Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
UN Leads Efforts To Rebuild Haiti’s Telecom System
UN Leading Efforts To Ramp Up Rebuilding Of Haiti’s Telecom System
New York, Jul 2 2010 2:10PM
A global
effort led by the United Nations International
Telecommunications Union (ITU) is endeavouring to accelerate
the reconstruction of Haiti’s information and
communication technology (ICT) infrastructure, which was
destroyed in the devastating January
earthquake.
“Let’s do everything we can to ensure that Haiti gets state-of-the-art 21st century infrastructure, instead of simply replacing outdated 20th century equipment,” said Hamadoun Touré, the agency’s Secretary-General.
He was speaking yesterday at a high-level meeting in Barbados attended by representatives of ITU Member States, UN agencies, the World Bank, the Caribbean Development Bank, civil society and the private sector.
More than 200,000 people were killed in the 12 January earthquake, which left 1.3 million more homeless and destroyed countless buildings, including Government facilities, hospitals and schools.
“Let’s build in resilient features which will help to reduce network vulnerability in the future,” Mr. Touré said. “Let’s make sure that Haiti gets broadband infrastructure, giving the country communications networks which are worthy of such an indomitable nation.”
The Barbados meeting wrapped up with participants pledging their support for a trust fund for Haiti to be set up within ITU.
Within 24 hours of the quake on 12 January, ITU had deployed 40 satellite terminals to the capital, Port-au-Prince, for use by Government and humanitarian agencies to coordinate logistics and search and rescue operations. Flown to the Dominican Republic for free by FedEx, the equipment was rushed on UN transport from Santo Domingo to Port-au-Prince.
The ITU has also dispatched dozens of units with broadband capabilities, as well as engineers, to Haiti. The agency and its partners set up a mobile station providing wireless communications for humanitarian workers in the wake of the catastrophic earthquake.
ENDS
Carbon Market Watch: Going For Green - Is The Paris Olympics Winning The Race Against The Climate Clock?
New Zealand Defence Force: NZDF Working With Pacific Neighbours To Support Solomon Islands Election
UN News: Ceasefire The Only Way To End Killing And Injuring Of Children In Gaza
ICHRP: US-Japan-Philippines Trilateral Summit Makes The Philippines A Battlefield For US-China Conflict
East West Center: Environmental Journalist Alexander Kaufman Receives East-West Center’s Inaugural Melvin M.S. Goo Writing Fellowship
Compassion in World Farming: Octopus Farm Must Be Stopped, Say Campaigners