BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – PRIME MINISTER Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas has announced the creation of the St. Kitts-Nevis Solidarity Fund for Haiti, and has asked his countrymen to observe a moment of silence today (Jan. 14) at 6:53 p.m.
The move comes two days after a devastating 7.0 earthquake struck just 10 miles off the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, destroying thousands of buildings and trapping hundreds of persons underneath the fallen rubble. Haitian PM Jean-Max Bellerive estimated that over 100 000 people may be dead, while Red Cross representatives said that three million persons were affected by the quake.
In an address on the Office of the Prime Minister’s website, www.cuopm.com, PM Douglas noted that times like these are reminders of the fragility of life, the unpredictability of nature and the interconnectedness of all mankind and their ultimate responsibility to each other.
He stressed that persons should do all they could to provide relief to the neighbouring Haiti, and said he had conveyed the “profound concern” of his government and people to Haitian President Rene Prèval.
“We have known what it is like to be hit by natural disasters. The hurricanes we had to deal with are absolutely nothing in comparison to the utter horror being experienced by the Haitian people. We all remember how much it meant to us when countries and organisations were sufficiently moved to step forward in a spirit of concern and humanity.
“I ask you to pause for a moment of silence at 6:53 p.m. on Thursday to show our concern and how we have been impacted by this horrific disaster. I urge all to donate whatever they can, however little that may be, to a church-related fund or other relief efforts. I hereby launch the St. Kitts and Nevis Solidarity Fund for Haiti with an account in this name at the St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla National Bank. Imagine, if we each contributed only EC$10, we would be able to send almost EC$500 000 to Haiti,” Douglas appealed.
St. Kitts opposition party the People’s Action Movement (PAM) is also doing its part to help. A release from the PAM Secretariat revealed the party would be hosting the “Strength of a Woman Haitian Relief Concert” in Newtown tomorrow (Jan. 15).
Celebrated regional artistes Cecile and Claudette Peters are scheduled to perform, as will the home-grown talent of the Small Axe Band, Sister Sensia and D’Vybz. Admission will be free, but attendees are expected to make a donation to the Haitian people.
Around the world, countries and international aid agencies have rushed to give relief to the impoverished Caribbean nation, recognised as the poorest country in the western hemisphere. The UN has released US$10M of emergency funding, the World Bank has pledged US$100M and promises of additional aid and personnel came from countries including the US and the UK.
However, the situation on the ground remains grim, as hundreds without adequate shelter are forced to live on the streets, with clean water, food and medical materials in short supply. Media reports have stated that hundreds of dead bodies are lining the street as rescuers search frantically for the thousands of persons among the missing.
