The United Nations Development Program (UNDP - Haiti) officially handed over a donation of evacuation and rescue materials to the Directorate of Civil Protection (DPC) intended to improve and strengthen Haiti's capacities for emergency rescue operations and of evacuation as well as the reduction of vulnerability linked to natural hazards.

Funded to the tune of approximately US$270,000 by the Governments of Canada, Japan and Norway, this equipment will help optimize the operational and technical capacities of civil protection emergency operation centers (COUN, COUD, COUC...)

Among the materials and equipment provided include, in particular, clearing kits, multi-size cervical collars, manual resuscitators for children and adults, protective equipment for the patrollers (helmets, life jackets, boots, raincoat, protective glasses, flashlights, awareness materials for early warning (megaphones, portable sirens), evacuation and rescue materials (wheelchairs, stretchers, first aid kits, flashlights, headlamps, stretchers , "Walkie-talkies", cardiac defibrillators, jackhammers, protective equipment, etc...

"Our presence here further testifies to the solidarity and sincere friendship of the Japanese people towards the Haitian people who must face and overcome major challenges in disaster risk preparation, prevention and management. We intend to continue to support the efforts of the Directorate General of Civil Protection, to whom we wish good work despite the enormous challenges," declared the Ambassador of Japan in Haiti Mitsuaki Mizuno,

In his intervention Fernando Hiraldo, the Resident Representative of the UNDP in Haiti after having thanked Japan, Norway and Canada for the confidence placed in the UN organization declared "[...] I am delighted with the collaboration between the UNDP and the United Nations and the DPC for almost 20 years, and I hope that this wonderful collaboration will continue for many years, especially since the new legal framework for civil protection offers new avenues of collaboration."

HL/ HaitiLibre