We are like a country whose capital has been hit by two atomic bombs,” Patrick Elie, a Haitian presidential adviser and former defense minister told The New York Times. The death toll from the January 12 earthquake could surpass 200,000 people, according to the United States military.
There are thought to be as many as 20,000 Lebanese living in Haiti, according to Fadi Fawaz, advisor to Prime Minister Saad Hariri. Fawaz spoke to Executive the night before he left with an official Lebanese delegation carrying aid to Haiti. The state-owned Middle East Airlines (MEA) coordinated with the government to charter an Airbus 330 to carry the delegation and aid to Port au Prince, the Haitian capital.
“The aid taken on the plane includes 30 tons of health equipment, 25 tons of shelter and three tons of milk,” said Fawaz. He was accompanied on the flight by Yahya Raad, the secretary general of the Higher Relief Commission, representatives from the Foreign Affairs and Health ministries, as well as five doctors and members of the media. Fawaz said that having survived 15 years of civil war meant that the Lebanese have both practical experience coping with disaster and expressing emotional sympathy.
“We have previous experience in disasters and we should use thisexpertise to help those in need,” Fawaz said. “We are a small country but we can make a difference in this difficult area at this difficult time.”
