(WASHINGTON) — President Barack Obama on Wednesday renewed America's commitment to the recovery and reconstruction of earthquake-devastated Haiti, telling visiting President Rene Preval he knows the crisis has not passed.After an Oval Office meeting, Obama stood beside Preval in the White House Rose Garden to praise the Haitian leader's courage and the heroic work of Americans who rushed to help as rescue workers or with generous donations.
(WASHINGTON) — President Barack Obama on Wednesday renewed America's commitment to the recovery and reconstruction of earthquake-devastated Haiti, telling visiting President Rene Preval he knows the crisis has not passed.
After an Oval Office meeting, Obama stood beside Preval in the White House Rose Garden to praise the Haitian leader's courage and the heroic work of Americans who rushed to help as rescue workers or with generous donations.
At the same time, he said, rebuilding must take place in a way that benefits the entire country, not just the most devastated areas.
He said spreading "health care, education and jobs for all men and women" across his country would prevent "migratory flows to the big cities" which produced the sprawling and poorly built slums of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
Obama assured the Haitian leader that U.S. commitment "must and will endure" and that "America will be your partner."
As Preval was in Washington, the U.S. military hospital ship Comfort lifted anchor off Haiti for the return cruise to Baltimore, Md. The Comfort has been stationed off the country's coast for seven weeks, treating earthquake victims.
The U.S. military also is scaling back in Haiti, where Comfort treated more than 800 patients.
The total number of U.S. forces in Haiti is expected to drop to about 8,000 in coming days, from a peak of around 20,000 on Feb. 1.
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