UNITED NATIONS, March 14 (Xinhua) -- While withdrawing non-essential staff from Haiti due to the escalation of violence, the United Nations is bringing in crisis specialists and humanitarian personnel to help deliver life-saving aid, a UN spokesman said Thursday.
"We are reconfiguring our presence in the country while remaining fully committed to delivering life-saving assistance to the people of Haiti," said Stephane Dujarric, chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
The United Nations authorized the temporary relocation of some internationally recruited personnel from Haiti, while others, who are crisis specialists and humanitarian personnel, will come in to help with operations on the ground, said the spokesman.
"Our colleagues and partners are continuing to work to deliver life-saving assistance to people in need, despite the limited access and despite obviously the very concerning security situation," he said. "We are continuing to monitor and review measures that we take as the situation develops."
On Wednesday, the World Food Programme (WFP) was able to provide hot meals to about 13,000 displaced people. But this service in Port-au-Prince might be shut down next week if new funding is not secured. The WFP urgently needs 10 million U.S. dollars to be able to sustain this life-saving program, said the spokesman.
Overall funding for the humanitarian response plan stands at 674 million dollars, but it is now 3.2 percent funded with about 21.6 million dollars in the bank. Needless to say, much more is needed to meet Haiti's humanitarian needs for this coming year, he said.
The world body's medical partners are concerned about the overall health situation in Haiti, particularly about significant shortages in blood supply. The Pan American Health Organization, the UN Children's Fund and the International Organization for Migration, through their national partners, are providing medical assistance via mobile clinics at several sites for displaced people and other essential aid such as water and psychosocial assistance, said Dujarric. ■
