สถานเอกอัครราชทูต 
PRESS RELEASE
ROYAL THAI EMBASSY, MANILA
Thailand’s Partnership in Humanitarian Assistance for Earthquake in Haiti
The Royal Thai Government has successfully shipped 18,400 tons of rice to Haiti, which was severely devastated from the earthquake on 12 January 2010, resulting in over 200,000 deaths and leaving 1,000,000 homeless.
But it was during this difficult time that we saw the power of kindness and humanity towards others, as well as the partnership between the public and private sector. The Thai people have donated a total sum of over 98 million baht, as well as various medical supplies and basic commodities. On 19 January 2010, the Thai cabinet approved a donation of 20,000 tons of Thai rice to the people of Haiti – 18,400.7 tons of which has already been shipped to Haiti. A significant portion of the transportation cost of the said amount of rice was borne by various governments, organizations and private companies.
On 24 March 2011, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand hosted a one-year commemoration of the January 2010 Haiti Earthquake, in appreciation for the partnership rendered by different parties. The event aimed at highlighting the partnership for humanitarian assistance among all stakeholders – Thailand, other donor countries, international organizations and private sector. The event was presided by H.E. Mr. Kasit Piromya, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and attended by the development partnership from governments, international organizations and private companies who have supported the transportation cost of the rice from Thailand to Haiti. The details of the partnership in humanitarian assistance rendered to Haiti are as follows:
- Government of New Zealand donated NZ$ 1 million to support the transportation of 1,203 tons of rice from Thailand to Haiti
- Government of Switzerland donated US$ 970,873.79 to support the transportation of 1,252 tons of rice from Thailand to Haiti
- Government of Spain donated € 4 million to support the transportation of 7,164 tons of rice from Thailand to Haiti
- World Food Programme (WFP) allocated an amount of money from private sector donation and from the WFP Emerging Donor Matching Fund to support the transportation of 5,160 tons of rice from Thailand to Haiti
- Thai Airways International and PPT supported an in-kind air cargo flight to transport 96.7 tons of rice from Thailand to Haiti
- Maersk Line supported an in-kind shipping service to transport 3,525 tons of rice from Thailand to Haiti
Following the earthquake, the transportation system inside Haiti has been heavily damaged, making the logistics of transporting the humanitarian aid to the people in need extremely challenging. The distribution of rice donated by the Royal Thai Government was therefore done through the WFP – an organization highly specialized in handling logistics operations in disaster-hit areas. The WFP has set up an extensive logistics system in Haiti, which ensures that the humanitarian aid sent from outside reaches the people in Haiti in the most efficient way, in a manner most appropriate for the receiving end.
The partnership in humanitarian assistance has clearly demonstrated that dealing with the aftermath of a natural disaster of this scale is a task too big for one country to handle alone, and that it is a long-term task. A joint effort by all sectors from the international community is therefore a key to handling such crisis with success. Although much has already been done, the people in Haiti still need the help of the global community. Our job, therefore, is not done, until livelihood is fully restored in Haiti.
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Royal Thai Embassy
April B.E. 2554 (2011)