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Jagdeo urges Guyanese to give generously to Haiti
Haiti’s President Rene Preval (2nd L) embraces his Dominican Republic counterpart Leonel Fernandez at the national airport as they finish a meeting with U.N representatives in Port-au-Prince (Reuters Photo)
After announcing a pledge of US$1M to assist earthquake-devastated Haiti, President Bharrat Jagdeo has urged Guyanese to give generously to the impoverished nation that is currently in turmoil. Jagdeo made the plea as he was about to leave the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri, en route to the Middle East.
We have to assist the (Haitian) Government to rebuild that capacity and also to respond to the needs of the people … the desperate needs, now. There are still tens of thousands of people who are trapped in buildings.”
The president noted that everything at present depends on the urgency of the response, particularly by the industrialized world, which has the capacity to send in heavy duty equipment among other critical items. “…those people could live or die, depending on the pace and movement of the international community…I urge everyone, nationally and also internationally, to move swiftly to assist Haiti.”
According to Jagdeo, from a government perspective, they have put together a national committee that will lead the relief efforts. “I say national because this has no partisanship.”
He emphasized that all the political parties in Parliament are represented on that committee, “the religious faiths and NGOs…We will work together as Guyana to bring as much relief to the people of Haiti as possible.”
The Head of State pointed out that Haiti already had a diminished capacity to handle disasters – as the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere – and that capacity has been further eroded. “It’s almost like starting from scratch, where there is no functioning Government now in Haiti because of the destruction there.”
Jagdeo said that he was looking at President (Rene) Preval speaking on Wednesday and there was, “this desperate look on his face, a look of frustration, of not being able to respond to people’s needs…He said the most frustrating thing was seeing thousands of people lying in the streets of Haiti needing medical care yet not having anywhere to take them to.”
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