MUDAVADI ON HAITI

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, June 3 - Kenya has offered human resource for capacity building support in the reconstruction of the earthquake-destroyed Haiti.

Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi made the offer during a roundtable discussion on reconstructing Haiti`s social infrastructure in education, health and sanitation at the ongoing Summit in the Dominican Republic.

“I affirm the Government of Kenya`s commitment to work with the Government and the people of Haiti through the international community to make our contribution to this reconstruction process,” Mr Mudavadi said.

He said Kenya could provide Haiti with personnel to help in rebuilding the education sector.

The DPM was among top level State dignitaries who are attending the World Summit for the Future of Haiti: Solidarity beyond the crisis at Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

The Summit was opened by the Dominican President Leonel Fernández. It was attended by the President of Haiti René Préval and the Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive, the Vice-Presidents of Cuba, José Ramón Machado Ventura; Costa Rica Luis Liberman Ginsburg; and Panama Juan Carlos Varela.

Over 50 countries and 30 international organisations are represented in the Summit.

Former US President Bill Clinton, who is the UN Special Envoy to Haiti and currently heads the Reconstruction Commission for Haiti warned that the $9.9 billion pledged to rebuild the devastated country has not been honored fully thus putting 1.5 million IDPs in Haiti in peril. Mr Clinton cautioned that delays in disbursements of pledges and slow down in reconstruction could stir unrest in Haiti.

At the height of the earthquake crisis in January this year, Kenya donated $100,000 towards emergency services following the destruction that caused over 300,000 lives and wiped out almots aall the teaching franternity.