President Lula goes to Haiti on February

BRASILIA (January 27, 2010) - Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced yesterday that he plans to visit Haiti on February 25, 2010. Speaking at the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, the president stated that he will open a 2,100 m2 emergency room unit in Haiti built by the Brazilian Navy. The president also said that Brazil will provide more doctors and volunteers to support Haiti's recovery process in the wake of the January 12, 2010 earthquake.

President Lula signed an emergency resolution freeing up US$ 205 million in aid for Haiti on January 26. These funds are part of a broader US$ 750 million fund for Brazilian and other regions affected by floods, landslides and droughts. The National Congress approved last Monday, January 25, 2010, for Brazil to double the national military forces at the UN Stabilization Mission (MINUSTAH) to 2,600 soldiers. Brazil has headed MINUSTAH since 2004.

Brazil-Italy Aid Partnership - The Brazilian government also announced yesterday it would conduct a relief operation together with Italy to assist in the medical care of Haitian earthquake victims. The mission, to be coordinated by the Brazilian and Italian naval forces, will be supported by Italy's Cavour aircraft carrier, which is currently en route to Haiti with a stop scheduled in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil on Thursday, January 28.

The Italian vessel already has an emergency hospital, aircrafts, medical staff and an engineering troop to remove debris and perform light road repairs on board. In Fortaleza, the ship will receive two helicopters - a UH-14 Super Puma and a UH-12 Squirrel - in addition to a group of 59 soldiers, including experts in cross-terrain patient transportation, and a medical team.

The carrier will also add a medical team of 26 people, consisting of six doctors and eight nurses from the Brazilian Navy, and five civilian doctors and six nurses appointed by the Ministry of Health, all volunteers. These military and medical teams plan to rescue victims by helicopter and provide them medical treatment on board the vessel. According to the Brazilian Navy, the ship will reach Haiti on Tuesday, February 2, 2010 and will stay for a 30-day humanitarian mission.