Clintons are mobilizing assistance for their beloved Haiti

As you all may know, Haiti has a special place in the hearts of Hillary and Bill Clinton. As newlyweds, they went there for a delayed honeymoon. The couple has five Haitian paintings that they’ve kept in every house they’ve lived in, including the White House. Husband Bill is the U.N. special envoy for Haiti. In April, Secretary Clinton told the Miami Herald, “I have a personal interest in Haiti going back many years.” She also said that she and Bill “have always been cheering for the success of Haiti against some pretty tough odds.”

And yes, poor Haiti has been facing some really tough odds. The country just can’t get a break. After learning about the earthquake there yesterday, Secretary Clinton, who’s in Hawaii (see photo below) for the first leg of her Pacific trip, said:

The United States is offering our full assistance to Haiti and to others in the region. We will be providing both civilian and military disaster relief and humanitarian assistance. And our prayers are with the people who have suffered, their families, and their loved ones.”

Husband Bill, as U.N. envoy to Haiti, said in a statement yesterday:

My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti. My U.N. office and the rest of the U.N. system are monitoring the situation, and we are committed to do whatever we can to assist the people of Haiti in their relief, rebuilding and recovery efforts.”

Bill Clinton is helping to coordinate relief operations between the United Nations and United States. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told reporters, “I have spoken with Mr. Clinton, and we have agreed to mobilize our best assistance and rescue teams and try to reconstruct the Haitian economy.”