UN marks first Haiti earthquake anniversary

UN: UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Wednesday joined UN personnel and families of the victims to mark the first anniversary Keeping his head bowed for 47 seconds of silence starting at 4:53 pm, each second representing a moment that Haiti shook from the devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake exactly one year ago,.

"Today, we gather in solidarity - with the people of Haiti, with one another, with all who lost their loved ones on that tragic day," Ban said in the public lobby of the General Assembly building here at the UN Headquarters in New York.

The Secretary-General stood facing a wreath honoring those that perished in front of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) and Haitian flags.

He was joined by UN security officers wearing white gloves as well as officials including Haitian Deputy Ambassador Jean Wesley Cazeau.

In the corner of the lobby, the families of the victims were gathered together under the reflection of a blue stained-glass panel. Stirred with emotion, they looked on during the moments of quiet. A little girl bowed her head and held her hands in front of the group."Forty-seven seconds," Ban said, "are not a long time, but the earthquake in Haiti was an eternity of sorrow."In those 47 seconds, more than 220,000 perished, 300,000 were injured and about 2.3 million people, nearly a quarter of the country's population, were displaced.

The United Nations also mourned its single greatest loss in history with 102 UN staff members lost, including MINUSTAH Chief Hedi Annabi, his deputy Luiz Carlos da Costa and Acting Police Commissioner Douglas Coates.Thursday, Xinhua