OTTAWA UNVEILS $93 MILLION ASSISTANCE PACKAGE FOR HAITI
(AHN) - By Vittorio Hernandez
Despite the one-year anniversary of the tremor – which killed 300,000 Haitians and made 1.4 million homeless – about one million quake victims still live in camps.
Canadian International Cooperation Minister Bev Oda announced Tuesday a $93 million assistance package for Haiti to fund eight new initiatives in the quake-torn nation. The initiatives would improve children’s health, education and agriculture.
About $50 million would be sourced from Ottawa and the other $40 million from the $400 million reconstruction fund that Ottawa committed in 2010 to Port-au-Prince, which was devastated on Jan. 12 by the earthquake.
The health initiative includes free health care for 3 million Haitian women and young children and the construction of 10 maternity clinics and 35 schools. There would also be assistance for farmers to rebuild their farms and food assistance to rural residents.
Despite the one-year anniversary of the tremor – which killed 300,000 Haitians and made 1.4 million homeless – about 1 million quake victims still live in camps. Canada and other Western nations that had previously pledged assistance were criticized for slowness in keeping their promises of help the past 12 months.
Canadian municipalities, too, have promised to provide professional expertise to help four Haitian cities, including capital Port-au-Prince, rise from the rubbles of the temblor.
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