CARICOM adopts town in Haiti

ST. LUCIA – Saint Lucia and other CARICOM member states are continuing to contribute to returning some level of normalcy to life in the earthquake-ravaged Haiti. CARICOM has adopted a town outside the capital of Port-au-Prince and is presently focusing on providing much needed health services to affected Haitians.

More than three thousand people injured in the magnitude 7.0 earthquake on the 12th of January, have so far received treatment from CARICOM’s response team.

CARICOM’s Ambassador to Haiti, His Excellency Earl Huntley, provided an update on the response of the regional grouping in an exclusive interview with the GIS.

“What CARICOM is doing now, is concentrating on the health sector; they have focused their efforts on a town outside of Port-au-Prince which was in fact the epicentre of the earthquake. CARICOM is providing medical assistance in that town.”

Ambassador Huntley says, CARICOM is committed to providing unwavering support to its sister member-state in its time of distress.

The diplomat says he expects the regional grouping to assist in redeveloping the state apparatus to restore proper governance in Haiti.

“In the long term, CARICOM will provide assistance in the reconstruction effort, but those plans are presently being finalised and they will be announced in due time. I am hopeful that CARICOM will partner Haiti and support the country in its building and reconstruction efforts, particularly in the area of governance and the public service, because the state has been weakened by what has happened.”

Ambassador Huntley says CARICOM will continue to work towards meeting the specific needs of the Haitian people.

Haiti is the last member-state to have joined the CARICOM grouping in 2009.