EU-Haiti: new humanitarian air bridge to bring essential supplies

“As the recent spike in gang violence is making even more critical the humanitarian situation in Haiti”, the European Union has launched a new humanitarian air bridge “to provide essential supplies – a statement reads – to the country’s population”. A total of five flights have arrived to Cap Haïtien, in the north of the country, as the international airport of Port of Prince is not functional since the beginning of March. Flights from Panama carried 62 tonnes of medicines, emergency shelter equipment, water, and sanitation items. Of this total, 24 tonnes of materials come from the EU’s stockpile, including blankets, hygiene kits, and kitchen utensils. Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič said: “The EU remains ready to support the people in Haiti by any means in our power. With these five flights, we are delivering much needed supplies to our partners in the country, where the population is struggling” to survive. Getting access to healthcare and other basic services and “preventing the spread of diseases such as cholera is a priority, as well as providing emergency shelter to the increasing number of people displaced by the ongoing violence”.
Valentina Bombelli