Remarks by the First Lady and Dr. Biden at Thank You Event
Categories: Dr. Jill Biden, Foreign Policy, Haiti, Office of the First Lady, Speeches and Remarks, The First Lady Tags:
Press Gaggle with the First Lady and Dr. Biden at end of Haiti Visit
3:47 P.M. (Local)
DR. BIDEN: Okay, so this has been an absolutely incredible trip. General Keen from the U.S. Army took us around with the U.S. military today. We saw areas of devastation. We saw schools. We saw camps.
But I think the one thing that we take away from it is really the strength and the resilience of the human spirit, and that's what we saw today and that's what we’ll take home to Washington with us.
Thank you.
MRS. OBAMA: Well, and I think it was important for Jill and I to come now because we’re at the point where the relief efforts are underway but the attention of the world starts to wane a bit. And as we enter the rainy season and the hurricane season, you know, the issues are just going to become more compounded. And I think it was important for us to come and shed a light.
But it was also important to speak to the President and First Lady, who is just -- she is just a powerhouse. And she’s been working on education. The school that we visited, this sort of bus camp, was one of two sites that are feeding and caring for nearly a thousand children a day that are coming through those -- that particular site. They’re reading, they’re dancing, they’re painting. I painted a purple fish, by the way -- (laughter) -- and Jill did a house --
DR. BIDEN: A house. (Laughter.)
MRS. OBAMA: With trees and everything. It’s very good.
But it’s providing some level of stability and normalcy for kids who don't really have a place to go yet.
But what is clear is that there is still so much to do. I mean, when we flew over -- we did an aerial tour because it was probably the quickest and safest way -- but what you see -- you know, imagine a country where every church and every school has been destroyed. And at least that's what the -- every church and every school has been destroyed and has to be rebuilt from the bottom up.
Now, that's an incredibly daunting challenge, but as the President sees it, it’s also an incredible responsibility. But it’s going to take all of us. And that's what we talked about when we met with the U.N. staff, is that this has not been a U.S. effort. This has been a global effort. America has been a leader, but it has not been the only leader, by any close margin. And in order for Haiti to get back to where it needs to be, it’s going to take the world continuing to invest, to partner, to show that sense of compassion.
Stepping up and seeing the world work on behalf of Haiti has been the absolute right thing to do. And it’s just been a privilege for Jill and I to be able to come to see for ourselves, to lend support, to boost morale wherever. You know, I think it’s important for us and America to know that we still have U.S. Embassy officials working here, working here tirelessly. They’ve left their families. Some have sent them back home. They’re living in tents. The same for U.N. officials.
And the world needs to understand that there is still a small cadre of people working day in and day out to get this country back on its feet. So we’re just happy to be able to shed a little light on this situation.
DR. BIDEN: God bless them.
MRS. OBAMA: Absolutely.
DR. BIDEN: And God bless the Haitians.
MRS. OBAMA: Absolutely. So thank you all. Thank you for following us around and covering this. This has been an emotional but important day for Jill and I.
So thank you.
DR. BIDEN: Thank you.
Q Based on what you saw today, do you think that the aid money that's been contributed by Americans is actually reaching the Haitian people?
MRS. OBAMA: Yes. And, you know, by all accounts, the Haitian people are very happy with the relief efforts. Still, accountability is key. And, you know, I know that the governments are going to continue to work together. But I think that my sense is the Haitian people feel a deep appreciation for what the world has done, that’s for sure.
END
3:51 P.M. EDT
Categories: Dr. Jill Biden, Haiti, Office of the First Lady, Press Briefings, The First Lady Tags:
Press Gaggle with the First Lady and Dr. Biden at end of Haiti Visit
3:47 P.M. (Local)
DR. BIDEN: Okay, so this has been an absolutely incredible trip. General Keen from the U.S. Army took us around with the U.S. military today. We saw areas of devastation. We saw schools. We saw camps.
But I think the one thing that we take away from it is really the strength and the resilience of the human spirit, and that's what we saw today and that's what we’ll take home to Washington with us.
