster Reconstruction. This has increased the number of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (hereinafter referred to as "MINUSTAH") to 12,600 people.
The question now is, what tasks will the reinforced United Nations forces deal with in Haiti? How can they be most effective?
Social order: the need to "restore the old mountains and rivers"
The top priority of the United Nations forces is to stabilize social order in Haiti, which has just experienced extreme chaos after the earthquake. 14 days. At present, order in Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, has begun to be restored, but looting of relief supplies and robbery still occur from time to time, and the chaotic situation has not been completely reversed.
Xinhua News Agency reported that Guangdong. Peng Hualin, a peacekeeping police officer from the Zhongshan Border Guard Detachment who went to Haiti, said on the 24th that life order in Port-au-Prince is being further restored, but the security situation after the earthquake is even less optimistic than before the earthquake, with frequent riots, and some victims and troublemakers looting stores, looting supplies, Attacks on personnel transporting supplies endanger the safety of rescue workers. Currently, Port-au-Prince is still experiencing a severe shortage of supplies, armed conflicts continue, and stray bullets are flying from time to time.
The reconstruction of Haiti is first and most urgent. To improve social security, we can take the results of the seventh Chinese peacekeeping police anti-riot team that returned to Haiti in June 2009 as an example to look at the security situation in Haiti before the earthquake: this anti-riot team stayed in Haiti for 10 months. During this period, he completed 119 "red high-risk" level tasks such as on-site security for the Haitian presidential election, secret searches, hostage rescues, and armed guards, and participated in the capture of the gangster "City Soleil", the leader of the violent armed gang "Martisan" and other criminal suspects 136 people.
After more than five years of efforts by MINUSTAH, the security in Haiti has improved slightly, but a major earthquake has returned the situation to chaos, especially when thousands or even thousands of people were killed. The prisoner took advantage of the chaos after the earthquake to escape, and it was even more important for MINUCH to arrest him first to ensure that the natural disaster would not worsen the man-made disaster.
Material distribution: performing civil affairs functions
However, one of the fundamental reasons for the phenomenon of looting materials is that the materials cannot be distributed to the victims in time, so the problem lies in how to distribute them effectively and safely.
Xinhua News Agency stated on the 22nd that in Haiti, on the one hand, the victims are crying for food and the wounded are in urgent need of treatment. On the other hand, relief supplies, medicines and medical equipment are piled up at the airport. The distribution of the entire relief supplies lacks effective organization and implementation.
In response to this situation, Haitian President Préval stated on the 23rd that since the Haitian government institutions were severely damaged in the strong earthquake, they were no longer able to undertake the coordination and distribution of relief supplies, and must rely on the power of the United Nations in order to make it possible. Disaster relief materials reach the victims as soon as possible. He called on the United Nations to set up a "red helmet" rescue force as opposed to the peacekeeping "blue helmet" force to help the Haitian government distribute relief supplies.
Judging from the news sent back from the front, the United Nations indeed needs to send additional manpower to perform the functions that belong to the civil affairs department of the Haitian government. For example, Oxfam sent an email to China Business News saying that thousands of survivors have nothing and need clean water for drinking and washing, public toilets to control the spread of disease, and shelters. and simple household items, such as pots for cooking.
The relationship between the "Troika" is delicate
The term of the 3,500 additional peacekeepers deployed by the United Nations is six months. This shows that they not only have to participate in disaster relief, but also assume part of the reconstruction function.
The next step for Haitian peacekeeping may be to speed up the reconstruction of local security forces, including training local police. Before the earthquake, there were 4,500 police officers in Port-au-Prince. Currently, only about 2,000 police officers have been found and returned to work, which is not enough to deal with emergencies.
Of course, rebuilding Haiti does not happen overnight, and it is not just the work of peacekeeping troops and police. After all, in a country with a per capita GDP of only a few hundred dollars and more than half of the population unemployed, the military and police alone cannot restore order. Haiti’s entire society—from its physical infrastructure to its intangible social management mechanisms—needs to be rebuilt.
Since 2004, MINUSTAH has led peacekeeping in Haiti. However, after the earthquake, at the request of the Haitian government, the United States sent 13,000 soldiers to Haiti, exceeding the total number of MINUSTAH.
