Annan's Envoy Arrives In Haiti

Annan's Envoy Arrives In Haiti As UN Assessment Mission Continues Work

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan's special envoy landed in Haiti's capital today, as the UN assessment mission looking at the security, transportation and humanitarian conditions in the still volatile country continued its work.

"The Secretary-General's Special Adviser for Haiti, Reginald Dumas, arrived in Port-au-Prince this morning," spokeswoman Marie Okabe told the press at headquarters. "Meanwhile, the UN's multidisciplinary mission, headed by Hocine Medili, is continuing its work in Haiti and will be meeting with members of the diplomatic community today."

The UN has said that Mr. Dumas' role was a broader political one than that of the assessment mission.

The mission's security assessment team left Port-au-Prince on Friday to look at the flow of traffic on the major road used for moving trade goods between the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

The World Health Organization ( http://www.who.int/en/ WHO), meanwhile, reported that the capital's main water duct had broken near an important hospital and the water company had run out of disinfectants and reagents to control water quality, Ms. Okabe said.

Emergency medicines were being distributed by WHO, the UN Children's Fund ( http://www.unicef.org/emerg/haiti/index_action.html UNICEF), the UN Population Fund ( http://www.unfpa.org/ UNFPA) and the non-governmental organization Canadian Cooperation, she noted.

© Scoop Media