Thank you.
MRS. OBAMA: Well, and I think it was important for Jill and I to come now because we’re at the point where the relief efforts are underway but the attention of the world starts to wane a bit. And as we enter the rainy season and the hurricane season, you know, the issues are just going to become more compounded. And I think it was important for us to come and shed a light.
But it was also important to speak to the President and First Lady, who is just -- she is just a powerhouse. And she’s been working on education. The school that we visited, this sort of bus camp, was one of two sites that are feeding and caring for nearly a thousand children a day that are coming through those -- that particular site. They’re reading, they’re dancing, they’re painting. I painted a purple fish, by the way -- (laughter) -- and Jill did a house --
DR. BIDEN: A house. (Laughter.)
MRS. OBAMA: With trees and everything. It’s very good.
But it’s providing some level of stability and normalcy for kids who don't really have a place to go yet.
But what is clear is that there is still so much to do. I mean, when we flew over -- we did an aerial tour because it was probably the quickest and safest way -- but what you see -- you know, imagine a country where every church and every school has been destroyed. And at least that's what the -- every church and every school has been destroyed and has to be rebuilt from the bottom up.
Now, that's an incredibly daunting challenge, but as the President sees it, it’s also an incredible responsibility. But it’s going to take all of us. And that's what we talked about when we met with the U.N. staff, is that this has not been a U.S. effort. This has been a global effort. America has been a leader, but it has not been the only leader, by any close margin. And in order for Haiti to get back to where it needs to be, it’s going to take the world continuing to invest, to partner, to show that sense of compassion.
Stepping up and seeing the world work on behalf of Haiti has been the absolute right thing to do. And it’s just been a privilege for Jill and I to be able to come to see for ourselves, to lend support, to boost morale wherever. You know, I think it’s important for us and America to know that we still have U.S. Embassy officials working here, working here tirelessly. They’ve left their families. Some have sent them back home. They’re living in tents. The same for U.N. officials.
And the world needs to understand that there is still a small cadre of people working day in and day out to get this country back on its feet. So we’re just happy to be able to shed a little light on this situation.
DR. BIDEN: God bless them.
MRS. OBAMA: Absolutely.
DR. BIDEN: And God bless the Haitians.
MRS. OBAMA: Absolutely. So thank you all. Thank you for following us around and covering this. This has been an emotional but important day for Jill and I.
So thank you.
DR. BIDEN: Thank you.
Q Based on what you saw today, do you think that the aid money that's been contributed by Americans is actually reaching the Haitian people?
MRS. OBAMA: Yes. And, you know, by all accounts, the Haitian people are very happy with the relief efforts. Still, accountability is key. And, you know, I know that the governments are going to continue to work together. But I think that my sense is the Haitian people feel a deep appreciation for what the world has done, that’s for sure.
END
3:51 P.M. EDT
Categories: Dr. Jill Biden, Haiti, Office of the First Lady, Press Briefings, The First Lady Tags:
Letter from the President Regarding Budget Supplemental on Haiti
TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 24, 2010
Dear Madam Speaker:
I ask the Congress to consider the enclosed amendments to Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 proposals in my FY 2011 Budget. Included are amendments for the Departments of Agriculture, Defense, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, State, and the Treasury, as well as the United States Agency for International Development and the Broadcasting Board of Governors. These amendments would provide for costs associated with relief and reconstruction support for Haiti following the devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010, including reimbursement of obligations that have already been incurred by these agencies.
The proposed totals for FY 2010 in my FY 2011 Budget would increase by $2.8 billion as a result of these amendments.
This request responds to urgent and essential needs. Therefore, I request these proposals be considered as emergency requirements. The details of these amendments are set forth in the enclosed letter from the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.
Sincerely,
BARACK OBAMA
Categories: Foreign Policy, Haiti, Office of the Press Secretary, Statements and Releases, The President Tags:
The President Donates Nobel Prize Money to Charity
WASHINGTON – President Obama today announced the charities that will receive a portion of the $1.4 million award that comes with the Nobel peace prize.
