Ecuador has spent $12MM to Haiti's reconstruction since the earthquake of January 2010 said Carlos Lopez Damm, Ambassador of Ecuador in Haiti.

After the earthquake, which killed about 316.000 people (1), and made 300,000 injured and 1.5 million people disaster, the countries of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) have pledged to support Haiti and fixed contribution amounts based on their gross domestic product (GDP). For Ecuador, this amount was $12MM which was fully paid in 2010 and early 2011.

Of this amount, $8 million went to pay the Haitians employees in public works, mainly roads and agriculture and 4 others million dollars have been spent on budget support grants.

Haiti, received after the earthquake, tons of humanitarian assistance: water, medicines, food, construction materials, tents and other essential items. In addition to this assistance, Ecuador has sent two missions of 71 people each (in June and December 2010) composed of qualified military personnel (engineers and medical resources).

The Ecuadorian mission deployed in the Artibonite Valley, an enclave rich in agriculture, has built a series of roads and irrigation systems. It has conducted, among others, to the reparation of 30 km of road and put a surface coating on another section of 145 kilometers. Others works including the cleaning of irrigation canals and drainage have been made to reduce the risk of flooding during the rainy season.

Ecuadoran soldiers have also participated in the construction of a new bridge of about thirty meters over the river Lester and conducted the maintenance of another metal bridge used to connect several villages. They also ensured the production and transport of 60,000 cubic meters of stone and building materials for housing. The Ecuadorian mission was also responsible of a maintenance and development project of the camp "Lambert", managed by the Organisation du Développement de la Vallée de l’Artibonite (ODVA).

The assistance of Ecuador is an example that reflects the spirit of South-South cooperation among countries in Latin America.

(1) : Figure of the Haitian government.

Article by HL/ HaitiLibre