UNSAUR pledges $300 million in Haitian aid

Approximately two weeks after Latin America’s ALBA bloc started a $100 million “special fund” for earthquake-ravaged Haiti, the region’s leaders met today to provide more assistance to the Caribbean nation.

Several presidents of the UNASUR alliance met today in Quito, Ecuador and pledged $100 million in funds along with a $200 million “preferential” credit from the Inter-American Development Bank. “Latin America has stood up… The time has come to create a new kind of south-south aid,” declared Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa as regional leaders of the twelve-country bloc worked out the reconstruction plan.

Today’s pledge is a big help affirmed Haitian president, Rene Preval who was present at the UNASUR conference. With the raining season coming up, Preval detailed one form of aid that he hoped the region would provide:

Preval has asked his South American counterparts… to support his country by sending tents as soon as possible aside from the short and long-term help proposed by UNASUR…

In Haiti, said Preval, there are millions of homeless people and their difficult situation could cause protests. Yet he pointed out that the Haitian people are grateful for any concrete help that could be provided. – [Ed. Translated text]

Several other proposals for Haitian reconstruction were also brought up in Quito; Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro proposed creating a food reserve bank while Peruvian President Alan Garcia proposed helping rebuild Haiti’s roads. Colombian president Alvaro Uribe (on his first official visit to Ecuador since the Raul Reyes incident) brought up the possibility of building houses in Haiti.

Thus far regional differences have taken a back seat compared to the need to help in Haitian reconstruction. Let’s hope it stays that way for the good of the millions of Haitians hit by the earthquake that struck nearly a month ago.

Image- BBC News
Online Sources- LAHT, Bloomberg, ABC.es, EPA, Clarin, El Universal