"Today January 12, 2013 marks the third anniversary of the earthquake that claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Mariano Fernández, Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Haiti on behalf of the United Nations family, remembers with emotion and salute the memory of all those, Haitian and foreign, who died during this tragic event.

The Special Representative shares the profound grief and memories of families who have lost loved ones, leaving indelible scars in their heart. The UN, engaged alongside Haitians, understands and feels also this feeling painful to have lost, too, a significant number of staff members, both Haitian and foreign, including former Special Representative Hédi Annabi.

Despite the structural challenges, the United Nations family in Haiti, in support to tyhe national and local authorities, as well as the Haitian population, continues its recovery efforts. Encouraging signs of progress and positive results have been recorded in various fields. The UN will continue, to the best of its capacities, to support such efforts towards the reconstruction of Haiti.

The Special Representative of Secretary-General reiterates the commitment of the UN to support initiatives to strengthen the rule of law and the daily work of courageous Haitian people, which, despite natural disasters that hit the country, is firmly involved in the reconstruction of infrastructure and the economic recovery."

HL/ HaitiLibre