Sunday, Jean-Marc Ayrault, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, on a visit to Haiti, reiterated France's support, while acknowledging that his country could do better to help Haiti two months after the passage of devastating Hurricane Matthew...

During his visit to Jérémie, one of the cities hard hit by Matthew, Jean-Marc Ayrault declared "When we see situations like that of Haiti [...] I think France must be aware that it can do better [...] I would not say more, but better. That is to say that aid is effective, that means going through local actors, NGOs and ensuring that aid is implemented on the basis of the real needs." In the department of Grand'Anse, more than 453,000 people still need help, with priority to access to drinking water and food. In Jérémie, Minister Ayrault was able to see the rehabilitation of the Saint-Antoine hospital, thanks to the funding of one million euros from the French Development Agency.

Let's recall that following the hurricane's passage on Haiti, the United Nations had launched, in coordination with the Government of Haiti and other partners, a flash appeal of $119.8 million to be able to help 750,000 Haitians affected by Hurricane Matthew for the next three months https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18897-haiti-flash-un-launches-a-$120m-flash-appeal-for-haiti.html . To date, only $ 64 million has been received. It should be noted that France, which devotes only 0.4% of its gross national income to development aid, does not respect the commitment made in Doha (2008), like the majority of G20 countries, to devote 0.7 % of their income to the aid to developing countries.

Before leaving Haiti, Minister Ayrault at a press conference at the diplomatic lounge at the Toussaint Louverture International Airport, abstained unsurprisingly, commenting the results of Haitian election. However, given the daily demonstrations since the publication of these results, he recalled the importance of political stability in the economic recovery of Haiti "In a democracy, no challenge can and must be made by violence. The successful holding of these elections is an important step in the history of Haiti. The commitment to political stability is fundamental to this economic recovery [...] I encourage the future president and the government that will be appointed to continue in this direction and that it knows and that the Haitian people know, that France will be at their side."

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18997-haiti-politic-call-for-emergency-funds-the-international-community-timid.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18897-haiti-flash-un-launches-a-$120m-flash-appeal-for-haiti.html

TB/ SL/ HaitiLibre