EU must learn lessons from response to quake - Ashton

EU FOREIGN policy chief Catherine Ashton has said the union will have to strengthen the way it responds to disasters such as the Haiti earthquake to ensure emergency aid is delivered more quickly.

At the end of a meeting of EU foreign ministers at which they moved a step closer to issuing further sanctions against Iran over its nuclear programme, Baroness Ashton brushed aside criticism that the union’s response in Haiti lacked visibility. “I think that there’s been a recognition, certainly from the people of Haiti, from the UN and US and others, of the extremely important role that the EU has played,” she said.

While she said the EU had done a good job, she was “quite sure” its systems could be improved to ensure a swifter response.

Lessons must be learned, she said, to make sure the response is faster, better co-ordinated and reaches people in need as swiftly as possible. “What we’ve said is that we’ll look at the lessons learned and come forward with proposals. I don’t have proposals yet.”

As EU foreign ministers discussed the situation in Haiti amid fears that the looming rainy season threatens a second catastrophe for some 250,000 people who lost their homes, the Irish Government said it was sending another consignment of humanitarian supplies to the country.

Minister of State for development Peter Power told reporters in Brussels the situation in Haiti remained “extremely grave”. He attended the meeting in place of Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin, who was in London with Taoiseach Brian Cowen for talks on Northern Ireland.

The 40-tonne consignment, which will be distributed by Irish aid agencies, follows the delivery of an 80-tonne consignment last week, which was distributed on behalf of the Government by Goal and Concern. The two shipments contain enough supplies to provide shelter and fresh water to 12,000 families, Mr Power said.

These include plastic sheeting and tents for shelter, water containers and sanitation equipment. Given the threat of further disruption by imminent rains, the international community hopes to build more than 20 camps, each with tent accommodation for 10,000 people.

Asked about the prospect of children orphaned in the earthquake being adopted by European parents, he said the priority was to support the orphanages and existing services for Haitian children. “To support fostering or adoption at this stage would be premature,” he said, adding that administration of the Haitian state remained in a state of collapse.

On Iran, Baroness Ashton said the time had come to discuss “what else and what next” in respect of Tehran’s nuclear programme.

With Russia and China resisting further sanctions at the UN Security Council, she kicked for touch when asked how long the UN process would run before the EU considered unilateral sanctions.

“I’m sorry to give you a classic wait and see answer. We have to see what comes out of the discussions of the security council and the role that the members play and then return to the subject,” she said. “I believe that the international community has obligations, that we set up in the world the rules by which we choose to operate, to deal with some of the important issues of ensuring the security and safety for the people. If we have the rules we have obligations within the rules and that applies to all of us.”