The United Nations and the United States reached an agreement on the 22nd, confirming that the United Nations is responsible for the overall coordination of international rescue operations after the earthquake in Haiti, and also authorized the United States to play a "supporting role". But legally speaking, these US troops are not within the United Nations establishment, and the United Nations Mission in the Sea and the US military do not belong to the same command system. For the United Nations, how to deal with the relationship with the sudden increase in the number of U.S. troops may be quite difficult to consider.
In essence, for some time to come, the management of Haiti will be dominated by the "troika" of the United Nations, the United States and the Haitian government. The stability of Haiti will largely depend on whether this "triangular relationship" is strong.
8 Representatives from dozens of countries and international organizations held the first international conference on Haiti earthquake relief in Canada on the 25th. The focus of the conference was to assess the damage caused by the earthquake and determine the most urgent tasks at present.
The hurricane season will intensify the disaster
The international community is actively providing assistance, but lack of coordination is the main problem.
The Canadian government said that Haiti faces "unprecedented" short- and long-term challenges, and coordinated rescue operations from the international community are the key to changing the situation.
The meeting is scheduled to be held in Montreal to review disaster relief efforts and discuss the current humanitarian situation in Haiti and the coordination of international disaster relief and reconstruction assistance.
In addition to Canada and Haiti, representatives from more than 20 countries and international organizations including the United Nations, the United States, France, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, the European Union, the International Monetary Fund, and the World Bank attended the meeting.
It is reported that Haiti will enter the six-month hurricane season in June, and rescue workers are worried that this will make the disaster worse.
Aid is not a promise but an action
One of the topics at the Montreal meeting is to discuss the time and location of a larger international conference on Haiti's reconstruction, which may be held in the next few months. . "The purpose of this meeting is not to make commitments, but to ensure that we have an action plan."
The United Nations has called on the international community to provide approximately US$570 million in emergency aid to Haiti, and approximately US$240 million in aid has been committed and disbursed. .
Haiti’s neighbor, the Dominican Republic, proposed last week a $10 billion five-year aid plan for Haiti.
On the 25th, the charity Oxfam International called on the Montreal Conference to include the cancellation of Haiti’s US$890 million international debt as an issue.
Jeremy Hobbs, international executive director of Oxfam, said in London that expecting Haiti to repay its foreign debt after the earthquake was not only "cruel" but "unnecessary". He said that the International Monetary Fund has stated that it will convert a US$100 million emergency loan into assistance once it receives the consent of its members.
Hobbs also listed other major issues that need to be addressed as Haiti rebuilds, including providing support for local farmers and small businesses.
The articles in this series are based on Xinhua News Agency and China Daily
A close-up of the miraculous survival of a two-year-old boy brings hope to Haiti
Redkinson Houstin K Lorde is only a two-year-old boy, but his frail body brings hope to the Haitian people who are experiencing suffering. His rescue seemed like a ray of light illuminating these dark days caused by the earthquake.
Accompanied by his father Rechnald and mother Presl, Redkinson returned to his former home on January 24, but due to the earthquake, it had already turned into a pile of ruins. Three days ago, Redkinson saved his life in this pile of rubble, while his brother, great-grandmother and two cousins ??were buried under the rubble forever.
Next to the ruins, a puppy was looking for food on a corpse that had rotted but had not yet been cremated. The devastated scene reminded people of the horror of the earthquake from time to time.
Redkinson's return undoubtedly allowed the people here to temporarily escape from their depressing lives. The women seemed very happy to see Redkinson, who was still healthy and lively. They stepped forward one after another and rushed to hug the brave little boy. Redkinson also smiled brightly in the hugs. Apparently, he was a local hero.
"Everything is disappointing, the earthquake claimed so many lives, but the good news is that Redkinson's rescue has brought hope to everyone, which makes us all feel happy ," one woman said with tears in her eyes.
After the earthquake, Redkinson’s father, Rechnald, was lucky to survive. On the 21st, he found the body of his eldest son Felix in the rubble. A passerby told him that there were children nearby. Crying sounds. "I screamed Redkinson's name over and over again... finally, he answered," Rechnald said. Then, with the help of rescuers and search and rescue dogs, Redkinson was found under a prefabricated board. This prefabricated board held up a small space for Redkinson, allowing the little boy to escape, and Virtually uninjured.
Redkinson’s parents lost their eldest son in the earthquake, their home and everything in the family, and even their jobs. "Thank you Lord for letting us have Redkinson again. He gave us a reason to live," said Redkinson's mother.