Haitians urged on political transition

A Chinese envoy on Monday urged the Haitians to quickly move forward political transition and called on the United Nations Security Council member states to provide aid to the people affected by the Aug 14 earthquake.

Addressing the Security Council briefing on Haiti, Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, said the world has witnessed continued political volatility in Haiti over the past four months.

"Its security and humanitarian crisis has not improved in the slightest," Geng said.

"In fact, it has been going from bad to worse. We express our deep sympathy for the tragic plight of the Haitian people. The Haitian government and political leaders must, in the interests of the people and the country, desist from power struggle, discharge their responsibilities in good faith, and take action to put the country on a proper track of development."

The envoy called on "all parties in Haiti to act in the country's best interest and, in the spirit of mutual understanding and accommodation, show flexibility, move in the same direction, and reach agreement on the relevant arrangements without delay through broad political consultations, so as to ensure the elections can take place as early as possible".

Humanitarian aid

On the issue of humanitarian assistance, Geng said the earthquake and subsequent tropical storm in Haiti caused heavy casualties and property loss, and an additional 650,000 people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.

"China calls on the international community to respond actively to the UN humanitarian emergency appeals totaling about $187 million, and urges the Haitian government to work closely with the UN system to ensure that supplies reach people most in need and to avoid waste and embezzlement," he said.

Geng also called for efforts to "combat criminal gangs with full force", noting that the gangs in Haiti are "running amok", creating all sorts of egregious chaos in society and displacing 19,000 people since June.

"The Chinese delegation, in the previous council deliberations, has repeatedly stressed that there is no external solution to the Haitian dossier, and that it is ultimately up to the Haitian people themselves to bring the country out of its plight," he said.

Geng compared the international community's long-standing assistance to Haiti as blood transfusion and oxygen supply, which has proved to be neither markedly effective nor sustainable.

"The UN's presence in Haiti should be improved and adjusted," he said. "Regardless of what the UN is doing, what matters the most is for all the political parties in Haiti to reflect on the problems that exist, and genuinely shoulder their responsibility to the country and their people."

Xinhua contributed to this story.