Ban Ki-moon on Haiti Recovery Efforts
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN ANCHOR: Tonight, the struggle to sustain survivors in Haiti. Amid a surge of relief, how to unclog the pipeline. The U.N. secretary general is just back from there, and we'll have an exclusive interview. Good evening, everyone. I'm Christiane Amanpour, and welcome to the program. This week, we focus on the devastation in Haiti, just one of the major global challenges facing President Obama after his first year in office. And later, we'll have an exclusive interview with the Israeli opposition leader, Tzipi Livni, on the Middle East peace process. But first, it has been six days now since a major earthquake devastated parts of Haiti. And still basic supplies like food and water have yet to reach tens of thousands of victims. Emergency relief, including medicines, piling up at the airport have yet to make their way to towns and villages around the earthquake zone. The U.N. secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, flew to Haiti on Sunday to assess the situation.</s>BAN KI-MOON, UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL: We cannot waste one minute, one dollar, and one person. We cannot have vital supplies sitting in warehouses.</s>AMANPOUR: And the frustration has been growing on the streets, something that many Haitians have been voicing for days.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't see them, so I don't know where -- where -- where they've put them, but I don't see them. Can you imagine that, four years ago (ph). So we don't have anything to eat, even have -- we don't even have some water to drink. That's -- it's a big problem, so we need -- we need food. We need something to drink. I'm speaking to you. I am hungry. I need food. I need something -- I need some water to drink.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How many days have you been here?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Three days.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And have you had any food?</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Haven't any food, any water, nothing.</s>AMANPOUR: The U.N. is calling this the most difficult logistical challenge it's ever faced in a humanitarian crisis, but it's certainly not the first one to face the international community. Back in 1991, massive amounts of air -- of aid were airdropped to Kurds fleeing Saddam Hussein right after the Gulf War. And a few years later, relief supplies were again airdropped into besieged towns and villages during the Bosnia war. Joining us now, right after his tour of the earthquake zone, is the United Nations secretary general, Ban Ki-moon. Thank you for joining us.</s>BAN KI-MOON, UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL: Thank you very much. It's a great pleasure.</s>AMANPOUR: You heard that woman desperately saying, "I am hungry. I'm thirsty." What is happening? Why can't you get basic food and water to her?</s>BAN: I met many people, ordinary people, in main plaza in front of devastated presidential palace. I heard their concerns, and I told them that I'm here you help you, food and water. The United Nations is organizing massive humanitarian assistance.</s>AMANPOUR: You're in charge, right? The U.N. is in charge, is that correct?</s>BAN: Yes, United Nations has been playing a primary coordinating role, and we will continue to do, in close coordination with the major international community, including particularly the United States.</s>AMANPOUR: All right. Well, let's take it block by block. There are thousands of U.S. troops coming right now. The airport seems to be receiving thousands of tons of aid, but it's not getting out in sufficient quantities and quick enough. How to unblock that pipeline?</s>BAN: We are now trying to create structured system to effectively and coherent to a -- to deliver this assistance to needy people. We should not waste even a single dollar, single item of relief. This is what we are going to create, a cluster system (ph) in every directions, like water and sanitation, food, shelter, and logistics.</s>AMANPOUR: Yeah, I understand that. But I guess what I can't figure out -- and people are having a really hard time figuring it out -- why, when there is so much at the airport, so much coming in from the Dominican Republic, so much on ships out to sea, it's not getting to the people? Why are, for instance, helicopters not being used to airdrop pallets of aid?</s>BAN: I have...</s>AMANPOUR: It can be done.</s>BAN: I have requested American government to provide as many transport helicopters, which they are doing. I have requested the European Union (inaudible) at this time, considering the magnitude of this humanitarian disaster, we need as many transport possible. We are now opening five road...</s>AMANPOUR: Roadways.</s>BAN: ... corridors. We are now trying to improve our port facilities. I am gratified to U.S. government, upon my request, that they are now improving port facilities in a -- a very relative short period of time. This will be extremely important.</s>AMANPOUR: And where are the -- what is the most critical thing that - - that you can do right now, the most effective thing that the U.N. can do?</s>BAN: First of all, we have to create effective system, framework, in close -- close coordination with international community. We have to have as many items as possible. We need at least to feed 2 million people in about a month time. United Nations World Food Programme is going to provide and feed 2 million people in about a month. This will include -- maybe within 15 days, we will feed 1 million people.