“These organizations do extraordinary work in the United States and abroad helping students, veterans and countless others in need,” said President Obama. “I’m proud to support their work.”
List of Charities
$250,000 to Fisher House
Fisher House is a national non-profit organization that provides housing for families of patients receiving medical care at major military and VA medical centers.
$200,000 to the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund
In the wake of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, President Obama asked former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton to create the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund to raise funds for long-term relief efforts in Haiti.
$125,000 to College Summit
College Summit is a national non-profit organization that partners with high schools to strengthen college-going culture and increase college enrollment rates, so that all students graduate from high school career and college-ready.
$125,000 to the Posse Foundation
The Posse Foundation is a national non-profit organization that identifies public high school students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential who may be overlooked by traditional college selection processes. Posse’s college and university partners award Posse Scholars four-year, full-tuition leadership scholarships. The scholars graduate at a rate of 90 percent.
$125,000 to the United Negro College Fund
The United Negro College Fund plays a critical role in enabling more than 60,000 students each year to attend college through scholarship and internship programs.
$125,000 to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund
The Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) is the nation's leading Hispanic scholarship organization, providing the Hispanic community more college scholarships and educational outreach support than any other organization in the country. In its 34 year history, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund has awarded close to $280M in scholarships to more than 90,000 students in need.
$125,000 to the Appalachian Leadership and Education Foundation
A non-profit organization funded by foundations and companies, ALEF supports and enables young men and women from Appalachia to pursue higher education though scholarship and leadership curriculum.
$125,000 to the American Indian College Fund
The American Indian College Fund transforms Indian higher education by funding and creating awareness of the unique, community-based accredited Tribal Colleges and Universities, offering students access to knowledge, skills, and cultural values which enhance their communities and the country as a whole. The Fund disburses approximately 6,000 scholarships annually for American Indian students seeking to better their lives through higher education. The Fund also provides support for tribal college needs, ranging from capital support to cultural preservation curricula.
$100,000 to AfriCare
AfriCare was founded in 1970 and has more projects in Africa than any other U.S. based charity, reaching communities in 25 countries, primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa. Its programs address needs in three principal areas: health and HIV/AIDS; food security and agriculture; and water resource development.
$100,000 to the Central Asia Institute
The Central Asia Institute promotes and supports community-based education and literacy, especially for girls, in remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Institute’s co-founder, Greg Mortenson, was also a Nobel Peace Prize nominee this year, whose book, Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace, One School at a Time, recounts his attempt to successfully establish dozens of schools and promote girls’ education in rural Afghanistan and Pakistan.
** This release has been corrected.
Categories: Haiti, Office of the Press Secretary, Service, Statements and Releases, The President Tags:
United States Government Haiti Earthquake Disaster Response
I’ve directed my administration to launch a swift, coordinated, and aggressive effort to save lives and support the recovery in Haiti. The losses that have been suffered in Haiti are nothing less than devastating, and responding to a disaster of this magnitude will require every element of our national capacity – our diplomacy and development assistance; the power of our military; and, most importantly, the compassion of our country.
President Obama
January 14, 2010
In response to the President’s direction, a whole of government effort has been launched to support the people of Haiti. More than 20,000 U.S. civilian and military personnel have been directly engaged in carrying out activities from search and rescue to restoring airports and seaports to providing live saving health and medical service to helping meet the basic food, water, and shelter needs of the Haitian people. They have also engaged in efforts to evacuate more than 21,000 U.S. citizens and provide for the respectful return of remains of U.S. citizens who perished as a result of the January 12 earthquake.
SEARCH & RESCUE
• U.S. urban search and rescue teams from Fairfax County, Los Angeles County, Miami, Miami-Dade, Virginia Beach, and New York City were deployed and, with rescue teams from other countries, pulled a total of 136 survivors from the rubble.
