\nTHE WHITE HOUSE<\/p>\n
Office of the First Lady<\/p>\n
___________________________________________________________<\/p>\n
For Immediate Release April 13, 2010<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
REMARKS BY THE FIRST LADY AND DR. BIDEN<\/p>\n
AT THANK YOU EVENT<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
UN Logistical Center<\/p>\n
Port-au-Prince, Haiti<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
3:22 P.M. (Local)<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
DR. BIDEN: Thank you Mr. Mulet for that introduction, for hosting us on this
\nimportant visit, and for the ongoing leadership that you and the United Nations
\nteam have provided here in Haiti. And good afternoon and thank you to everyone
\ngathered here today.<\/p>\n
\nIt’s truly an honor to be with all of you — individuals from across the world,
\nalong with many Haitians, who have been at the core of the relief and the
\nrecovery efforts.<\/p>\n
I am honored to be with you today and want to simply say thank you for your
\nheroic actions in recent months. Your commitment and compassion in the face of
\nunthinkable challenges has inspired the entire world.<\/p>\n
Some of your very own here have lost lives, others have risked their lives, and
\nall of you have made us incredibly proud with your determined efforts to save
\nmen, women and children — to provide comfort, and to put Haiti on a path to a
\nbrighter future.<\/p>\n
All of you in this room know that the devastation in Haiti was unconceivable,
\nand that there is much work to be done. But after visiting for just a day, I
\nwill leave with a renewed sense of hope and optimism because of the will of the
\nHaitian people and the steadfast commitment of those of you standing here today
\nand the international community you represent.<\/p>\n
As a teacher, I was especially pleased to visit a school this morning that is
\nproviding a sense of normalcy and hope for the children in this area. And I
\nspoke with Mrs. Pr\u00e9val about the importance of a strong education system to
\nprovide young Haitians the chance at a better life.<\/p>\n
I also saw rebuilding efforts that will result in more schools. And with the
\nleadership of the Haitian government, your help and that of the international
\ncommunity, I know these schools will educate Haiti’s future leaders of
\ngovernment, arts, science and business.<\/p>\n
Each of you is essential to these efforts. There is much hard work ahead. But
\nI know that together with the leadership of the Haitian people, the commitment
\nof the global community, and the ongoing sweat and compassion of those in this
\nroom today, we will help Haiti build back better. (Applause.) <\/p>\n
The First Lady and I came here to listen and learn, but also to deliver a
\nsincere and simple message: Thank you for what you have done and what you will
\ndo for this ongoing mission.<\/p>\n
I am honored to join First Lady Michelle Obama for this meaningful visit to
\nHaiti.<\/p>\n
The President asked Michelle to come here to reiterate the commitment of the
\nUnited States to Haiti as a steadfast partner, and he could not have asked a
\nmore able, dedicated, or compassionate person to deliver this message on behalf
\nof the United States.<\/p>\n
I am so proud — (applause) — I am so proud and honored to introduce my friend,
\nand a woman we are so fortunate to call our First Lady: Michelle Obama.
\n(Applause.)<\/p>\n
MRS. OBAMA: Well, thank you. Thank you, all. First let me start by thanking
\nmy friend, Jill — Jill and her husband, that character you know, Vice President
\nBiden, for all that they’ve done over these past few months, especially in
\nsupport of our wonderful Haitian American communities, in South Florida and
\nacross the United States. Let’s give Jill and Vice President Biden another
\nround of applause. (Applause.)<\/p>\n
And also to Ed Mulet, to David Harland, to Nigel Fisher, General Cruz, and all
\nthe United Nations personnel who are here today, thank you. Thank you for
\nhosting us. This has been an incredibly warm welcome. It’s been an incredibly
\ninformative visit. And I want to thank you all for your remarkable service
\nunder truly extraordinary circumstances, by any measure.<\/p>\n
The mission to help Haiti recover and rebuild is truly, as Dr. Biden said, an
\ninternational effort — an international effort that is here at the invitation
\nof the Haitian government and in support of — by the Haitian people. <\/p>\n
And we’re joined today by representatives from many countries, international
\ninstitutions and NGOs who are playing a vital role in this rebuilding effort.
