Michelle Obama arrives in Haiti
Tue Apr 13 2010 12:11:55 ET
White House Pool
First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden arrived in a
quake-battered Port-au-Prince, Haiti Tuesday. The two landed at 10:40
am, taking a helicopter tour of the Haitian capital where more than a
million people are homeless, many living underneath tents and tarps.
Their visit comes a day after Haitians acknowledged the three-month
anniversary of the Jan. 12th, 7.0-magnitude earthquake that ripped
through the capital and four smaller southern cities.
The Obama administration released this statement about the visit, which
was kept hush until the landing:?First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill
Biden are visiting Haiti to underscore to the Haitian people and the
Haitian government the enduring U.S. commitment to help Haiti recover
and rebuild, especially as we enter the rainy and hurricane seasons,
and to thank the women and men across the whole of the U.S. government
for their extraordinary efforts in Haiti during the past three
months. They will also reach out to the UN and international relief
communities in recognition of the truly global effort underway to help
Haiti.?
Dozens of children greeted the FLOTUS and Dr. Biden, singing "welcome"
in English. FLOTUS danced with the children, shrugging her shoulders and
shaking her hips as they sang. At the end she gave several of them high
fives, while smiling.
As one group ended, another group of children sang a song in Creole,
"We are glad to see you..We say let's be happy." Following a brief play,
she and Dr. Biden stepped onto one of the buses where both chatted with
three kids sitting at an art table. Haiti's first lady served as a
translator.
FLOTUS drew a fish, she said, because the children requested it.
The green buses were decorated with red, white and blue balloons, the
color of the Haitian flag. Three children stood holding bright red
flowers to give to the first lady.
Developing...
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