Foreign News

Update: Death toll in Haiti earthquake rises to 1,297 – Official

Published

3 years ago

August 16, 2021

Update: Death toll in Haiti earthquake rises to 1,297 – Official

The death toll in the earthquake in southern Haiti has risen to 1,297 people, the country’s civil protection authority said Sunday.

The U.S. Geological Survey declared a red alert after the 7.2-magnitude quake struck Saturday morning about 12 kilometres from Saint-Louis-du-Sud.

Authorities had previously recorded 724 deaths and 2,800 injured, but the death toll was expected to climb as rescue workers continue to search for survivors.

The full extent of the destruction and damage to homes and infrastructure is not yet clear.

Rescue workers and regular citizens in Haiti are racing against an impending tropical storm to pull survivors from the rubble of buildings destroyed by the earthquake.

Interim Prime Minister Ariel Henry has declared a one-month state of emergency in response to the quake.

Search and rescue efforts by the International Red Cross have focused on the area around the particularly affected towns of Jeremie and Les Cayes, and relief supplies for at least 4,500 people were ready.

Further trouble could be on the way in the form of Tropical Storm Grace.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm could hit the region on Monday, with fierce winds and heavy rain worsening the situation in the earthquake-hit area and hampering rescue efforts.

Offers of aid and condolences came pouring in from abroad.

French President Emmanuel Macron said that his country, the former colonial ruler of the Caribbean nation, “remains at the side of Haiti and its people, and stands ready to support” on Twitter on Sunday.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, UN Secretary General Antonio Gueterres and Pope Francis also expressed their condolences.

The Organisation of American States (OAS), Colombia, Argentina, Mexico, Canada and the United States have offered assistance.

Haiti, considered the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, is still living with the impact of the January 12, 2010 magnitude-7.0 earthquake that killed some 220,000 people and left one million people homeless. Damage from that earthquake, which struck near densely populated Port-au-Prince, was estimated at 8 billion dollars.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) put the epicentre of Saturday’s quake, which also triggered smaller aftershocks, on Haiti’s Tiburon peninsula, about 125 kilometres west of the capital Port-au-Prince.

The quake was also felt in the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti, Dominican newspaper Diario Libre reported. Jamaica, hundreds of kilometres away, also felt rattled.

Haiti has also been in political turmoil since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July.

He was shot dead in a middle-of-the-night attack at his residence by a heavily armed commando force.

– dpa

Related Topics:earthquake Haiti U.S. Geological Survey

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Sri Lankan President Thanks Seychelles Defence Forces For Rescuing Sri Lankan Vessel From Somali Pirates

Published

3 months ago

January 30, 2024

Maritime First

…President Ramkalawan says Seychellois military boarded boat with utmost courage to take complete control

The Seychelles Defence Forces (SDF) Special Forces and Seychelles Coast Guards on board Coast Guards vessel Topaz led a successful operation to regain control of a Sri Lankan vessel hijacked by armed Somali pirates.

Seychellois special military forces boarded the boat with utmost courage to take complete control of the vessel and rescue our Sri Lankan brothers.

The Commander in Chief of the Seychelles, President Wavel Ramkalawan has spoken to the Chief of Defence Forces, Brigadier Michael Rosette to congratulate the Special Forces and Coast Guards team on a well-executed and successful mission.

“This is the spirit of the Seychelles Defence Forces. Professionalism, courage, and bravery are the tenets of the new spirit in the force. Though small, we will make our contribution to attaining maritime security, peace, and determination in the fight against terrorism to ensure that the world, especially in our part of the Indian Ocean remains a safe and peaceful region. Once again, I reiterate the pride and confidence of the Seychellois nation in the Seychelles Defence Forces.”

Foreign News

GoG: Promoting Trans-boundary Management For Sustainable Socio-Economic Development

Published

3 months ago

January 25, 2024

Maritime First

……Mission builds upon previous efforts by AU-IBAR in the beneficiary countries (Benin and Togo) for the national validation of the report on the State of the Transboundary Marine Environment (SoME)

NAIROBI, Kenya, January 23, 2024/ — From January 21st to 27th, 2024, AU-IBAR is on a mission in the republics of Benin and Togo. The mission is dedicated to supporting the implementation of a Transboundary Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) initiative between the two nations. Funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), under the project “Conservation of Aquatic Biodiversity within the Framework of the Africa Blue Economy Strategy,” this initiative holds the promise of fostering socio-economic development through the judicious use of marine resources.

Collaborative Efforts: AU-IBAR is collaborating with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) body, the Abidjan Convention, and the World Bank-funded West African Coastal Area Management (WACA) Project. The SIDA-funded project, implemented by AU-IBAR, involves an assessment to map the extent of Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) usage in Africa as a management tool for the conservation of aquatic biodiversity and ecosystems in the west, central, and northern regions of Africa.

Mission Objectives: This mission builds upon previous efforts by AU-IBAR in the beneficiary countries (Benin and Togo) for the national validation of the report on the State of Transboundary Marine Environment (SoME). The current objective is to secure joint expert validation of the SoME report and obtain high-level political endorsement for the provisions of the jointly validated report, demonstrating the commitment of both countries to the cause. Participants in the joint validation workshop include WACA project-nominated committee members from Benin and Togo, representatives from the Abidjan Convention, and government authorities from both nations, alongside relevant AU-IBAR staff.

Political Commitment: The opening statements during the joint meeting saw representatives from the Governments of Benin and Togo, the Executive Secretary of the Abidjan Convention, and the representative of the Director of AU-IBAR express unwavering commitment to the transboundary marine management process. Both the Director of AU-IBAR and the Executive Secretary of the Abidjan Convention reiterated their support for the Governments of Benin and Togo in realizing their shared vision for the sustainable management of coastal and marine resources in the designated shared maritime boundary.

Key Outcomes: The pinnacle achievement of the joint meeting is the validation of the study report on the state of the marine environment between Benin and Togo. This validation marks a significant milestone towards establishing the transboundary MSP between the two countries. AU-IBAR Director, DR Huyam Salih, emphasized that this accomplishment is a crucial step forward in enhancing aquatic biodiversity conservation and environmental protection in the Gulf of Guinea.

Conclusion: The joint expert consultation workshop serves as a testament to the collaborative efforts aimed at promoting transboundary management of shared marine aquatic ecosystems in the Gulf of Guinea. The validated report and political commitment from Benin and Togo are integral to realizing the socio-economic development potential inherent in the sustainable use of marine resources. As AU-IBAR continues its mission, the hope is that this initiative will serve as a model for other regions seeking to harmonize efforts for the conservation and management of their shared marine ecosystems.

Foreign News

U.S.-British Strikes In Yemen Left 5 Dead, Say Houthi Rebels

Published

3 months ago

January 12, 2024

Maritime First

The U.S. and British military strikes in Yemen have left five Houthi fighters dead and six others injured, the Iran-aligned rebels said on Friday, vowing retaliation.

“The American and British enemy bears full responsibility for its criminal aggression,’’ the Houthi military spokesman Yehya Saree said in a statement.

Saree said the massive attack had targeted several Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen including the capital Sana’a.

“It will not pass unanswered and without punishment.

“The Yemeni Armed Forces will not hesitate to target sources of threat and all hostile targets on the ground and in the sea,’’ he said.