\nIt is truly an honor to be here with all of you. <\/p>\n
This has been a deeply moving day for Jill and I, a very emotional day in so
\nmany ways. And Jill and I first and foremost were grateful for the opportunity
\nto be able to — sat down with President Pr\u00e9val and the First Lady. We again
\nexpressed to them, as Jill said, America’s deepest condolences, first of all, to
\nthe Haitian people for this terrible and tremendous loss. <\/p>\n
My husband, the President, asked that we remind President Pr\u00e9val and the people
\nof Haiti that we are going to keep standing with them. That is for sure.
\n(Applause.) <\/p>\n
So I repeated to President Pr\u00e9val the pledge that my husband made to him at the
\nWhite House during his visit last month — that is, as Haiti recovers and
\nrebuilds, you will have a steady and reliable partner in the United States of
\nAmerica.<\/p>\n
We had the opportunity also to visit some of the places that reflect the
\nenormous needs of the Haitian people, but also it reflects their amazing
\nstrength and resilience.<\/p>\n
We visited families living in the tent cities in Champs De Mars — families
\nwho’ve lost everything, everything, and for whom every day is a struggle to stay
\ndry, to feed their children. <\/p>\n
We visited a school — more so, a classroom in buses donated by the Dominican
\nRepublic — where some truly amazing kids were rebuilding and playing and
\ndancing and laughing, even under the circumstances. <\/p>\n
We also visited a school that is being rebuilt so that children can realize
\ntheir dreams of an education and a better life. <\/p>\n
We just had a very moving visit at our U.S. embassy with Ambassador Merten, our
\nembassy staff — Americans as well as Haitians. They have worked so hard for
\nthe past three months. And some of the civilian and military personnel who’ve
\nbeen part of the Americans’ contribution to this international effort, we got to
\nspend some time with them. <\/p>\n
And like so many of you, they lost colleagues and friends and loved ones. And
\nour purpose for these visits was to mainly say thank you — to thank them for
\ntheir extraordinary service and for delivering on America’s enduring commitment
\nto Haiti. <\/p>\n
But we wanted to come here today because, as I said, helping Haiti recover and
\nrebuild has been an international effort. <\/p>\n
And those of you here — those of you here at the United Nations, our many
\npartner nations, these incredibly — incredible NGOs have really been at the
\nheart of this huge undertaking. <\/p>\n
And all of you have displayed such a spirit of compassion and partnership that,
\nfrankly, we could use a whole lot more of in the world today. You all are
\nshowing us all how it’s done.<\/p>\n
You’ve done this even though so many of you have endured heartbreaking losses
\nyourselves. <\/p>\n
Here at the U.N, you lost H\u00e9di Annabi and so many leaders and colleagues and
\nmembers of the Stabilization Mission. <\/p>\n
For the U.N., I understand it has been the single largest loss of life in
\nhistory. For each of you, it was the loss of a co-worker, a friend, a fellow
\npeacekeeper. For those of you in the NGO community, I know that the loss was
\njust as devastating — friends and partners and neighbors who you worked with
\nevery day. <\/p>\n
And as we mark the three-month anniversary of this terrible day, I’d like to ask
\nus all to just take a moment of silence to honor all those that we’ve lost. <\/p>\n
(There is a pause for a moment of silence.)<\/p>\n
We honor every single one of these victims — people from dozens of nations. <\/p>\n
And every day that each of you gets up and go back to work and into the
\ncommunities that you love, you should know that you’re not only carrying on
\ntheir work, you’re also honoring their lives and you’re keeping their legacy
\nalive. So please don’t ever forget that in these times of struggle. <\/p>\n
And despite all your loss, you have shown amazing courage and commitment,
\nespecially in those first hours and those first days. <\/p>\n
One of the first Secretary Generals of the U.N. famously said that the U.N. —
\nand this is a quote — was “not created in order to bring us to heaven, but in
\norder to save us from hell.” And that’s just what you did for so many people
\nhere. You saved them from devastation that was nothing like it on Earth. <\/p>\n
You’ve worked around the clock, day after day, clearing rubble, and building
\nshelters, and delivering food, and water, and medicine and supplies to millions
\nof people. And you’ve done this all with a true spirit of partnership.<\/p>\n
Yes, the United States is proud to play a leading role in this effort. But