</s>AMANPOUR: In terms of the -- the Haitian government, is there a Haitian government that can in any form or fashion take a lead or take a major role in the logistics and the coordination?</s>BAN: Of course, this...</s>AMANPOUR: Because all their ministries have been devastated.</s>BAN: ... sovereign, primary sovereignty should rest with Haitian government. I met President Preval yesterday. And I told him that we are here to assist your government. Of course, major government institutions have been devastated, including presidential palace. That is why we are there, to help strengthen and rebuild the institution-building.</s>AMANPOUR: But can you tell me, because, obviously, some of the Haitian officials have admitted that they are incapable of doing this because of the devastation, because of how it's hit the ministries. Do you think Mr. Preval -- why is he, for instance, not talking to the Haitian people? He can give interviews to foreign journalists, but the Haitian people are saying that they haven't heard from him.</s>BAN: I'm sure that he will address the nation, and my special representative, Edmond Mulet, is now coordinating very closely with the president and particularly prime minister (inaudible) he -- they are now in charge, creating an institutional framework.</s>AMANPOUR: OK, another problem that we've heard of is sometimes U.N. doctors, sometimes other teams are being slow to get out to where they're needed the most because of a lack of security. I mean, do these humanitarian relief workers have to wait for security before they can push out into the hinterland or before they can establish a hospital for the night?</s>BAN: United Nations peacekeeping forces in the amount -- in the range of 3,000 soldiers and police are taking control of this peace and security and (inaudible) order. Now, this afternoon, I have requested Security Council to increase 2,000 soldiers and 1,500 police, to take charge of all this security, to help humanitarian assistance be delivered in a safe way.</s>AMANPOUR: OK. We know how the international community works. The U.N. is simply the aggregate of its member states. How long will it take to get those extra police, extra troops there, do you think?</s>BAN: I am very moved and touched by such overwhelming support from international community. Whole members of the international community have been rushing to give helping aid to Haitian people. How to organize all this aid in a coherent, effective way, that will be a challenge. That's what I'm doing, in close coordination with American government and other European states.</s>AMANPOUR: Did you go to any distribution center yesterday? Did you see firsthand what the challenges were?</s>BAN: I have not visited the distribution center because of my brief stay in -- on the ground, but I have met many people on the ground, and I have met many agencies, United Nations agencies, and I had very good meeting with Preval -- President Preval and U.N. leadership.</s>AMANPOUR: Now, I understand there's a lot of official work going on. You're having meetings. Other presidents and prime ministers are having meetings and galvanizing aid. But back again to the people who need it, what can be done immediately to open roads, to try to airlift where -- you know, if it can't be driven -- what can be done immediately to improve the delivery of aid?</s>BAN: Now, this is, again -- effective coordination, that's a great challenge at this time. Now we are (inaudible) considering this magnitude and the extent of what devastation. You can understand. I know that there is a frustration amongst Haitian people, but when I met them, from their faces, I have seen that they have great hope and they are great, resilient people. And I told them that to be more patient, because whole world are standing behind -- behind them.</s>AMANPOUR: You -- the United Nations -- have lost the most civilians, the most peacekeepers ever in one go. Tell me about that.</s>BAN: That was the hardest thing for me as a secretary general. And we have lost at least at this time 46 staff. I fear the number may increase in the coming days. Yesterday, when I came back from Haiti, I brought the remains of my special representative, Hedi Annabi, and his deputy. It was a heartbreaking experience for me. It is the greatest single loss for the United Nations in its history. However, we are united. We are committed to carry on our duties, to help those people. This is the United Nations. United Nations is at its best at this time.</s>AMANPOUR: Would you tell me how long you think you have to be able to unblock the clogged pipeline? Is it 12 hours, 24 hours?</s>BAN: We are in an initial stage of this coordinating and organizing effective way of delivering aid, and we have to work for (inaudible) recovery, bringing in all this water supply and sanitations and power supply and communications, that we have to work for middle, longer term reconstruction. Now, international community is already organizing and talking, discussing this matter. So we will have reconstruction conference. United Nations has issued a fresh appeal in the amount of $572 million. This assistance is very generous and outpouring. And I'm very much gratified. But this is not enough. We need much more.</s>AMANPOUR: We'll keep watching. Thank you very much for joining us, Mr. Secretary General. Thanks a lot.</s>BAN: Thank you. Thank you very much.</s>AMANPOUR: And coming up, one team scrambling into action, pulling survivors from the wreckage of a building in Haiti comes from the Israeli military, representing a region better known for armed conflict than earthquake relief. We'll examine the legacy of the Gaza war, which ended a year ago today.