President Barack Obama pledged $100 million to relief efforts in Haiti on Thursday and promised more help is on the way as the initial wave of search and rescue teams, medical supplies, food and clean water reached the ground in a devastated nation that the White House has elevated to a top priority.
In a sweeping response to the powerful earthquake that has left tens of thousands of people dead and affected more than 3 million people, Obama also enlisted former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton to coordinate and raise money for relief efforts. Additionally, Obama dispatched Vice President Joe Biden to South Florida to meet with leaders in one of the nation’s largest Haitian-American communities.
“This is one of those moments that call out for American leadership,” the president said in remarks in the White House Diplomatic Reception Room on Thursday morning.
Calling the situation in Haiti “nothing less than devastating,” Obama tried to inspire hope in Haitians by insisting that they have America’s full support.
“To the people of Haiti, we say clearly, and with conviction: You will not be forsaken; you will not be forgotten,” the president said. “Help is arriving — much, much more help is on the way.”
Later Thursday, Obama said that White House political director Patrick Gaspard, who is Haitian-American, has family members missing in Haiti and that his family priest is suspected to be dead.
“Those stories ripple throughout the Haitian-American community,” Obama said in remarks at the Capitol to House Democrats.
In a demonstration of how challenging the situation is, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said that, nearly 48 hours after the earthquake struck, Obama had still not been able to speak directly with Haitian President Rene Preval, despite several attempts to connect by phone.
And the humanitarian crisis in Haiti was growing more urgent by the hour Thursday.
The country’s already-fragile infrastructure was rocked by the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that struck near Port-au-Prince shortly before 5 p.m. Tuesday. Hospitals, schools and major government buildings collapsed, including the presidential palace. Thousands of people were buried in the rubble as bodies piled up.
The State Department said one American has died, and rescue crews continue to search for several U.S. citizens who are missing. The United Nations said dozens of its personnel had been killed, marking the worst loss of life the world body has ever suffered in a single incident.
“It’s a dramatic situation and one that continues to be a challenge for our teams to move around and to do the work that we hope they can do,” USAID Director Rajiv Shah told reporters.
Obama said the roughly 45,000 U.S. citizens estimated to be living in Haiti are of utmost importance. Some of those who were injured have been airlifted out of the country, and the State Department said about 300 were en route back to the United States.
“We have no higher priority than the safety of American citizens,” Obama said. “And you should know that we will not rest until we account for our fellow Americans in harm’s way.”
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