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UN chief offers condolences to those affected by Hurricane Sandy

02 November 2012 04:56 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. UN Secretary-general Ban Ki- moon on Thursday expressed his condolences to the millions of people severely affected by Hurricane Sandy, especially those who lost their loved ones or homes, APA reports.

The super storm, which hit New York City on Monday, caused a wide arc of destruction encompassing the United States and the Caribbean region.

Ban has written to U.S. President Barack Obama and has spoken to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, as well as President of the Dominican Republic Danilo Medina and Haitian President Michael Martelly, "to express his solidarity at this time of crisis and to pledge the assistance of the United Nations, if requested, in the recovery effort," according to a statement issued by his spokesman.

"When the host country is hit by a natural disaster, the UN family suffers as well," Ban said.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has been mobilized to provide support.

The UN Headquarters in New York, located along the East River, was closed for three days due to the storm, and suffered damage from high winds and flooding. It reopened on Thursday.

"Despite disruptions, all essential operations went ahead, including a meeting of the Security Council, and contacts with peacekeeping and other missions around the world were maintained without interruption," the statement noted.

Ban also pledged the "full support of the United Nations in rebuilding today, strengthening global disaster risk reduction, and preparing the world for a safer tomorrow," the statement added.