The earthquake in Haiti has and will continue to have a devastating amount of people unaccounted for. Included in the mix of those unaccounted for are members of the United Nations. As many as 150 members of the United Nations mission in Haiti are currently missing. The headquarters of the United Nations mission collapsed during the earthquake that struck Port-au-Prince on Tuesday, which had a magnitude of 7.0. Some of the missing members include two of the top civilian’s officials at the mission, Special Representative Hedi Annabi, of Tunisia, and his top deputy, Luiz Carlos da Costa of Brazil. Sixteen members of the Brazilian peacekeeping force are confirmed dead. Included in the unaccounted for peacekeepers are members of Helen Clark’s staff. Helen Clark, the head of the United Nations Development Program, said about 38 members of her staff live in a building adjacent to the headquarters, and they are currently unaccounted for. It is believed that an estimated ten of her staff members were inside the United Nations building when it collapsed, according to Clark. Other members of the United Nations lived in the Montana Hotel, which was ruined in the earthquake. There are approximately 9,000 United Nations members in Haiti, with 3,000 of them living in the Port-au-Prince area. Peace keepers are working hard to clear away rubble and assist the people of Haiti, as this is their number one priority, while keeping in mind the concern of their missing co-workers at heart.
By: Alyssa Rabulinski
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