Foreign Affairs Council holds extraordinary meeting on Haiti

 

The Foreign Affairs Council in the format of the EU development ministers   held an extraordinary meeting to discuss actions following the massive earthquake that struck Haiti on 12 January. The ministers expressed their deepest sympathies for the people of Haiti and the international organisations that lost representatives in the catastrophe, and expressed their willingness to further assist the devastated country. Slovenia was represented at the meeting by Alenka Suhadolnik, Head of the Department for International Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Assistance at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The ministers agreed that the current chaotic situation calls not only for immediate, effective and large-scale humanitarian aid, but also for the willingness of the EU to assist the people of Haiti in reconstruction and further development. Statistics on the casualties and damage to people and infrastructure is still not fully available, and the ministers thus appeal for a speedy assessment of the situation and effective co-ordination within the UN and with other important donors, particularly the USA, as well as within the EU. The European Commissioner for Development & Humanitarian Aid, Karel De Gucht, will travel to Port-au Prince this week, and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union, Catherine Ashton, to the USA to co-ordinate activities within the UN.

EU Member States presented their initial contributions to the affected population: The European Commission and Member States have earmarked EUR 30 million and EUR 92 million, respectively, to facilitate rapid delivery of humanitarian aid. According to preliminary data, the EU will donate another EUR 100 million for reconstruction and approximately EUR 200 million for further development efforts. Most countries have appealed for an urgent response of the EU in facilitating humanitarian aid, including health care, provision of drinking water supply, sanitation, tents and shelters, food, and logistics. Following a thorough review of the situation, a reconstruction plan will be developed and later discussed at the announced donor conference.

Slovenia has so far donated EUR 50,000 for Haiti earthquake relief in and is considering a donation of 25 tents for approximately 300 people with a value of EUR 70,000.

The next regular meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council is scheduled for 25 January when the ministers will evaluate the situation and discuss further steps.

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