Canada extends assistance to Haiti

Canada, January 18: In its efforts to provide assistance to the quake-hit Haiti, Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) has been deployed by military of Canada.

So, Canadian forces have sent rescue workers along with a cavalcade of vehicles including a CF-17, the HMCS Halifax with a Sea King helicopter, the HMCS Ville de Quebec, several transport planes and helicopters to help the trapped Canadians and Haitians and provide aid needed at this crucial time.

The mission named ‘Operation Helmet’ being carried out by Canada’s military aims to send search and rescue workers along with all the medical aid needed to help victims of the earthquake.

The emergency operations center of Canada is receiving loads of enquiries daily in the form of emails and telephone calls from citizens of Canada for getting in touch with their families and friends in Haiti. However, but the Canadians have been advised by Lawrence Cannon, the Foreign Affairs Minister of Canada to be patient since any communication from and to Haiti is not possible at present.

The earthquake measuring 7.0 that hit the capital of Port-au-Spain last Tuesday is being considered to be one of the worst earthquakes in the span of last two centuries. A large number of buildings and homes were completely destroyed in the quake. These included the home of the President of Port-au-Spain.

And the quake left hundreds of thousands of people dead and several reported to be missing.
Delays in search operations are being blamed on poor infrastructure facilities in Haiti which added to the chaos left by the quake.

The Canadian government has contributed $5 million in the form of relief for the Haitians. It is being hoped that the federal government will come up with a program for extending more relief in the form of donations from Canadians. Michael Ignatieff, the Liberal leader is positive that the Canadian government will in reunification of Haitian families living in Canada by extending the time of visa and immigration processing.

Help is likely to be sought from the US government as Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper steps forward for having talks with American President Barack Obama.