Santiago, Chile–(ENEWSPF)–March 11, 2010.  Three strong aftershocks hit Chile today during the swearing in ceremony for its new President, Sebastian Pinera.  Today’s aftershocks are being reported as the strongest to rattle Chile since the February 27 earthquake. A magnitude 7.2 earthquake hit at 11:39 a.m. (local time) followed by a[Read More…]

WASHINGTON–(ENEWSPF)–March 10, 2010.  The American Red Cross today announced it is allocating an additional $24.4 million for Haiti earthquake relief and recovery, increasing its total commitment to date to $106.4 million. The Red Cross made its funding announcement the same day that Haitian President Rene Preval is visiting the White[Read More…]

NEW YORK–(ENEWSPF)–10 March 2010 – As Haiti begins to dig itself out of the rubble of January’s earthquake, UNICEF and its partners there are preparing to face another challenge – the rainy season. Haitians have good reason to dread the annual spring and summer storms, even when their capital does not[Read More…]

New York, NY–(ENEWSPF)–March 10, 2010.  The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund (CBHF), established by Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to raise money for Haiti relief and recovery efforts after the January earthquake, has appointed a Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer to manage the Fund’s operations. The six-person[Read More…]

WASHINGTON, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–March 10, 2010.  Today the House of Representatives unanimously passed H.R. 4783, bipartisan legislation to allow individuals who make charitable contributions to victims of the earthquake in Chile (prior to April 15, 2010) to claim an itemized charitable deduction on their 2009 tax return instead of having to wait[Read More…]

Washington, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–March 10, 2010. I’ve directed my administration to launch a swift, coordinated, and aggressive effort to save lives and support the recovery in Haiti.  The losses that have been suffered in Haiti are nothing less than devastating, and responding to a disaster of this magnitude will require every element[Read More…]

Washington, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–March 10, 2010 – 12:01 P.M. EST PRESIDENT OBAMA:  Please be seated.  Good afternoon, everybody.  And on behalf of the American people, I want to welcome President Préval, the First Lady, and their delegation to the United States. The President and I have just concluded a very productive meeting[Read More…]

NEW YORK–(ENEWSPF)–10 March 2010 – Nearly two months after Haiti was struck by a catastrophic earthquake, the top United Nations official there says the country is moving towards recovery and reconstruction but will need continued urgent humanitarian relief for at least the next 12 months. “That first phase of humanitarian[Read More…]

Washington, D.C.–(ENEWSPF)–March 9, 2010. SECRETARY CLINTON: Good morning. Let me begin by saying how honored we are to have President Preval here at the State Department. Everyone knows how devastated Haiti was by the earthquake of January the 12th. The Haitian people suffered so greatly and the Haitian Government was[Read More…]

Port-au-Prince–(ENEWSPF)–9 March 2010.  Just under two months after the earthquake that devastated southern Haiti and left an estimated 1.3 million homeless, humanitarian agencies distributing emergency shelter-materials have reached more than 650,000 people – the halfway mark. Tens of thousands of tarpaulins, tents, ropes, timber uprights and toolkits continue to pour[Read More…]