On Haiti Evictions & Clinton Commission, UN Spin in a Time of Cholera

UN peacekeeper blocks cholera, protection of civilians not shown


Amid reports from Haiti of evictions in Delmas and a Prime Minister nominee questioning the effectiveness of the aid commission chaired by former US President (and current UN envoy) Bill Clinton, Inner City Press on May 27 put these questions to the UN and to Haiti's Permanent Representative of the UN, with different answers.

On the evictions, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said that the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which as been criticized for canceling a meeting in the face of the evictions, has spoken with the government and that the evictions will stop.

Haiti's Permanent Representative, meanwhile, told Inner City Press that he hadn't heard that the evictions would stop, that it is up to the local mayor. He asked, is the UN letting the people stay?

On the Clinton-chaired commission, Nesirky said that Haiti has said gone back on the statements. Inner City Press said it had seen that, but asked what the UN's role in the Clinton commission is. Nesirky answered with a question: if you knew of the second statement, why did you ask only about the first?

Nesirky said, “So why did you use the other quotes, then? That’s what I am interested in.” Again, for a clear description of the UN's role in the commission. It is still not clear.

Haiti's Permanent Representative emphasized to Inner City Press that these were the personal views of a person who has not yet even been confirmed as prime minister. And then he was gone.


From the UN's transcript of its May 27 noon briefing:

Inner City Press: I wanted to ask about Haiti. I have got two things that, two things on Haiti. One is, there have been sort of mass evictions of camps where people have been living since the earthquake, in the Delmas area; and some members of Congress of the United States have actually, you know, spoken and said that questioned, including OCHA’s role in cancelling meetings about these camps. And I just wanted to know, what is MINUSTAH or OCHA have to say about that? And also, there have been some discussions about the new Government eliminating or changing this. President [William] Clinton, the UN Envoy, chairs a commission on reconstruction aid, and it’s said it’s been inefficient and they would like to cancel it. So what does MINUSTAH say about both of these developments?

Spokesperson Martin Nesirky: On the first, our understanding is — and my colleagues in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs have provided some information on this — the evictions have been suspended. And the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has been in contact with the authorities so that these evictions don’t start up again. And the Humanitarian Coordinator for Haiti, Nigel Fisher, has expressed his appreciation that the Government has acted quickly in this regard.

On the second question, in fact, the designated Prime Minister has been quoted in a number of places in different ways. Certainly, our understanding is that the new Government may wish to look at the nature of the Commission and how it works. I think that that would be entirely natural, and it is something for the authorities to do with our colleagues on the ground, who have been working on this for some time.

Inner City Press: No, no, I have seen those reports, and thanks. I am just wondering, what is the UN’s...?

Spokesperson Nesirky: So why did you use the other quotes, then? That’s what I am interested in.

Inner City Press: [inaudible] remains in play and it’s unclear to me what the UN’s role in that is. I know that President Clinton is Ban Ki-moon’s Envoy, but he also chairs that Commission. Is it a UN Commission and does, that’s why, I mean, it’s exactly this, what’s the UN’s role…?

Spokesperson Nesirky: I think you know what the role of the Commission is. As I say, it is for the incoming Government to speak to UN officials, other officials including President Clinton in his role as a Special Envoy, and in his role with that Commission, simply to talk through how things can work better. I think everybody accepts that there is more that needs to be done. It’s a natural process, given the scale of the disaster that occurred in Haiti.

“You know what the role of the Commission is”? No, not so much.