\nlet’s never forget that this has been one of the largest and most complex relief
\noperations the world has ever attempted — the world. And in one way or
\nanother, more than 140 nations has helped to make this a reality. <\/p>\n
General Peixoto and peacekeepers from dozens of nations restored security so the
\nrelief effort could proceed.<\/p>\n
And when more peacekeepers were needed, nations around the world stepped up —
\nespecially Brazil, even though it too lost so many in the quake. <\/p>\n
And because you live and work in the communities that you serve, those of you in
\nthe NGOs were often the first ones on the scene, providing food, and medical
\ncare and shelter under nearly impossible conditions. <\/p>\n
And I want to salute these inspiring organizations, especially all the Haitian
\nNGOs — Haitians serving Haitians. (Applause.) <\/p>\n
And so much of your work would be impossible without the generous support of
\nHaitians living abroad, including in the United States. (Applause.) <\/p>\n
To all these NGOs that you all represent, you represent them with the best
\nspirit of service. And I commend you for joining forces, and working together,
\nand pursuing a common vision of reconstruction. And as Haiti recovers and
\nrebuilds, you’re going to be indispensable, and America is going to be your
\npartner, too. <\/p>\n
So this has truly been a global effort — an amazing example of what nations and
\nwhat people can do when they come together to do what’s right. <\/p>\n
The road ahead, as you know, is not going to be easy. And it’s not going to be
\nquick. As you know, the rainy season is coming soon; it is here. The hurricane
\nseason is coming, too. <\/p>\n
But I heard a wonderful Haitian proverb that puts this all in perspective. And
\nsome of you probably know it. It says, “Little by little, the bird builds its
\nnest.”<\/p>\n
And today, the needs of the Haitian people are still overwhelming. We know
\nthat. I saw that firsthand. But every day — and thanks to Secretary General
\nBan Ki-moon’s unprecedented Humanitarian Appeal — this international effort is
\nbringing more supplies and more shelter so that little by little, daily life
\nwill improve.<\/p>\n
President Pr\u00e9val and the Haitian government have been working under unimaginable
\ndifficulties. But they have a vision for the future and they have a roadmap to
\nget there. So little by little, Haiti will move forward. <\/p>\n
The destruction is catastrophic. But last month, the world came together —
\ndozens of nations, including the United States; the U.N. and other international
\ninstitutions; and NGOs — and they made an historic commitment to Haiti’s
\nlong-term reconstruction. So little by little, Haiti will rebuild.<\/p>\n
Now, some might ask, after so much misery, how can we still have faith? After
\nso much ruin, how can Haiti rise again? After so much loss, how on Earth can
\nyou still have hope? <\/p>\n
Well, we have hope because we’ve been inspired — inspired by the resilience and
\nthe faith of the Haitian people — (applause) — people who have lost
\neverything, except their belief that tomorrow can be a little bit better than
\ntoday. <\/p>\n
And we have hope because the people of Haiti are not alone. America is standing
\nwith Haiti. (Applause.) The world is standing with Haiti. You are all
\nstanding with Haiti. And your commitment and dedication to this country is
\ntruly inspiring. <\/p>\n
It’s the commitment reflected in an e-mail that I received from one of your
\nembassy staff before I came for this visit, Sonia Kim, who I just got to meet.
\nAnd I think that her beautiful words speak to the commitment that all of you
\nbring to this work, wherever you’re from, whatever language you speak. <\/p>\n
She wrote: “We are exhausted, traumatized and heart-broken. But we choose to
\nstay here and work. We choose to stay because we love Haiti and its people. We
\nchoose to stay because we believe in our duty to help the people here in their
\ngreatest hour of need. We choose to stay because we believe in our mission. We
\nchoose to stay because we still hold out hope…for recovery and renewal…and for a
\nHaiti built back better than ever before.” <\/p>\n
And that’s why I came here today. (Applause.) That’s why we have hope. And
\nthat’s why, little by little, we’re going to keep making tomorrow better than
\ntoday. <\/p>\n
Thank you for your incredible service. We are so proud of you. The world is
\nproud of you. The world is watching. And we wish you nothing but the best.
\nGod bless. Thank you so much. (Applause.) <\/p>\n
END 3:38 P.M. (Local)<\/p>\n
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