United Nations, New York (14th January 2025) The international community is this week marking the deadly earthquake which struck the island of Haiti in 2010. Antonio Guterres, the United Nations Secretary General led global commemorations by remarking, “this Sunday marks 15 years since a devastating earthquake claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in Haiti. The UN family lost 102 of our colleagues. We remember the victims and will continue honoring their legacy through our work.”
At the United Nations the Permanent Mission of St. Kitts and Nevis, led by H.E Dr. Mutryce Williams, Permanent Representative/Ambassador, is honouring Haiti’s history of resilience by fiercely advocating for increased financing, security and development. Ambassador Williams underlined that, “Haiti’s impact throughout history has edified the black experience from the Caribbean to America to Africa. We must now be there for Haiti as it continues to rebuild from natural disasters and insecurity. St. Kitts and Nevis and Haiti have a special bond, and we will use our voice and vote at the UN to ensure that our solidarity translates to measurable results for our neighbours.”
St. Kitts and Nevis is a member of the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Haiti and has leveraged its chairmanship of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM Caucus) in New York as well as its current Chairmanship of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States, (GRULAC), at the United Nations to elevate the discourse around Haiti’s struggle for peace, and prosperity.”
In his High-Level Week address at the United Nations General Assembly, Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew, emphatically reminded the world that, “Saint Kitts and Nevis, alongside the Caribbean Community, firmly supports the work of the National Transitional Council as it strives to create an environment conducive to a multi-stakeholder political solution. Haiti was there for the downtrodden of the world, lighting the path toward freedom for many, and now the world must be there for Haiti. Not because it is a place of sorrow, but because it remains a symbol of human endurance and defiance against injustice.
With the establishment of the Multinational Security Support Mission, the Caribbean Community seeks to usher in a new day for Haiti’s families— a day where schools become places of learning, hospitals are places of healing, and markets are not arsenals for gangs, but havens for community and prosperity. Haiti’s future is not only one of security but one of sustainability, and we must rally to give it the peace it deserves.”
On January 12, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck near Port au Prince Haiti. An estimated 3,500,000 million people were impacted, 220,000 people died and over 300,000 people were injured. Overall losses and damage from the 2010 earthquake were estimated between US$7 billion and US$14 billion.
