UNITED NATIONS, April 28 -- When the UN's top representative in Haiti Edmond Mulet emerged from the Security Council on Wednesday, only one journalist was there. One of his staffers asked Inner City Press, what happened to the interest in Haiti? What indeed.
Mulet gamely agreed to take questions. Inner City Press asked about forced evictions from the soccer stadium on Port au Prince on April 9, and from at least two schools. Mulet acknowledged these had happened, but said that he and others met with Haitian authorities "last Thursday" -- that is, April 22 -- and that going forward there would be a moratorium. But what about the 7000 evicted from the stadium?
Inner City Press asked about the so-called Love Boats, two luxury ships rented by the World Food Program and one sub-contracted to Mulet's mission MINUSTAH. Mulet said this was only temporary, that a camps is being built to house up to 500 people. Currently 200 are housed on board. At what cost, he said, he did not know.
On April 1, Kim Bolduc left after a mere four months as UN Resident Coordinator in Haiti. Inner City Press, which exclusively reported the departure, asked Mulet to explain it. We "discussed her reasons for leaving," Mulet said, without disclosing them. Video here, from Minute 3:45.
Press notes: Inner City Press asked Mulet about the day's front page New York Times story on seemingly forgotten parts of Haiti, assuming he would have read it. "I haven't," he said. Does this reflect on UN media readiness, on pay walls or that the Paper of Record is not what it once was? Last week, UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said he would seek guidance on a New York Times editorial pillorying the UN's performance in Afghanistan. But a week later, no response. Does the UN feel no need?
Meanwhile, at least some in the UN are thinking of further limiting press availability. A UN press aide, seeing only this reporter waiting for Mulet, said that maybe the stakeouts should be canceled. Or not be televised, so reporters had to come. Or televised on a delay. Serve sandwiches and liquor, one wag suggested. Then the press will come. And so it goes.
