Bulgaria EU Commissioner Joins Ex US President Clinton in Haiti Relief Effort

Bulgaria's EU Commissioner, Kristalina Georgieva, has been the moving force behind the Union's swift reaction in providing relief assistance to earthquake-devastated Haiti. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's EU Commissioner, Kristalina Georgieva, stresses on the need to continue humanitarian aid for earthquake-devastated Haiti.

The EU Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response spoke at a conference in New York for non-governmental organizations involved in assisting Haiti.

Georgieva chaired Thursday the conference with former US President Bill Clinton.

In her address, the Commissioner pointed out that two million people still depend on relief assistance while the recent heavy rains and the looming hurricane season exacerbate the misery of those living in tents.

"The ongoing operation to help Haiti has committed and dynamic leadership with Bill Clinton as the United Nations' special envoy. The European Union has played its part from the outset, and we are pledged to support Haiti for the long haul. The work of the NGOs attending the conference is essential to the success of the relief and reconstruction efforts, and I welcome the opportunity to exchange views and experiences with them," Georgieva said.

Bill Clinton is hosting the event, which is one of a series of "outreach" conferences held to obtain input from stakeholders involved in reconstruction in Haiti.

EU Development Commissioner Piebalgs hosted a similar event in Brussels on March 22, attended by 50 NGOs from Haiti, Europe and the US, and representatives of the Haitian government. The participants discussed how best to combine NGO activities in Haiti with the government's recovery and development strategy.

Both conferences are part of the preparations and consultations leading up to the International Donors' Conference 'Towards a New Future for Haiti' that will take place in New York on March 31, with the participation of EU Vice-President Ashton and Commissioners Piebalgs and Georgieva.

The EU reacted swiftly to the disaster with more than EUR 315 M provided by the Commission and EU Member States for relief efforts in the country. This included EUR 120 M channelled through ECHO, the Commission department responsible for humanitarian aid and civil protection under the authority of Kristalina Georgieva.

The EU's Civil Protection Mechanism was activated speedily to help coordinate the work of EU Member States in mobilizing civil protection assets, including search and rescue teams.

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