By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/unban5quakehaiti011910.html
UNITED NATIONS, January 19 -- As UN officials in Haiti lash out at the media for reporting on looting, they are unable or unwilling to answer Press questions about the safety of their building, rescue efforts made or a helicopter "crash" that they themselves reported.
Top UN Peacekeeper Alain Leroy on Tuesday morning told Inner City Press he had heard the same reports of a helicopter crash in Haiti, but to ask his deputy Edmond Mulet, who was appear at noon by video link for Haiti.
When he did, Mulet said "I've heard about this crash" but that "the UN and MINUSTAH have nothing to do with it." But the UN says it is playing the central coordinating role.
Inner City Press asked for an update on MINUSTAH's inquiry into the safety of its 1200 national Haitian staff, on whom at first it did not report. Mulet responded that 278 are still unaccounted for, adding that perhaps some are "dealing with their own grievances." Video here, from Minute 21:26.
Speaking of grieving, Inner City Press asked what had been done to try to find and save staffer Alexandra Duguay, an energetic Canadian who until recently worked at UN headquarters, as well as running marathons.
During Sunday's whirlwind tour of Port au Prince by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and some hand selected media, complaints were made that not enough was done to find Ms. Duguay.
Since then, the National Post quoted her parents that she had been found, dead. Still, MINUSTAH spokesman David Wimhurst replied that he had no information, "I don't have" ID's, while mentioning another building that collapsed with ten people inside. Video here, from Minute 32:20.
On Monday evening, Inner City Press directed to Mr. Wimhurst a question about the helicopter crash on which UN sources were reporting, without any further information being given.
Rather, the UN's communications strategy appears to be to attack media which reports on looting or rioting in Haiti.
Mr. Mulet calls such reports "irresponsible" -- he also called looting "normal" -- while Mr. Wimhurst, pointing out that he attended Columbia School of Journalism and was "well trained," chided media for "looking for conflict," for trying to blame the UN for things.
One wonders what Mr. Wimhurst, and others in the UN, thought of the media's coverage of Hurricane Katrina and responses in New Orleans. It is known that the Secretariat and Spokesman have reacted angrily to this comparison.
Mulet said he wasn't aware if the UN's headquarters in the Christopher Hotel, for which it paid out $94,000 a month, had been brought into MOSS compliance. Mulet said all the records were destroyed. It seems strange that records on a contract and lease of this size were stored in the building itself. Mulet said this would be followed up on. We will be following up.
