Canada Steps Up Help For Haiti

January 19, 2010

MP Mark Warawa commends the relief efforts Canada and the Canadian people are making in Haiti.
 
Langley residents who are calling the MP’s office concerned about the disaster in Haiti are being comforted by the level of aid being offered to Haiti by our Government,” says Langley MP Mark Warawa.   “The majority of calls our office has been receiving have mainly to do with the status of adoptions, refugees and the medical response to survivors.
 
“The Government of Canada’s has stepped up it efforts assist the millions of people affected by last week’s earthquake, and we are offering our assistance on many fronts. It’s important for Langley residents to know the details of Canada’s response,” says Warawa.
Relief supplies are getting into the country and survivors are getting access to basic services. “Immediate needs are being addressed; such as food, water, shelter, infrastructure, port, airport, and communications. Contributions from Canada and other countries are making a difference in caring for the injured, preventing the spread of disease, and providing food, water and other essentials.
 
“Our Government helped deploy a field hospital managed by the Canadian and Norwegian Red Cross Societies. The medical and technical personnel arrived on the weekend and the hospital is now operational. It should provide care for up to 300 people per day.
Three new Canadian contributions to the humanitarian and relief needs in Haiti have been announced.
 

• “First, we will contribute $60 million to the United Nations Appeal to help UN organizations deliver essential services to approximately 3 million people over the next six months.”
  
  
• The single largest contribution of $39 million will be to address food security needs through the World Food Programme.
  
  
• We will make a major contribution of $15 million to UNICEF to fund interventions in health, nutrition, protection, water and sanitations services for women and children.

 
We will also address health and shelter needs through other key UN organizations on the ground, including the International Organization for Migration, the World Health Organization/Pan American Health Organization, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the UN Population Fund and the UN Department of Safety and Security.
“Second, we will provide $11.5 million to six Canadian non-governmental organizations. CARE, Médecins du Monde and Save the Children, as well as Oxfam-Quebec, CECI, World Vision and the Canadian Red Cross Society for such life-saving services as water and sanitation, medical treatment, shelter, and the provision of protection.”
“Finally, we will contribute $8.5 million to the Emergency Appeal of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. This will help the IFRC to continue to provide water, sanitation and health services to approximately 300,000 people.” 
Today’s funding builds on the Government’s $5 million initial response which has already been disbursed on critical relief supplies such as food, tents and blankets, on essential services such as water, sanitation and protection services, and the field hospital.
 
It also comes in addition to the Haiti matching fund through which, the generosity of Canadians has already allowed to raise over $40 million for immediate humanitarian assistance, an amount that our government will be matching.
The Government of Canada has decided to deploy the Canadian Forces Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) to the region of Jacmel, located approximately 40 kilometres southwest of the capital of Port-au-Prince. HMCS Halifax will be stationed offshore from Jacmel, while HMCS Athabaskan will drop anchor just around the corner, near the town of Léogâne. Léogâne was near the epicentre of the earthquake, experiencing 90 percent destruction.
 
The Jacmel region has been identified by the government of Haiti as a priority for international assistance. The deployment of the DART to the Jacmel/Léogâne region is supported by both the United Nations and the Prime Minister of Canada, and was undertaken at the request of the Government of Haiti.
 
The road to Jacmel is severely damaged and the port rendered inoperable, isolating it from the world. A journey that would normally take four hours by road now takes at least eight. When the DART reconnaissance team first entered the area several days ago, they were in fact the first people from Port-au-Prince to visit Jacmel since the earthquake struck. The situation is dire – as it is in other areas devastated by the earthquake. Many people are injured, deprived of food and water, and unable to access essential services. The DART will provide medical assistance, water purification and engineering support to the area. It is well-equipped to make a difference, helping those who need it most.
 
In addition to the Canadian Forces’ troops already supporting recovery efforts in Haiti, the approximately 500 troops onboard HMCS Halifax and HMCS Athabaskan will provide support to DART’s efforts, clearing rubble, providing medical assistance, and opening the road so that vehicles can travel between Jacmel and Léogâne.
 
These will not be easy tasks, but they are essential in order to restore some semblance of normalcy to this devastated population. Canadian Forces are well trained and well equipped to face the challenges we as Canadians ask of them.
 
 
Canadian Forces support of this massive humanitarian assistance effort include:

• The Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), including engineering, medical, logistical, and defence and security personnel;
• A Naval Task Force, made up of a destroyer and a frigate, and a CH-124 Sea King helicopter;
• Six CH-146 Griffon helicopters;
• One light infantry battalion, standing by to deploy;
• CC-177 Globemaster and CC-130 Hercules airlift support; and
• Medical facilities.
  
  

In the past 24 hrs the Canadian Forces have airlifted 99,000 pounds of aid into Haiti, bringing the total to more than 293 tonnes in Relief Goods alone, in addition to equipment and supplies transported into theatre. I mentioned yesterday that we would have three NOMAD water purification systems in place shortly. The last of these systems arrived yesterday and, once fully operational, each unit will produce 36,000 gallons of clean water per day, which will be distributed to Haitians.
 
“I commend the deep support and unwavering commitment of the Canadian government and the Canadian people for Haiti,” says Warawa. ‘We stand ready to further contribute police and security forces as soon as the MINUSTAH signals conditions allow and we continue to work closely with the Government of Haiti, the United Nations and other missions toward an effective and coordinated response to this disaster.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the loved ones of the 12 Canadians and tens of thousands of others, who are confirmed to have died in the earthquake, says Warawa. “As the Canadian Forces mount an extraordinary effort to assist Haitians on the ground, Canadians continue to pledge their support, both monetary and spiritual, to the people of Haiti.  Together, we will be able to help see our Haitian friends through this crisis and started on the road to recovery.”