• The Coast Guard transported 696 Urban Search and Rescue team members into Haiti in the immediate days after the earthquake.
AIRPORTS & PORTS
Elements of the U.S. Air Force 1st Special Operations Wing restored flight operations to the Port au Prince airport within 48 hours of the earthquake and facilitated 3,842 flights, delivering 18,040 tons of commodities in the following 34 days, with as many as 162 flights in one day, more than ten times the pre-earthquake capacity at the airport. Coast Guard and Navy combined team assessed port damage, installed aids to navigation, began interim port repairs and conducted site surveys for temporary joint over the shore logistics package (JLOTS) that was used to move cargo while more permanent pier repairs were completed. Using interim capabilities, the capacity of the main port in Port Au Prince was doubled from pre-earthquake standards; 8,867 twenty foot equivalent container units (TEU), with 103,000 tons of commodities were offloaded while the permanent repairs to the south pier were completed.HEALTH/MEDICAL
Disaster Medical Assistance Teams and International Medical Surgical Response Teams from the Department of Health and Human Services conducted 31,365 patient visits, performed 167 surgeries, and delivered 45 babies. U.S. military medical professionals treated 9,800 patients, admitted 1,464 patient admissions, performed 1,025 surgeries, 2,200 patient transfers and carried out 255 MEDEVACS. Coast Guard aircraft conducted an additional 240 MEDEVACS. HHS activated two Federal Coordinating Centers in Atlanta and Tampa as part of the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS). These centers processed medical evacuation flights from Haiti and arranged ground transport to appropriate hospitals in the U.S. In total, NDMS evacuated 79 Haitian nationals and 10 U.S. citizens with life-threatening conditions that could not be addressed in Haiti. Experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) participated on Initial Rapid Assessment teams that collected health, food, water, nutrition, and sanitation data from 224 sites across Haiti and are assisting with surveillance of health conditions and communicable diseases to prioritize public health interventions and anticipate resources needed by health care facilities. The USAID-led emergency response team has supported government vaccination efforts in IDP camps. To date, 233,251 people have been vaccinated.FOOD/WATER
U.S. food aid contributions and members of JTF-Haiti providing logistical and security have supported the ongoing provision of emergency food assistance to more than 2 million people by the World Food Program and partners through March. USAID water purification units have been providing water for 110,000 people per day.JOBS
• U.S. relief programs are prioritizing activities that benefit the local Haitian economy, including buying relief commodities locally where it is feasible. USAID-funded cash-for-work programs have employed 14,232 people at 267 sites sites nationwide for public works projects like rubble removal.
COORDINATION/UNITY OF EFFORT/COMMUNICATIONS
A joint Coast Guard-FEMA team supported USAID and Defense Department leaders at the Joint Task Force in coordination of relief efforts with the Government of Haiti, MINUSTAH, elements of the UN Cluster system, and over 900 non-governmental agencies providing relief in Haiti. The Defense Department distributed more than 68,000 self-powered radios ensuring that the people of Haiti could receive important information on how to obtain emergency assistance, food, water and medical care as well as important messages from the Haitian Government. The Defense Department provided airborne broadcasting services in the days immediately following the quake with emergency services information to the people of Haiti until Haitian radio stations could recover and begin transmitting again.SHELTER
USAID has provided 160,000 plastic sheets and 24,500 family size tents that will help 185,000 families out of the estimated 260,000 families in need of shelter assistance. Defense Department units working for the Joint Task Force (JTF) have conducted rubble clearing operations across 283 acres or 87 city blocks of Port Au Prince and conducted engineering assessments of 2,043 structures allowing many displaced persons to return to their homes.EVACUATION & RETURN OF REMAINS
HHS deployed to Haiti a disaster mortuary team and a disaster portable morgue unit, and continues to work with the Department of State, the Department of Defense, and families of U.S. citizens to identify and repatriate the remains of 38 U.S. citizens who perished in the earthquake. More than 21,000 U.S. citizens have been evacuated from Haiti since the earthquake.Categories: Foreign Policy, Haiti, Office of the Press Secretary, Statements and Releases, The President Tags:
Remarks by President Obama and President Preval of the Republic of Haiti
Rose Garden
12:01 P.M. EST
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Please be seated. Good afternoon, everybody. And on behalf of the American people, I want to welcome President Préval, the First Lady, and their delegation to the United States.
