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UNDP calls for US$35.6 million to help Haitians recover and starts to collect voluntary donations

18 January 2010 18:01 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Ayaz Abdulla â€“ APA. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is calling for US$35.6 million for immediate recovery assistance in Haiti following Tuesdayâ€™s massive earthquake, APA reports quoting the press release spread by UNDP Baku office. Immediate responses will include the clearing of rubble and rehabilitating essential social infrastructures, such as street repairs and electricity, to facilitate urgently needed assistance. UNDP will also carry out cash-for-work programmes to jump-start the local economy.
The appeal, part of a wider UN flash appeal for $562 million, comes as UNDP gears up to provide time-critical early recovery assistance to affected populations.

â€œThe United Nations is working closely with governments around the world to meet immediate humanitarian needs, and to co-ordinate early recovery consistent with addressing longer term development goals. Haiti will need tremendous support to recover from this terrible disaster,â€ said UNDP Administrator Helen Clark. Ms. Clark accompanied the UN Secretary General Mr. Ban Ki-moon on his visit to Haiti on 17 January 2010 to show his solidarity to both the Haitian people and UN staff.

UNDP, in its capacity as the coordinator of the UN early recovery team, will work with the Government of Haiti and other partners to assess damages and needs, and devise plans for rebuilding. Priority assistance will focus on laborâ€“intensive activities, in the form of cash for work, to clear debris and rehabilitate basic infrastructure. This will further contribute to reduce social tension in affected communities, also laying the ground for sound and timely recovery and reconstruction activities in coordination with national authorities. The goal is to create 220,000 temporary jobs benefiting approximately 1,050,000 people.
To complement the institutional effort under way to support UN work in Haiti, UNDP is collecting voluntary donations for the victims of Haiti earthquake. AZERSUN holding made this morning the first voluntary contribution through UNDP Azerbaijan.

Funds can be deposited with the UNDP Country Office in Baku for transmission to UNDP New York. For inquiries and procedures to follow, interested parties are invited to contact Ms. Ulviyya Mirzoyeva, tel. 498 98 88.