EU Nations Pledge
$575 Million Haiti Aid
European
Union nations have pledged over 400 million Euros to help quake
survivors and rebuilding efforts in Haiti after last week's
massive earthquake.
EU Development Commissioner, Karel de Gucht is also due in Haiti
on Wednesday, to assess aid needs and logistical problems.
The European Union Commission on Monday said it would contribute
330 million Euros in emergency and long-term aid to Haiti. EU
member states also sourced 92 million Euros in emergency aid
alone.
Pledges
In addition, the EU was moving toward sending 150 people to
be part of a police force to beef up security in the quake-hit
Caribbean nation.
EU foreign policy Chief, Catherine Ashton said after an
emergency meeting of the 27-nation EU's development ministers,
’’We have taken swift action.’’
Development Secretary Douglas Alexander said Britain would
triple its commitment to 20 million pounds to deal with what he
described as, ’’an almost unprecedented level of devastation.’’
France committed 10 million Euros and Italy said it was
‘willing’ to forgive Haiti's 40 million Euros debt on top of its
aid pledges.
Casualty
The Haitian earthquake is fast becoming the largest
international relief effort since the cataclysmic Asian tsunami
of Year 2004.
Estimates put the death toll from the 7.0-magnitude quake on
January 12 at about 50,000 and 100,000 — but Haitian officials
believe the toll will exceed that.
Concerted Offer of Support
In Paris, however, Cooperation Minister Alain Joyandet — who
had already complained that U.S. forces had held up French said
on Monday he wanted the American role in Haiti clarified.
U.S. officials had turned a French aid plane back from the
Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince because the airport was
overcrowded. The plane landed the following day.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner warned governments and
aid groups not to squabble as they try to get their aid into
earthquake-ravaged Haiti.
He said on France-Info radio that, ’’ People always want it to
be their plane ... that land but what's important is the fate of
the Haitians.’’
In Denmark, aid organizations such as the Danish Red Cross,
UNICEF Denmark and Save the Children have raised 18 million
kroner so far.
Twelve Swedish charity agencies have received donations of about
50 million kronor since the earthquake struck — with 21 million
kronor of that from the Swedish post code lottery.
A Dutch navy ship with aid and 80 military and relief workers
was expected to dock Monday in Haiti and a Dutch charter plane
left on a mission to evacuate some 100 children whose adoption
has been accelerated because of the quake.
Outside of the EU, Norway, a country of only 4.8 million,
decided to increase aid to Haiti to 100 million kroner.
AP/Yinka