The President and I have just concluded a very productive meeting in the Oval Office on the urgent and overriding challenges before us -- helping the people of Haiti as they recover and rebuild after one of the most devastating natural disasters ever to strike our hemisphere.
Mr. President, as I did when I spoke to you in those first days after the earthquake, I again want to express to you and to the Haitian people the deepest condolences of the American people. Your grief is shared by our strong and vibrant Haitian American community, some of whom join us here today and who continue to mourn the loss of their loved ones back in Haiti. To you, and to our fellow Americans, please know that you remain in our thoughts and in our prayers.
The United States joins in mourning the loss of American citizens, as more than 100 Americans died in this earthquake -- and our hearts also go out to their loved ones. We also remember that this natural disaster was an international tragedy, taking the lives of Dominicans and Canadians, French, Brazilians, and people from dozens of nations around the world.
President Préval and his delegation offered an update on the status of relief, recovery and reconstruction efforts -- the progress so far and the daunting challenges ahead in a disaster that, even now, defies comprehension. To offer just some perspective on the awful scale of Haitian loss, it’s as if the United States, in a terrible instant, lost nearly 8 million people; or it’s as if one-third of our country -- 100 million Americans -- suddenly had no home, no food, or water. That gives you a sense of, relative to the populations, what has happened in Haiti. No nation could respond to such a catastrophe alone. It would require a global response. And that’s exactly what we have seen these past two months.
Mr. President, even as you and other Haitian leaders have endured your personal tragedies -- losing your own homes, your loved ones -- you have carried on with great courage and determination. You’ve persevered, leading an international effort with critical support from the United Nations, many partner nations and countless nongovernmental organizations. Representatives of some of the NGOs are here today, and for the extraordinary work that you’ve done to uplift lives every day -- in Haiti and around the world -- often at great risk to your own lives, we salute you as well.
In this international response, the United States has been proud to play a leading role. Mr. President, we are joined today by men and women representing all the Americans who answered Haiti’s call in its hours of need, including members of Congress, and many state and local officials who we thank for their support, and leaders from across my administration -- the Department of State, USAID, Homeland Security, FEMA, Health and Human Services, Transportation, and the Department of Defense, including our great folks at Southern Command. Today I want to thank all of them for leading a swift and coordinated response during one of the most complex humanitarian efforts ever attempted.
We’re joined by Ambassador Ken Merten and some of our heroic embassy staff who worked around the clock. We’re joined by our disaster response teams, who were on the scene within 24 hours; our military personnel who quickly reopened the airport and the port, making way for a massive humanitarian effort; our search and rescue teams, who crawled into the rubble to pull survivors out to safety, Haitian and American; the volunteer physicians and nurses and paramedics who treated tens of thousands of patients with life-threatening injuries; and all our men and women in uniform who have helped to distribute desperately needed food and water and medicine to millions of people -- our remarkable soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen.
I just want to personally say how extraordinarily proud I am of each and every one of you, because I think you represent what’s best in America. And I could not be prouder of the response that all of you were engaged in during this humanitarian crisis.
Now, no relief effort of this magnitude is without its difficulties, but there should be absolutely no doubt in anybody’s mind, along with their Haitian and international partners, these men and women made a difference. They saved lives -- countless lives -- of men and women and children.
So, Mr. President, if you will permit us this moment to briefly express once again our admiration for all those who stepped forward, who volunteered, who represent the true character of our country and who projected to the world the best face of America -- a face of compassion and generosity. Each and every one of you can take enormous pride at your service, and every single American thanks you for making us so proud. (Applause.)
