US, France sign agreements on jobs, healthcare in Haiti

Sep 20, 2010, 21:05 GMT

New York - Two agreements that will generate thousands of jobs in earthquake-shattered Haiti and rebuild the country's main hospital were signed Monday in New York.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive and representatives of the Inter-American Development Bank and Korean manufacturer Sae-A Trading Co Ltd signed an agreement to create an industrial park in Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital severely damaged in January's earthquake.

'This is the first good news since the earthquake. We need private investment in Haiti to get us out of this bad situation,' Bellerive said.

'It is a great day for Haiti,' he said of the plan that is to generate 18,000 jobs. 'We are creating conditions that will lead to more jobs in Haiti. We're creating jobs and wealth for the people of Haiti.'

The second agreement signed by Clinton, Bellerive and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner dealt with the reconstruction and expansion of the Hopital Universitaire d'Etat d'Haiti, the country's main teaching hospital.

The United States and France are to donate 25 million dollars each toward rebuilding the hospital, with the Haitian government contributing 3.2 million dollars to the effort.

In the wake of the 7-magnitude earthquake that killed an estimated 222,750 people - or 2 per cent of the country's population - many have spoken of the need to reimagine a new Haiti, Clinton said.

The new agreements 'will support that effort, by creating jobs and building a foundation for health,' she said.

The industrial park and garment manufacturing facility has the potential to create 10,000 permanent jobs. 'We're sending a message that Haiti is open for business again,' Clinton said.

Kouchner criticized those who have claimed that the infrastructure was being rebuilt too slowly, and that despite money being poured into Haiti there was no visible progress. Those critics didn't understand what it meant to rebuild cities and create a new model for development in Haiti, he said: 'All of that takes time; the results can't be seen immediately.'

Kouchner, himself a doctor and co-founder of Doctors Without Borders, said the idea behind rebuilding and expanding the stretched hospital was to create a centre that would care for every Haitian regardless of their social and economic status.

'What we need is a public health plan and insurance for all Haitians,' he said, 'What makes a hospital work well is access to care for all Haitians.'

In recent days, Bellerive has defended the speed of reconstruction in Haiti, claiming that recovery projects remain on track. He reiterated Monday that private investment and job creation were critical to Haiti's rebuilding and recovery.

An estimated 1 million-2 million Haitians are still living in temporary settlements following the January 12 earthquake, and this could continue for months or even years until transitional shelters are built, the United Nations has said.

The total damage and loss is estimated at 7.8 billion dollars, or slightly more than Haiti's gross domestic product in 2009.