February 20, 2010

All Canadians are deeply concerned over the devastation caused by the recent earthquake in Haiti. The impact is creating overwhelming challenges not only for the people living in the damaged country, but also for their friends and family here in Canada.
For more than 50 years, relations between Canada and Haiti have grown stronger due to a substantial Haitian community in Canada, as well as the presence of Canadian development organizations in Haiti. Our two countries are members of the United Nations together as well as La Francophonie – which results in even more reason for us to build and develop a lasting relationship.
It is in part because of this significant relationship that our Government feels so strongly for the people of Haiti during their time of need. We offer our most sincere condolences to those who have lost friends and family in this terrible event. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Haitian people.
Our Government is proud that Canada was one of the first countries on the ground after the devastating earthquake. Since then, we have been working around the clock to assess the situation and do whatever we can to help the Haitian people. Canada has provided the following rapid response:

• A Canadian Forces DART (Disaster Assistance Response Team) has been sent.
• Canadian Forces aircraft are regularly dispatched to bring such things as emergency supplies, personnel, and search and rescue helicopters.
• These same planes are being used to bring Canadians home. Over 3,500 people have been brought safely back to Canada.
• We have approximately 2,000 men and women, seven helicopters and two ships contributing to rescue, recovery and reconstruction efforts in Haiti.
• The HMCS Halifax and HMCS Athabaskan, two Canadian naval ships loaded with food, bottled water, medical equipment and humanitarian supplies, are in Haiti.
• A Canadian field hospital is operating in Haiti.
• Our Government is directly supporting relief efforts with additional funding to provide essential services for roughly 3 million people over the next six months and helping the UN World Food Programme to deliver 100 million meals within the next month.
• We are also providing direct funding to Red Cross societies that are providing water, sanitation and health services to about 300,000 Haitians.

Our Government is also taking this time to remind Canadians that cash donations are still the fastest, most efficient way to get help to people living in a disaster zone. Meanwhile, to acknowledge the generosity of Canadians, our Government has announced that we will match, dollar for dollar, Canadians’ charitable contributions to registered organizations for disaster assistance in Haiti. Canada’s total donation to date is more than $130 million for humanitarian assistance, relief, and reconstruction efforts – and that number is growing. 

As part of our commitment to standing behind the Haitian people, on January 25th our Government hosted a meeting of foreign ministers and key multilateral players in Montreal to begin laying the groundwork for the reconstruction of Haiti. At the meeting, Prime Minister Stephen Harper rallied the international community to a strategic and coordinated effort to help rebuild Haiti. The Prime Minister outlined three principles to guide the work of reconstruction in Haiti:
Sustainability – the world must commit to Haiti for the long-term.

Effectiveness – resources must be directed to where they are most needed.
Accountability – the commitments we make must be firm and lasting to ensure Canadian tax dollars are used effectively.
The devastation caused by the earthquake in Haiti has created an urgent need for help. Our Government will continue to look at other ways to provide assistance to the victims of this tragedy.
Friends and relatives in Canada seeking information on Canadian citizens believed to be in Haiti should contact the Emergency Operations Centre by calling 1-800-387-3124. They may also send an email to sos@international.gc.ca.
Updates on the situation in Haiti are available at: http://www.international.gc.ca/humanitarian-humanitaire/earthquake_seisme_haiti.aspx