I also want to acknowledge the enormous generosity of so many individual Americans, who gave what they could to support Haiti even in difficult economic times. That help makes possible an extraordinary response from the courageous and capable nongovernmental organizations that have been at the scene, and that support all kinds of efforts that the government is engaged in. And I know that the support of the American people will continue to be essential as Haiti tries to recover and rebuild.
As President Préval and I discussed, the situation on the ground remains dire, and people should be under no illusions that the crisis is over. Many Haitians are still in need, desperate need in some cases, of shelter and food and medicine. And with the spring rains approaching, those needs will only grow. The challenge now is to prevent a second disaster.
And that’s why, at this very moment, thousands of Americans, both civilian and military, remain on the scene at the invitation of the Haitian government. And that’s why, even as the U.S. military responsibly hands off relief functions to our Haitian and international partners, America’s commitment to Haiti’s recovery and reconstruction must endure and will endure. This pledge is one that I made at the beginning of this crisis and I intend for America to keep our pledge. America will be your partner in the recovery and reconstruction effort. (Applause.)
Toward that end, the international donors conference at the United Nations later this month will be an opportunity, an important opportunity, for all parties. Haiti can lead the way, and will lead the way, with a strong vision for its future. The international community can pledge the resources that will be necessary for a coordinated and sustained effort. And working together, we can ensure that assistance not simply delivers relief for the short term, but builds up Haiti’s capacity to deliver basic services and provide for the Haitian people over the long term.
So, Mr. President, in the face of devastation that shocked the world, the people of Haiti responded with resolve and faith that inspired the world -- in song and in prayer, and in the determination to carry on. As you declared during last month’s national day of mourning, it is time to wipe away the tears; it is time for Haiti to rebuild.
And to you, and to the Haitian people, I say today, as you embark on the heavy work ahead, you will continue to have a steady and reliable partner in the United States of America. (Applause.)
So with that, let me turn this over to President Préval.
PRESIDENT PRÉVAL: (As translated.) Mr. President, dear friends in Congress, members of the organizations that helped Haiti in this moment of need, the Haitians of Washington. The damages caused in Haiti by the earthquake of January 12, 2010 are unimaginable. But the response from the international community -- from Asia to Africa, from the United States, from Canada, from all of Latin America, from the Caribbean, from Europe, all the way to the Middle East -- this response, thanks to its swiftness, thanks to its size, was commensurate with the disaster.
Today, here and now, I would like to thank the American people, I would like to thank Congress, I would like to thank the administration, and you, in particular, Mr. President, as well as your wife, not only for the material aid, but also for the moral support, the psychological support, that helped us realize that we were not alone and that provide us great comfort in our distress.
You, thanks to your statements, sent a message to all of those who provided help to Haiti. Needless for me to repeat that which you said. So I would like to thank you for having made it possible for these people to come to help us.
Mr. President, for me this is also an opportunity to express my sympathy, my condolences, to all of the American families for whom members of their families were killed, injured in Haiti during this earthquake.
Dear friends, we must draw the lessons from what occurred in Haiti. These are lessons for all of mankind. The Haiti earthquake was immediately followed by the earthquake in Chile, as well as other earthquakes throughout the world. And the countries that have seismic risks are not merely those countries which are located on top of seismic faults. In fact, the tsunamis, which are the repercussions of break in faults, threaten other regions as well as the United States.
In addition to earthquakes and tsunamis, global warming is a major concern for the entire planet. We must draw the lessons from what occurred in Haiti -- 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.
This is why I support the idea of the creation of so-called “red helmets” within the United Nations, and these would be an observatory, a warning system, a provision system for natural disaster, and a humanitarian force which would be the equivalent of the blue helmets. It was proposed that there should be so-called “red helmets,” a humanitarian force in order to intervene, and that would work in a coordinated manner as soon as the first minutes after a disaster, which are fundamental to saving lives.
