UN, U.S. to host donors' conference for Haiti

NEW YORK, March 4 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations and the United States will co-host a ministerial donors conference for Haiti at the UN headquarters in New York on March 31, said the U.S. State Department said on Thursday.

"The goal of the conference is to mobilize international support for the development needs of Haiti to begin to lay the foundation for Haiti's long-term recovery," the State Department said in a statement.

The 7.3-magnitude temblor that hit Haiti on Jan. 12 killed up to 230,000 and displaced some 1.2 million people. Haiti faces enormous challenges, which will require a sustained and substantial commitment from the international community.

"At the donors' conference, Haiti will present its vision for Haiti's future and how international support can assist," said the statement.

"Donor countries, international organizations, and other partners will have an opportunity to pledge resources, to coordinate in support of Haiti's long-term recovery, and to commit to a sustained effort to support Haiti."

The conference, entitled International Donors' Conference Towards a New Future for Haiti, is co-hosted with the support of Brazil, Canada, the European Union, France and Spain.