The view from inside a damaged building in Haiti where a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck on January 12, 2010. The disaster is estimated to have affected 3 million people in the Caribbean nation.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos
January 14, 2010
Cuba increases aid to Haiti
Ana Ivis Galán García
ON Wednesday morning, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla received his counterpart from the Republic of Suriname, Lygia Louise Irene Kraag-Keteldijk, who is on an official visit to our country.
As part of official talks between the two ministers, Rodríguez gave a detailed explanation of the situation of Cuban cooperation workers in the sister Republic of Haiti after the terrible earthquake that occurred on Tuesday.
In that context, he clarified that there are currently "403 Cuban cooperative personnel, 334 of whom are working in the heath sector as doctors and paramedics," in the devastated country. He said they had been able to confirm the status of all those working "within the city of Port-au-Prince. Only two of them received very slight injuries, and the others have confirmed that they are all right."
"We are verifying the situation and gathering complete information about cooperative workers in other parts of the country. We have been able to locate the majority of them and they are fine," he assured.
The minister added that victims have been receiving medical attention from the Cuban brigade since the earthquake struck. He noted that "they are now working in two campaign hospitals in our medical personnel’s accommodation facilities."
He said that plans are underway to more emergency aid to the sister Caribbean nation, consisting of "a quantity of medicine and heath materials. An additional number of doctors are to travel there."
"Our ambassador and other compañeros working in Port-au-Prince spent the entire night and early morning touring the city to contact our compatriots there because communication lines have collapsed. Equally, "the team from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working tirelessly to coordinate the response from all of our institutions."
The Cuban foreign affairs minister reiterated Cuba’s disposition to participate in any CARICOM effort. "In this context we are in contact with the CARICOM mission and we will certainly work together there to provide assistance to the Haitian people."
Translated by Granma International
Havana. January 14, 2010
Message from Raúl to Préval
You can count on aid in solidarity from our country
Havana, January 12, 2010
His Excellency Mr. René García Préval
President of the Republic of Haiti
My dear friend,
News of the earthquake that has devastated the sister Republic of Haiti in recent hours has filled us with profound pain and consternation.
On behalf of the Cuban people and government, I convey to you our most heartfelt condolences and reiterate that you can count on aid in solidarity from our country at this difficult time.
With my highest consideration and esteem
Raúl Castro Ruz
President of the Councils of State and Ministers of the Republic of Cuba
Translated by Granma International
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