UN Secretary-General en route for Haiti to support relief efforts, rescue of survivors
By APSunday, January 17, 2010
UN’s Ban heads for Haiti to support relief efforts
NEW YORK — U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is on his way to Haiti to discuss how to support relief efforts in the earthquake-hit nation.
Ban told reporters before his departure Sunday morning that he has three priorities in Haiti: saving as many lives as possible, stepping up humanitarian assistance and ensuring the coordination of the huge amount of aid coming into the country.
“We should not waste one dollar of aid,” Ban said.
Ban said the U.N. is feeding 40,000 people, and expects that figure to rise to 2 million within a month.
He said it was one of the most serious humanitarian crises in decades, and also a tragedy for the United Nations, which is missing hundreds of personnel.
“This is the gravest and greatest single loss in the history of our organization,” Ban said.
