by Gloria Edmonson Nelson

Created on: January 28, 2010

United Nations peacekeepers have been in Haiti for many years, however; the term "peacekeeping" is not found in the U.N. Charter. The first United Nations mission was established in 1948 to help Haiti (and other countries) create and sustain lasting peace from conflict. In fact, there are 63 U.N. Peacekeeping operations around the world. Thus far, the U.N. Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) has been a viable organization. It is unfortunate that three of their top officials, as well as other staff members, were killed in the recent earthquake, and its headquarters was destroyed.

A week after the earthquake, the United Nation's top official presented to Government Ministers a proposal to better coordinate delivery of food, medicines, and other humanitarian supplies to people involved in the earthquake-ravaged Haiti. Although there were overwhelming efforts from organizations and others to Haiti; there were problems with coordination, for example, those who flooded into Haiti were ill-equipped to offload, store, and distribute supplies. Because of these efforts which he refers to as "piece-meal," there were problems with "different actors moving in different directions" hampering delivery of goods. He is requesting that the UN "pool" the efforts to deliver relief from the international community in order to prevent this continuing.

MINUSTAH's new headquarters are now up and running that include a newly-created Operations and Tasking Centre made up of experts from MINUSTAH, the Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and also the United States and Canadian Military. It opened on January 26, 2010, to provide 24-hour direction to relief agencies on the ground to coordinate the distribution of food, medicine, shelter, and other aid throughout Haiti.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations' Principal Deputy, Tony Banbury, is working with MINUSTAH to respond to emergency relief. He went on to say that after the situation on the ground is stabilized; they would change course to meet other priorities. Banbury said they want to make certain that shelters for one million people left homeless are completed before the rainy season begins in Haiti. He has requested that 200,000 family-sized tents be delivered as soon as possible, including durable military tents capable of withstanding the rain. He further states the Government and humanitarian community together must decide how to "do it right" to avoid sexual abuse, public health and security problems.

It is Bamburg's opinion that the recovery process will not work without the Haitian Government's ownership. Overall, security is under control; although there were rumors regarding doctors extracting organs from earthquake victims (without evidence), and Brazilian peacekeepers using tear gas and firing in the air when the food distribution allegedly got out of hand. (No evidence of this report either). He opines that had either of these reports been true, that the U.N. and the government would have responded quickly. Although security is under control, Haiti is still in need of the basics: water, food, shelter, and health care.

REFERENCE:

Europa-eu-un.org/articles/fr/articles_5116_fr.htm ("EU Presidency Statement Financing of UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti - MINUSTAH)

Un.org/en/peacekeeping/

O.un.org/news/briefings/docs/2010/100125_MINUSTAH.do c.htm ("Press Conference by UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti")

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