O'Shea: World must rally behind Haiti

GOAL Chief Executive John O'Shea today called on the international community to make its commitment to the reconstruction and recovery of Haiti "total", and to ensure that every Haitian who lost his or her home and livelihood be fully compensated.

In a statement from Port-au-Prince, O'Shea said: “This is the very least that the Haitian people should expect from the international community.

“They have suffered horrendously – and literally with their bare hands they are struggling for survival.

“It is patently obvious that Haiti requires a massive and unprecedented reconstruction and recovery plan.

“Who has the capacity to do this. And who has the will to do it?

“Often in the past, the international community has tended to lose interest in the survivors of humanitarian tragedies as soon as the media circus moves its tent.

“This cannot be allowed to happen in the Haiti theatre of operations.

“These people were desperately poor before the earthquake - now their plight is extremely precarious,” stated O’Shea.

Over 150,000 people are feared to have died in the magnitude 7.0 quake which struck the impoverished country on January 12.