The number of Canadians killed in the Haitian earthquake has grown to 12 as the federal government continues its massive relief effort in the devastated country. Quebec is also chipping in, with Premier Jean Charest announcing today $3-million in immediate aid for the humanitarian mission.
There are 859 Canadians unaccounted for, a number which has dropped from the 1,115 reporting missing yesterday; nearly 1500 have been located and nearly 1,000 Canadians have so far been evacuated.
The casualty figure had remained at eight over the weekend but Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon had warned the number would rise.
So far the Canadian military has brought in 313 tonnes of aid, including equipment, medical supplies, rations, water purification systems and personnel.
“The situation remains fragile and we still face a large number of challenges,” Mr. Cannon said Monday.
This is Day 6 of the relief effort.
The Foreign Affairs Minister provided an update on Canada’s role and the situation on the ground in a briefing this morning. He was joined by Defence Minister Peter MacKay, who yesterday committed an additional 1,000 troops to Haiti. They are to arrive this week.
As well as the troops destined for Haiti – there is expected to be 2,000 in total in the country over the next few days and weeks (250 are on the ground now), there are 3,000 troops in Afghanistan; 3,000 training for Afghanistan and nearly 5,000 committed to the upcoming Vancouver Olympics.
“The scale and scope of the devastation wrought by the earthquake is enormous and presents a substantial challenge to Canada and our international partners,” Mr. MacKay said.
“But the momentum and the movement and the commitment shown so far illustrates that we are making positive difference.”
But the Defence Minister also described the limitations of trying to get into the country and distribute aid in the first few days after the earthquake as “like water through a straw.”
“There was certain points where we were able to get aid and individuals and equipment. Now those entry points are opening with the arrival of equipment and more aid we will be able to disperse it throughout the country. But this is an enormous challenge, make no mistake about it.”
Still, the briefing by the two ministers today was slightly more positive than their previous updates.
A Haitian family whose home was destroyed in the earthquake rest in a temporary shelter in Port-au-Prince on Sunday, Jan. 17, 2010.
Mr. Cannon said the United Nations is serving 60,000 hot meals a day now, an increase from 29,000 last week. “These are the small successes that we have been seeing,” he said.
Security remains a key issue. There are concerns about growing violence as Haitians become more desperate for food and shelter.
Mr. Cannon said security was the key challenge identified in his discussions yesterday with his foreign counterparts, including U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Canada is helping with security until the Haitian police force can be re-established. It will also host an emergency meeting in Montreal next week of countries that are leading the rescue effort in Haiti.
Asked about the pace of aid arriving, the Foreign Affairs Minister added: “The conditions, the infrastructure, the geography is extremely difficult. The devastation is horrendous and people that are on the ground all want to contribute.”
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Update The Quebec government has announced $3-million in financial aid to be given immediately to humanitarian groups in Haiti to meet emergency needs of a population devastated by last week’s earthquake.
Oxfam Canada and the Red Cross will receive $1-million each; the other $1-million will be distributed between three other humanitarian groups, including Médecins sans frontières.
