Haitian Electoral Council inherits $9 million in US funds from 2000 UN mission

Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council has received just over $9 million in United States funding left over from a one-year United Nations mission, which consolidated the work of previous operations on respecting human rights, reinforcing law enforcement and coordinating international dialogue with Haitian leaders until February 2001.

The Electoral Council received the US money from the UN's International Civilian Mission for Support in Haiti (MICAH), according to the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the US Government and the Special Mission of the Organization of American States (OAS), which all signed a cooperation agreement on Monday.

The Council's programme includes registering Haitian voters and giving them identity cards, creating a database on eligible voters and administering the elections.

Among those attending the signing ceremony at the local Council office in Delmas were Haitian Prime Minister Gerard Latortue, UN Resident Coordinator Adama Guindo and OAS Special Mission chief Denneth Modeste.

In another development, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) today reported that even as some 1.2 million Haitians depend on outside food assistance, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has received less than half of the $7.9 million needed to meet needs. OCHA warned that any disaster during the period ahead could exhaust the current scarce resources.