Remarks by Ambassador Alejandro D. Wolff, U.S. Deputy Representative to the United Nations, on Haiti, at the Security Council Stakeout

Alejandro Wolff
Deputy Representative to the United Nations 
U.S. Mission to the United Nations 

New York, NY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Good Morning.  We are quite pleased that we were able to adopt Resolution 1908 within 24 hours of the Secretary-General’s request for additional troop and police forces for MINUSTAH. It was adopted unanimously, which shows the Security Council’s commitment to be as supportive as we can to the urgent needs as described by the Secretariat. 

For the United States’ part, we are, as you know, a friend and partner of Haiti and we are in that country not just for the short term but to be supportive of them over the long term, of all their needs bilaterally as well as in support of the UN effort. This is a massive relief effort, as you know, particularly those of you who travelled there and saw the devastation. It’s an international effort with the UN in the lead, and the Haitian authorities in the lead, and the United States there to work together with them in support of their efforts, not to supplant their efforts. This is perhaps the largest such humanitarian effort in history that we have seen, certainly in this hemisphere; involving food supplies, water supplies, medical supplies, personnel, reconstruction, stabilization, etc.

And so this is a long term effort. The success we have had so far is actually quite remarkable when you consider the devastation to the country and its infrastructure. The airport now is handling a bit over a hundred flights a day from not being able to handle many, the ports soon will be open, there is more obviously through land routes, etc. The facilities are being taxed to capacity and being used 24/7, around the clock, to do as much as possibly can be done. Of course, anything we can do bilaterally we will try to do, and what we can do in support of the UN we will try to do as well.

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