Haiti, January 16: Between 40,000 and 50,000 people were killed in the Haiti quake, the International Red Cross (IRC) told a news agency, meanwhile the World Bank announced an additional USD 100 mn in emergency grant fund to Haiti for recovery and reconstruction efforts.
“The main figures have been given by the Haiti government, and they are talking about 40,000 to 50,000 people having been killed,” said Xavier Castellanos, head of the Americas zone of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.
“The scale of this event means the toll will be high and the figure given by the government is likely the right one,” he said.
Castellanos added that “at least three million people had been directly affected. That’s to say a third of the population.”
Haitian officials had earlier warned that the overall death toll from the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that ripped across the poorest nation in the Americas on Tuesday may top 100,000.
30 nations mobilizing to help Haiti: US
Countries around the world are swinging behind a huge aid effort for quake-ravaged Haiti, with at least 30 nations having sent or readying help.
Eight search-and-rescue teams were already on the ground in Port-au-Prince comprising about 260 personnel, who had joined the grim search for survivors among the ruins, State Department spokesman P J Crowley said.
“Obviously this is still a very growing list, but our estimate is that at least 30 countries have meaningful assistance that has already reached Haiti or is en route,” he said.
“So not only is the United States’ commitment to Haiti growing, but also the international commitment as well.”
Apart from a US team on the ground, there were also staff in place from Iceland, Spain, Chile, he said, adding they had helped free two people from the ruins.
UN chief Ban Ki-moon announced earlier that relief workers from China, the Dominican Republic, France and Venezuela had also joined the huge operation to help the Haitians devastated by Tuesday’s 7.0 quake.
Crowley also confirmed news of the first American to have been killed by the massive temblor, identifying her as the US cultural affairs officer in Haiti, Victoria DeLong, who had served in the country since 2009.
“It’s a tragedy for the State Department, for our family and the public diplomacy and public affairs world,” Crowley said, adding she died when her home collapsed.
World Bank to provide USD 100 million to Haiti
The World Bank on Thursday announced an additional USD 100 million in emergency grant fund to Haiti for recovery and reconstruction efforts at the Caribbean nation rocked by a devastating earthquake on Tuesday.
“This is a shocking event and it is crucial that the international community supports the Haitian people at this critical time,” said World Bank President Robert B Zoellick.
“The World Bank is mobilising significant financial assistance and sending a team to help assess damage and reconstruction needs. Our thoughts are with the people of Haiti, our staff, and our UN colleagues,” Zoellick said.
Besides new initiatives, the World Bank may use its existing projects in Haiti, including education and community-driven development for quick and effective relief.
The multilateral development lender is also sending experts to work with the government and its international partners to assess losses and plan for reconstruction.
The Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) has allocated USD 250,000 for this assessment, the bank said in a statement.
The World Bank is also planning to provide seed resources to establish the Haiti Reconstruction Fund, a multi-donor trust, to mobilise international support for reconstruction process, it said.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of World Bank, will contact its clients in Haiti for reconstruction work, the statement said.
Earlier in the day, the International Monetary Fund said it is ready to assist Haiti.
“The IMF stands ready to do its part with appropriate support in our areas of expertise. I have already asked staff to look into all the possibilities. We will coordinate with other international agencies, and mobilise our assistance as quickly as possible,” Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the IMF Managing Director said.
“I am confident that the international community will mobilise quickly to offer support to help this nation,” he said in a statement.
—Agencies