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UPU: Postal Infrastructure Must Be Part Of Reconstruction Plans For Haiti - January 27, 2010
[Press Release.]United Nations agency for postal services
On the day Montreal is set to host an international conference to discuss the rebuilding of the
devastated country, the United Nations specialized agency for postal services urges
participants to remember the postal sector in the rebuilding of network infrastructures.
“The postal infrastructure is an important motor of all national economies,” says Edouard
Dayan, director general of the Universal Postal Union. “Haitians need effective postal
services to be able to receive and send mail and goods as well as make financial
transactions, including money transfers. The UPU is talking with its member countries about
the aid to be given to Haiti to rebuild and modernize its postal services, which were severely
affected, like other sectors, by the earthquake of January 12.”
Infrastructure destroyed
Except for three post offices in outlying areas of Port-au-Prince, most of the nine postal
buildings in the Haitian capital were completely destroyed by the earthquake, including the
Post’s head office and its main sorting centre, according to local postal authorities. These
installations provided work for 350 people. Postal buildings also collapsed in Miragoâne,
Grand-Goâve and Petit-Goâve, according to Margarette Emile, director general of the Haitian
Post.
Nationally, there are 60 post offices in Haiti employing 600 people. According to UPU data,
the Haitian Post in 2007 processed 675,000 international letter-post items and 5,000 parcels.
It also manages more than 161,000 postal savings accounts.
Offers to help rebuild the Haitian Post are pouring in daily at the UPU from the world’s Posts.
A task force set up at the UPU’s International Bureau – the Union’s secretariat – is
coordinating international assistance being offered by member countries and their
designated postal operators. Members of the task force include postal officials from the
American, Canadian, Dominican, French, Haitian and Spanish Posts, as well as
representatives from regional postal organizations such as the Postal Union of the Americas,
Spain and Portugal and the Caribbean Postal Union.
“In the aftermath of the catastrophe, we have an opportunity to help Haiti Post rebuild but
also modernize its operations and activities so that it can play an even more important role in
revitalizing the economy, which is essential to the country’s recovery,” adds Dayan. “With
close to one million Haitians living in the United States, 130,000 in Canada, 80,000 in France
and so many more elsewhere, setting up efficient postal services in Haiti will contribute to
stimulating the economy and alleviating inhabitants’ difficulties.”
Posts mobilize
At this moment, the postal service in Haiti is completely paralyzed. The UPU and its member
countries are studying the best scenarios for jump-starting postal services as soon as
possible.
A team of postal inspectors from the United States will travel to Port-au-Prince this week to
help postal officials there secure the mail trapped in the rubble and at the airport when the
earthquake struck and evaluate the needs in view of resuming postal exchanges with the
world.
On site and abroad, Posts are doing what they can for Haiti. UPU member countries are
offering financial assistance to help rebuild the Post as well as equipment ranging from
vehicles to sorting equipment. Germany’s Deutsche Post DHL has deployed its emergency
response team based at the Port-au-Prince airport. France’s La Poste last week issued a
postage stamp to raise money for the French Red Cross. Other Posts, including those of
Canada, Spain and Mauritius, are also working with the Red Cross nationally. Canada Post
will soon send to Haiti nine postal vans bearing the latter’s national colours.
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