Postal industry can play important role in Haiti’s future

Across the world, individuals, organisations and companies are raising money to provide relief to Haiti. The huge earthquake that ripped through the country on 12 January has left more than 150,000 people dead, as well as 1.5m homeless. Certainly in the UK, and probably across most parts of the world, it is hard to fully comprehend the true scale of what has happened in the Caribbean. As the dedicated relief effort continues, the Universal Postal Union (UPU) announced that postal infrastructure must be part of the reconstruction plans for the country.

“The postal infrastructure is an important motor of all national economies,” said Edouard Dayan, director general of the UPU. “Haitians need effective postal services to be able to receive and send mail and goods as well as make financial transactions, including money transfers. The UPU is talking with its member countries about the aid to be given to Haiti to rebuild and modernise its postal services, which were severely affected, like other sectors, by the earthquake of January 12.”

In Port-au-Prince, only three of the nine postal buildings remain fully intact after the earthquake. Buildings destroyed include the head post office and its main sorting centre.

Union statistics state that there are 60 post offices in Haiti employing 600 people, and Haitian Post in 2007 processed 675,000 international letter-post items and 5,000 parcels. It also manages more than 161,000 postal savings accounts.

A spokesman for the Union said: “Offers to help rebuild the Haitian Post are pouring in daily at the UPU from the world’s Posts. A task force set up at the UPU’s International Bureau – the Union’s secretariat – is coordinating international assistance being offered by member countries and their designated postal operators. Members of the task force include postal officials from the American, Canadian, Dominican, French, Haitian and Spanish Posts, as well as representatives from regional postal organisations such as the Postal Union of the Americas, Spain and Portugal and the Caribbean Postal Union.”

The pages of Post&Parcel have also featured express and mail companies’ efforts to supply aid to the stricken area, including Deutsche Post DHL, UPS and FedEx. La Poste last week issued a postage stamp to raise money for the French Red Cross, whilst Canada Post will soon send to Haiti nine postal vans bearing the latter’s national colours.

The postal service in Haiti is completely paralysed. The UPU and its member countries are studying the best scenarios for jump-starting postal services as soon as possible, announced the Union. And hopefully it won’t stop there. The industry has an opportunity to help re-establish an efficient postal service to the area; one that will not only aid Haiti in its recovery, but allow it to prosper in the future. An prosperous postal service is fundamental to a successful economy.

Dayan was of the same thinking: “In the aftermath of the catastrophe, we have an opportunity to help Haiti Post rebuild but also modernise its operations and activities so that it can play an even more important role in revitalising the economy, which is essential to the country’s recovery,” said Dayan. “With close to one million Haitians living in the United States, 130,000 in Canada, 80,000 in France and so many more elsewhere, setting up efficient postal services in Haiti will contribute to stimulating the economy and alleviating inhabitants’ difficulties.”

And Dayan has hit the nail on the head. Yes, the need for medical supplies, food and water, is urgent. But as well as helping the people of Haiti in the short-term by supplying and transporting these goods, the mail and express industries can play a key role in supporting them rebuild their society in the long-term too. And we should not let them down.

Do you agree? Is enough being done to help Haiti? Please comment below…