On Third Anniversary of Earthquake, Secretary-General Honours Memory of Victims,

Says World Community Must ‘Stand with Haiti’ in Time of Need

 

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for the staff commemoration of the third anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti, delivered by Hervé Ladsous, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, in Port-au-Prince, 11 January:

I want to share my warmest greetings to all United Nations colleagues who have come together to mark the third anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti.  I join you in honouring the memory of the more than 200,000 victims, including 102 United Nations personnel — dear colleagues, friends and family members who perished in that horrific and tragic disaster.

My memories of the damage and suffering, which I saw first-hand during two visits, are still fresh.  But, I also have a keen sense of the progress that has been achieved in reconstruction and recovery over the past three years.  Your contributions, combined with the resilience of the Haitian people, have made much possible.

At the same time, I know we are all concerned about the fate of more than 300,000 displaced Haitians, who continue to live in makeshift camps, and about the successive hurricanes that have destroyed many livelihoods and raised the spectre of food insecurity.

I continue to call on the international community to stand with Haiti at its time of dire need.  I thank all of you for being the caring face of the United Nations, on the ground, accompanying the people of Haiti on the path to a more secure and prosperous future.

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For information media • not an official record