3/11/2010 11:20:00 AM Regiment could help rebuild Haiti
Office of the Premier
THURSDAY, MAR. 11: CARICOM leaders were given a comprehensive update on the situation in Haiti last night during a special caucus of Heads of Government. Premier Dr. Ewart Brown is in Dominica this week for the meetings.
The earthquake update was delivered by Haiti's Foreign Minister (Ministre des Affaires ...trangères et des Cultes), Hon. Madame Marie-Michèle Rey, and CARICOM's Special Envoy on Haiti, The Right Hon. P. J. Patterson OJ (former Prime Minister of Jamaica).
They informed the Heads that the main issues continue to be coordination of the relief effort on the ground, and appropriate and safe housing of the displaced population, particularly in light of the impending rainy season.
Dr. Brown said: "The health focus of CARICOM's support to Haiti has been well received and we are now discussing more long-term assistance. The opportunity to provide Haiti with a building code to minimize the impact of any further natural disasters will not be squandered and together we will provide technical assistance as requested."
Col. Brian Gonsalves, Commanding Officer of the Bermuda Regiment, has just returned from Kingston, Jamaica, where the Region's military commanders met to discuss possible roles in the relief effort.
Premier Brown continued: "Having discussed the matter with Minister of Public Safety Col. Burch, we agreed that an eventual role for the Bermuda Regiment might be the rebuilding of certain structures at an appropriate time. The Haitian Foreign Minister told us that 3,700 schools need to be rebuilt.
"Based on the Regiment's success in Jamaica, Cayman and Grenada, we can see a possible role for our uniformed women and men once the effort has reached this phase."
Today's CARICOM meetings will turn to the issues of climate change, harmful tax policies to the Region and a discussion with Robert Zoellick, president of the World Bank, on its role in the Haiti relief effort.
