WASHINGTON, CMC – United States President Barack Obama said Wednesday that the situation in Haiti, in the wake of the January 12 earthquake, remains “dire,” and that the challenge now is to prevent another disaster.

“And people should be under no illusions that the crisis is over,” Obama told reporters at the White House after a private meeting with Haitian President Rene Preval.

Preval is visiting the United States for the first time since the devastating earthquake that killed an estimated 300,000 people and left 1.3 million homeless.

“Many Haitians are still in need, desperate need in some cases, of shelter and food and medicine.  And with the spring rains approaching, those needs will only grow,” said Obama, flanked by Preval.

“And that’s why, at this very moment, thousands of Americans, both civilian and military, remain on the scene at the invitation of the Haitian government, and  that’s why, even as the US military responsibly hands off relief functions to our Haitian and international partners, America’s commitment to Haiti’s recovery and reconstruction must endure and will endure.

“This pledge is one that I made at the beginning of this crisis, and I intend for America to keep our pledge.  America will be your partner in the recovery and reconstruction effort,” Obama told Preval.

Obama said the international donors conference on Haiti, to be held at the United Nations later this month, will be “an opportunity, an important opportunity, for all parties.

“Haiti can lead the way, and will lead the way, with a strong vision for its future.  The international community can pledge the resources that will be necessary for a coordinated and sustained effort.

“And working together, we can ensure that assistance not simply delivers relief for the short term, but builds up Haiti’s capacity to deliver basic services and provide for the Haitian people over the long term,” he added.

Obama commended the Haitian people for responding “with resolve and faith” to the “devastation that shocked the world.

“As you declared during last month’s national day of mourning, it is time to wipe away the tears; it is time for Haiti to rebuild.

“And to you, and to the Haitian people, I say today, as you embark on the heavy work ahead, you will continue to have a steady and reliable partner in the United States of America,” he added.

Preval thanked the international community for its quick response to the earthquake, stating that the damages caused were “unimaginable”.

“The response from the international community — from Asia to Africa, from the United States, from Canada, from all of Latin America, from the Caribbean, from Europe, all the way to the Middle East — this response, thanks to its swiftness, thanks to its size, was commensurate with the disaster,” he said.

The Haitian president said the disaster was a lesson for all mankind.

“We must draw the lessons from what occurred in Haiti — the massive, spontaneous, generous help was a good response to the disaster. However, its effectiveness must be improved, because effectiveness depends on the quality of coordination.”

He, therefore, supported calls for the creation of so-called “red helmets” within the United Nations, stating they should be “an observatory, a warning system, a provision system for natural disaster, and a humanitarian force which would be the equivalent of the blue helmets (UN Peacekeeping Force).”

In his meeting with Obama, Preval said they discussed Haiti’s “preoccupations and priorities,” making reference to the “protection of those people who today are homeless and who must be relocated.

“And in parallel, we must prepare the rainy season, which just last week has already caused the deaths of 15 people.”

Preval said that the rebuilding Haiti should also take into consideration the need offer health care, education, jobs to all Haitians regardless of where they live and called on the international community to support his vision of decentralisation at the March 31 donors’ conference.

“We talked about this, and I do know that we can already count on your support to be the advocate of that idea during this conference in support of our vision,” he added.