Haiti: EU should focus on complementing national governments' efforts in the aftermath

Strasbourg, 19th January 2010

Strasbourg, 19th January 2010 -- The European Parliament has today held a debate with High Representative Baroness Ashton on the EU's response to the earthquake in Haiti.

Speaking in the debate, European Conservatives and Reformists development coordinator Nirj Deva said that following every humanitarian crisis the key challenge is broken infrastructure. He suggested that world powers may wish to think about radical solutions that could lay down basic infrastructure to ensure that aid gets to everyone who needs it. Baroness Ashton agreed with Deva that infrastructure was of paramount importance to the success of the operation.

After the debate, Mr Deva said:

"Following any disaster, there is always going to be chaos, especially in a poor country with inadequate infrastructure.

"The primary concern has to be getting aid - food, water, medicine, blankets, doctors and rescue teams into the country. Amid the bedlam, EU efforts to coordinate that aid and personnel on the ground are likely to be futile.

"The EU would make a much more significant contribution by adding to the efforts of governments - such as by sending ECHO teams - in the immediate aftermath, rather than acting as a coordinator to bring order to chaos.

"The EU does have an important role to play in the medium to long term. In particular, we can work together to ensure that we offer Haiti our full support in the reconstruction effort, starting with the airport and the port. As Haiti drops from the headlines, we must not allow it to be forgotten."

ECR member of the European Parliament's Central America delegation, Edvard Kozusnik, said:

"First of all I want to express my deepest sympathy for the people of Haiti. Nevertheless, the inability of the EU to react clearly shows that there is nothing like a "post-Lisbon" united Europe. The immediate help in this case came from the Member States. Unfortunately this tragedy has shown that the EU is still unoperational and poorly coordinated even with the Lisbon Treaty."

ENDS

Contact: Nirj Deva on +33 (0)3 88 1 75870 or Edvard Kozusnik on +33 (0)3 88 1 75711
ECR Press Office - James Holtum on +32 473 861762

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