Haiti Earthquake: UN expects a new deployment of 380 troops to be on the ground by mid-March

The Force Commander of the United Nations Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), Major General Floriano Peixoto Vieira Neto, updated reporters yesterday (18 February) on the security situation in the earthquake-devastated country.

Update Report on Haiti

 UN Photo/Marco Dormino

On Friday, 19 February the UN Security Council is expecting a public briefing from Emergency Relief Coordinator John Holmes and the head of the Peacekeeping Department, Alain Le Roy, on the humanitarian situation in Haiti and the work of the UN Stabilisation Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). The meeting is expected to be followed by informal consultations. While no immediate changes to MINUSTAH's mandate are expected to result, it is possible that members of the Council will agree on a press statement.

Read the Update Report on Haiti published by Security Council Report

Darfur peacekeepers get helicopters after long wait

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - International peacekeepers in Sudan's Darfur region received their first five military helicopters on Tuesday, ending a more than two-year wait for air support in a strife-torn territory the size of Spain.

Military commanders and activists have repeatedly called on Western powers to provide tactical helicopters for the joint U.N./African Union UNAMID peacekeeping force since it arrived in Sudan's rebellious West in January 2008.

Senior U.N. officials said they struggled to find any of the vital aircraft because so many helicopters had already gone to other conflict zones, including Afghanistan.

On Tuesday, Sudan's neighbour Ethiopia became the first country to respond to the call by sending five tactical helicopters to Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, said UNAMID.
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Extra UN troops and police pledged for Haiti

By EDITH M. LEDERER (AP), UN Photo/Marco Dormino

UNITED NATIONS — Sixteen countries have offered to provide the 3,500 extra troops and police officers that the United Nations requested to beef up security in Haiti and ensure aid is delivered to earthquake victims, the U.N. peacekeeping chief said Thursday.

A week after the Jan. 12 quake devastated the Haitian capital and surrounding area, the U.N. Security Council authorized 2,000 additional troops to help the 7,000 military peacekeepers already in the country and 1,500 extra police for the 2,100-strong international police force.

"The international answer to our request has been tremendous," Undersecretary-General for Peacekeeping Alain Le Roy told reporters Thursday. "The answer has been remarkably rapid. ... We have now all the pledges we needed for both the 2,000 military and for the 1,500 policemen."

Le Roy said he expects the 2,000 extra troops to be on the ground in Haiti within three weeks to help escort humanitarian convoys and ensure security while aid is being distributed.

He said 900 Brazilian soldiers would be arriving on Thursday and Friday.

The advance party of a 190-member Japanese military engineering company has already arrived, and the advance party of a 240-member South Korean engineering company will be in Haiti by Saturday, he said. Some 150 troops from the neighboring Dominican Republic are in the process of deploying along the border, and troops from Argentina, Peru and Uruguay will be arriving soon, he said.

Le Roy said about 500 police from Spain, the Netherlands, France, Bangladesh and Italy will be there in within two weeks. U.N. officials said a 100-strong French police unit that came in after the quake will become part of the U.N. contingent.

The remaining 1,000 police — from Bangladesh, India, Turkey, Pakistan and Rwanda — will arrive in April or May, Le Roy said.

Canada, Netherlands supply vehicles for Darfur peacekeeping

The governments of Canada and the Netherlands have handed over equipment valued at more than 12 million U.S. dollars to the Uganda Police Force towards peacekeeping efforts in Darfur.

A statement from the Canadian Embassy in Nairobi said on Wednesday the in-kind contribution consists of armored and non- armored vehicles, tents, and engineering, logistical, medical, dental and protective equipment.

"We are pleased to support vital peacekeeping efforts in Darfur, in a partnership with African peacekeeping nations like Uganda. Together, we can make a difference in advancing our common goal of stability, security and a just and lasting peace in Sudan," said Canadian High Commissioner to Uganda Ross Hynes.

"Uganda's important contribution to peacekeeping efforts in Sudan is very much appreciated," Hynes said in the statement.

The equipment is for use by the Uganda contingent in the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) Formed Police Units which will be the first large-scale peacekeeping deployment for the Uganda Police Force.

In addition, a six-month supply of critical spare parts along with equipment-related operator and basic equipment training has been provided.

"We are also pleased that six new armored personnel carriers have arrived in Kampala as part of our important contribution to the police units provided to UNAMID by African countries," Hynes said.

"Along with these vehicles, we are also providing equipment and basic operator and maintenance training as part of a 40 million dollar package to three African Countries including Uganda."

Currently, Uganda has 135 personnel deployed in Darfur with UNAMID and 17 with the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS).

In the spring of 2010, for a period of six months, a 150-person Formed Police Unit (FPU) will be deployed to Darfur after which the Ugandan government will have the choice of using the vehicles and equipment received yesterday to extend the deployment or take part in other peacekeeping missions around the world.

Canada is part of a concerted international effort to support a just and lasting peace in all of Sudan.

Canadian contributions focus primarily on resolving the humanitarian and human rights crisis in Darfur, and supporting the full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which ended the southern civil war in January 2005.

Source: Xinhua

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