YK:n humanitaarisen avun koordinaation toimiston OCHA:n kokous: pysyvän edustajan sijaisen, suurlähettiläs Heidi Schroderus-Foxin puhe New Yorkissa 21.1.2010 - Suomen pysyvä edustusto, YK : Ajankohtaista

YK:n humanitaarisen avun koordinaation toimiston OCHA:n kokous: pysyvän edustajan sijaisen, suurlähettiläs Heidi Schroderus-Foxin puhe New Yorkissa 21.1.2010

Mr. Under-Secretary-General,

Excellencies, 

A week after the devastating earthquake in Haiti it is difficult to fully comprehend the immense human suffering and destruction caused by it. The grief of people of Haiti and all those that have lost their loved ones touches us all. It is time for the international community to pull together and spare no effort in the humanitarian response. 

Finland was among the first to mobilize emergency aid and logistics support to provide urgent assistance to the victims. Last week the Government of Finland granted 1,25 million euros in humanitarian assistance to the earthquake victims in Haiti. 750.000 euros were channeled through the Finnish Red Cross for a mobile clinic and personnel that is already in place in Port-au-Prince.

500.000 euros were granted to support the rescue operations of the Finn Church Aid. They have sent Finnish aid workers to Haiti to supply water and food aid. In addition, an IT module, a Light Base Camp and experts to run them were mobilized through the EU MIC/ UNDAC.

Today, the Government of Finland has decided to allocate an additional 3,75 million euros in support of  Haiti. This will be channeled as follows:

• 1,1 million euros through the WFP for food aid and logistics support
• one million euros through UNICEF for protection of children, water, sanitation and health
• 700.000 euros through the IOM
• 500.000 euros through the Finnish Red Cross for the RC field hospital and personnel
• 300.000 euros through the Finn Church Aid for water and sanitation to be targeted for the most vulnerable groups, and finally
• 150.000 euros through OCHA for aid coordination.

This brings Finland’s total humanitarian assistance contribution to Haiti to 5 million euros, out of which a total of 2,95 million euros through the UN system and 2,05 million euros through Finnish NGOs.

I would also like to take this opportunity to commend all UN agencies for their efforts, OCHA in particular, for its coordinating role and work in assuring a coherent international response to this crisis in Haiti. 

Thank you.