Haitian President Preval thanks US for support, calls for world to act on lessons learned

Haitian President Preval thanks US for support

WASHINGTON — Haitian President Rene Preval (reh-NAY’ preh-VAHL’) has visited the White House to thank President Obama and the American people for all the help his country received after January’s massive earthquake.

Preval expressed appreciation Wednesday, not just for all of the material support provided but for the moral support that he says helped Haitians to realize that they were not alone.

Preval said that now it’s time for world leaders to act on the lessons learned from the quake. He says the United Nations should set up a humanitarian rapid-response team to respond to natural disasters. And Preval said the challenges within Haiti are far from over — everything from relocating homeless people to preparing for the rainy season and proceeding with the basic chores of rebuilding.