Mr. President, during our meeting I mentioned what Haiti’s preoccupations and priorities were. Our priorities are, first and foremost, as you said, protection of those people who today are homeless and who must be relocated. And in parallel, we must prepare the rainy season, which just last week has already caused the deaths of 15 people.
And at the same time, much more basically, we must deal with the need of rebuilding Haiti, thanks to an effective decentralization policy -- namely, offering health care, education, jobs to all Haitians, men and women, regardless of where they live in the country, in order to prevent migratory flows towards the big cities, towards Port-au-Prince, and that will help avoid that disaster such as the earthquake would cause so many victims.
On March 31st, there will be at the United Nations an international conference in order to support the reconstruction of Haiti. I do hope that all participants will share this philosophy, this vision, of decentralization.
And at the same time, just as the first responders, I do recommend the concept of a coordination via the creation of a trust fund, a donors trust fund, whose implementation would be done followed according to a unique procedure carried out by one executing agency. We talked about this and I do know that we can already count on your support to be the advocate of that idea during this conference in support of our vision.
Thank you very much. (Applause.)
END
12:18 P.M. EST
Categories: Foreign Policy, Haiti, Office of the Press Secretary, Speeches and Remarks, The President Tags:
Statement by the Press Secretary on the Visit of President Préval of Haiti to the White House
On Wednesday, March 10, President Obama will welcome Haitian President Rene Préval to the White House. They will discuss relief, recovery, and reconstruction efforts in Haiti, including the important contributions made by the United States and the international community.
The President will speak with President Préval about how the international community can best support the government of Haiti and the Haitian people as they rebuild and create a foundation for a brighter future. A long and enduring relationship binds the United States and Haiti. Haitians are neighbors in the Americas, and Haitian-Americans have made extraordinary contributions to our country.
The President looks forward to welcoming President Préval to the White House to underscore his pledge to the Haitian people that they have a friend and partner in the United States of America.
Categories: Foreign Policy, Haiti, Office of the Press Secretary, Statements and Releases Tags:
Statement by the Press Secretary on Haiti
As the people of Haiti observe a national day of mourning to remember those lost in the catastrophic earthquake one month ago, the United States continues to stand with our Haitian friends as they recover and rebuild. Our thoughts and prayers also remain with Haitian-Americans around our country who have lost so many family and friends.
We are grateful to the many Americans who have responded with such speed and compassion to assist the relief efforts being led by the Haitian government and supported by the United Nations, as well as many countries and non-governmental organizations from around the world.
As part of the civilian-led American response, search and rescue teams pulled survivors from the rubble. Volunteer physicians, nurses and paramedics continue to deliver life-saving medical treatment. Having reopened the main airport and port to enable a massive international humanitarian effort, our servicemen and women are supporting the distribution of urgently needed food, water, medicine and shelter until these functions can be fulfilled by the rapidly-expanding civilian operation and the United Nations in Haiti. Americans have also generously contributed tens of millions of dollars to help, Congress took quick action, and the United States government is providing substantial immediate assistance. No relief operation of this magnitude and complexity is without its difficulties and challenges, but in cooperation with the Haitian government and our many partners, we have helped to save countless lives and avert an even larger catastrophe.
Nevertheless, the situation remains dire. Even before the earthquake, Haiti was the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Today, the need for food, shelter, medical supplies and basic security is enormous, and the coming rainy season will pose new challenges. Infrastructure that was destroyed in minutes will take years to rebuild. Guided by the roadmap for cooperation and coordination developed by the government of Haiti, the United States will support our Haitian partners as they transition from emergency assistance to recovery and long-term reconstruction. The United Nations continuing appeal for additional peacekeepers and police, as well as next month’s donors’ conference at the United Nations, offer important opportunities for countries around the world to help Haiti recover and rebuild.
Amidst unimaginable suffering, the people of Haiti have inspired the world with their faith, strength of spirit and determination to rebuild. In the difficult months and years to come, they will continue to have a friend and partner in the United States of America.
Categories: Foreign Policy, Haiti, Office of the Press Secretary, Statements and Releases Tags: