President Barack Obama said Wednesday that Haiti's plight was still "dire" after its earthquake and warned after meeting Haitian President Rene Preval of a possible new humanitarian disaster.
The US leader expressed fears that looming spring rains in Haiti could pose a severe threat to 1.3 million vulnerable people left homeless after the January quake which killed more than 220,000 people.
"The situation on the ground remains dire and people should be under no illusions that the crisis is over," Obama said, in a poignant joint appearance with Preval in the White House Rose Garden.
Preval thanked Americans for their solidarity in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, and all foreign governments, aid organizations and donors who responded in a "commensurate" way to Haiti's tragedy.
He strongly backed the concept of a United Nations "red helmet" rapid reaction force of experts, firefighters and other relief workers to manage humanitarian efforts within hours of a massive natural disaster.
He said long-term rebuilding aid and efforts to improve health care, education and unemployment should include rural areas, in order to avoid new migratory flows into the devastated and impoverished capital Port-au-Prince.
"We must draw the lessons from what occurred in Haiti. These are lessons for all of mankind," Preval said.
"The massive, spontaneous, generous help was a good response to the disaster. However, its effectiveness must be improved, because effectiveness depends on the quality of coordination."
Preval also said that hoped-for donor funds gathered at a United Nations conference in New York later this month should be administered by a single trust fund to ensure they were spent wisely.
In the past, given pervasive corruption in Haitian society, and a volatile political situation, the full impact of some development aid has not been felt, leaving some donors questioning future funding.
Obama said there remained a "desperate need" for humanitarian aid in Haiti, describing the quake as "one of the most devastating natural disasters ever to strike our hemisphere." Related article: Protest underlines 'dire' aid challenge in Haiti
"The challenge now is to prevent a second disaster," Obama said, hours after former president Bill Clinton, now a UN special envoy to Haiti, warned that a new wave of deaths could be caused by poor sanitary conditions.
Obama described his talks with Preval as "very productive" and said the Haitian leader offered an update on the "awful scale of Haitian loss."
"No nation could respond to such a catastrophe alone," Obama said, adding that the UN donors conference would allow the world to keep its commitment to help Haiti rebuild.
"This pledge is one that I made at the beginning of this crisis, and I intend for America to keep our pledge," Obama said. "America will be your partner."
Obama however conspicuously avoided detailed mention of Haiti's political situation, a day after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton joined Preval to call for new elections as soon as possible. Related article: Feared gangs regrouping to prey on quake-hit Haiti: police
The US leader also said he was "extraordinarily proud" of each of the 20,000 US military and civilian personnel who flocked to Haiti in the aftermath of the disaster to help with the relief effort and provide much-needed security.
"They saved lives, countless lives, of men and women and children," Obama said.
The Pentagon said the Comfort naval hospital, which is leaving Haiti on Wednesday, treated 871 patients during its seven-week mission and performed 843 surgeries.
The Comfort has spent the past two weeks helping Haitians for ailments unrelated to the earthquake, with the last person treated for earthquake injuries discharged on February 27, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said.
The naval doctors also delivered 10 babies onboard the ship, he said.
Bill Clinton delivered his warning in testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations committee, saying his biggest worry was that unsanitary conditions would "lead to a second round of deaths" when the rainy season comes.
Related article: Private firms line up as Haiti opens for business
Copyright 2010 AFP Global Edition
Comments