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The Foreign Ministry in co-operation with the Estonian Rescue Service is sending another member of the Estonian Rescue Team to Haiti, in addition to the medic currently participating in the support mission for workers of the World Food Programme. The new worker will be addressing general technical issues. The Estonian specialists are participating in the Haiti mission along with Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark in the framework of International Humanitarian Partnership.
Foreign Minister Urmas Paet stated that Estonian specialists will continue to help in Haiti. “Haiti requires long-term systematic support to overcome the effects of the earthquake. The reconstruction of the nation could take years,” said Paet. “Nearly 200 000 people died in Haiti and over 3 million people are directly affected by the effects of the earthquake. Over 1.2 million residents lost their homes. Estonia already sent an IT expert, a logistics team with supplies, and medics to Haiti, who have by now returned from their missions,” stated Foreign Minister Paet. The foreign minister added that Estonia is currently filling one rotating medic position to support the humanitarian aid mission of the World Food Programme until its conclusion. The World Food Programme would like to operate its field camp until the end of September and also would like to expand it by 150 places.
There was also a member of the Estonian Rescue Service among the European Union evaluation team that travelled to Haiti to evaluate the needs of the nation and co-ordinate the arriving aid. Based on the results of the evaluation missions, damages from the earthquake total 120% of the GDP of Haiti. To date, this is the greatest measured damage that a natural disaster has ever caused a single nation.
The aid that has been given by Estonia thus far to alleviate the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti totals 6.8 million kroons (435 000 EUR). Humanitarian aid to alleviate the aftermath of earthquake valued 5.6 million kroons; 2.5 million of that was donated through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). The remaining amount went towards sending members of the Estonian Rescue Team to Haiti. In addition, Estonia sent a 45 m2 tent with supplies to help expand the field camp of the humanitarian aid mission in Haiti.
Estonia is contributing to the long-term reconstruction of Haiti with 1.6 million kroons (102 200 EUR) donated to the Haiti Reconstruction Fund managed by the World Bank and UNICEF.
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