Summary of humanitarian assistance provided by Brazil to Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake of January 12th 2010, as of January 20th 2010, 11PM (Brasília time):
1) The Brazilian Government has pledged US$ 15 million of funds in humanitarian assistance to Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake of January 12th 2010.
2) The Brazilian Government has made a voluntary contribution to the World Food Programme for immediate humanitarian assistance to Haiti: US$ 130,000
3) The Brazilian Government has sent funds to the Brazilian Embassy in Port-au-Prince, for local purchase and distribution of food items: US$ 50,000
4) The Brazilian Government has made a voluntary contribution to the Haitian Office of the UN Populations Fund: US$ 100,000
5) The Brazilian Government has allocated funds for humanitarian assistance to Haiti from the Brazilian Humanitarian Fund at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: US$ 250,000
6) The Brazilian Government has already made its contribution to the Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) for 2010 (US$ 200,000). CERF provides immediate allocation of resources in humanitarian assistance to affected countries, and to Haiti as well.
7) Since the earthquake, 7 airplanes of the Brazilian Air Force have been deployed and have made more than 10 flights to Haiti, carrying 60 specialists in disaster response; rescue dogs; 60,2 tons of food items; about 18,5 tons of medications; 14,3 tons of water; and 32,5 tons of shelter and other items, including an emergency portable hospital. Out of the 60,2 tons of food which have been sent, 28 tons were high-caloric, ready-to-eat food items from the Brazilian International Humanitarian Depot, located at Rio de Janeiro International Airport.
8) More flights are expected to depart in the following days from Rio de Janeiro to Port au Prince with food items from the Brazilian International Humanitarian Depot.
9) A diplomat from the Humanitarian Assistance Unit of the Ministry of External Relations was sent to Haiti on the first day after the earthquake, in order to help coordinate the provision of Brazilian humanitarian assistance to Haiti. For this purpose, a meeting was held on Saturday 18th among top Haitian officials, the Brazilian Embassy in Port au Prince, and United Nations personnel. On the occasion,
the Haitian officials and the representative of the World Food Programme expressed gratitude for the assistance provided by Brazil and spoke about putting up a shelter camp for distribution of assistance items to the population affected by the earthquake. The Haitian officials and the WFP representative requested the support of BRABATT for stocking and distribution of humanitarian assistance sent by Brazil to Haiti.
10) Two specialists of the Brazilian National Secretariat for Civil Defense have already reached Haiti to help with distribution of food items and shelter.
11) In the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake of January 12th, a Special Support Group (SSG) was established at the Brazilian Embassy in S=E3o Domingos, composed of diplomats from Brazilian Embassies, in order to organize the provision of Brazilian humanitarian assistance to Haiti via the Dominican Republic. The SSG has sent more than ten trucks of drinkable water have been sent by road to Port-au-Prince. Other trucks are being sent by the SSG from S=E3o Domingos to Port-au-Prince with food items locally purchased and worth of US$ 120,000.
12) A special account of the United Nations Development Program at the State-owned bank "Caixa Econômica Federal" is being used by Brazilian civil society in order to help the victims of the earthquake. The resources will be channelled through both the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA, which manages the "Haiti Emergency Relief Response Fund") and the World Food Programme (WFP) for humanitarian assistance in Haiti.
Coordination of International Actions against Hunger.
Ministry of External Relations, Brazil.
Tel.: + 55 61 3411 9442
Fax: + 55 61 3411 9446
E-mail: cgfome@itamaraty.gov.br