FIFTY-SECOND WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY Agenda item 18
WHA52.12 24 May 1999
Support to Central American countries affected by Hurricane Mitch The Fifty-second World Health Assembly, Recalling resolutions WHA48.2 on emergency and humanitarian action, which stresses the special needs of disaster-prone countries and WHA42.16 on the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction; Recognizing that Hurricane Mitch has damaged every aspect of the development of the Central American region, especially in Honduras and Nicaragua, the worst affected countries, putting the environment and sustainable human development at serious risk; and in this subregional context noting the impact of Hurricane George in the Dominican Republic; Concerned at the problems of malnutrition, morbidity and mortality that have been aggravated by this natural disaster and which are directly related to the activities and interests of WHO according to its strategic objectives; Recognizing the need for a continuing joint and extraordinary effort by all the countries of the region in order to maintain what has been achieved so far, accelerate the social and economic development of the region and reduce its vulnerability, especially in the health sector and the need to develop preparedness, prevention, mitigation and early warning systems in order to reduce vulnerability to disasters of this kind throughout the world; Taking into account that the Central American countries affected are seriously limited by a sharp reduction in their economic and other resources; Convinced that the main function of the United Nations and its specialized agencies is to support national efforts in accordance with their respective sectoral responsibilities and to help Member States strengthen their capacity to deal with the humanitarian and socioeconomic consequences of complex emergency situations and their aftermath, 1. EXPRESSES solidarity with the people of Central America affected by Hurricane Mitch, which is regarded by the United Nations as the worst natural disaster in the Americas this century;
WHA52.12
2. COMMENDS the prompt response of governments and of nongovernmental and private voluntary organizations for the relief they provided in the emergency phase; 3. RECOGNIZES that in the reconstruction and transformation phase, the countries of the region have a unique opportunity to improve the health of their populations, especially by providing better health services; 4. ENCOURAGES the international community to maintain its support in the difficult task of rehabilitating and rebuilding with a view to sustainable development; 5. REQUESTS the Director-General: (1) to intensify the assistance that WHO provides to health programmes through headquarters and the Regional Office for the Americas; (2) to continue giving due attention to this situation and take the necessary steps, on the basis of reports on the health situation in Central American countries; (3) to distribute this resolution to the organizations of the United Nations system and other relevant international institutions, and to report on this matter to the Fifty-third World Health Assembly.
Ninth plenary meeting, 24 May 1999 A52/VR/9
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