New Industrial Park Development Comes to Haiti

Investment in Haiti continues to increase. I hope this is a good deal for the Haitian people.

Here's a bit more:

A 250ha full-service industrial park: The Park offers factory shells at competitive rental rates built to international standards. Phase 1 is comprised of 350,000m2 of roofed factory floor space, of which 120,000m2 currently remain available for rent. The Park will be managed by a private management company, and owned by the Haitian Government. A dedicated onsite power plant with sufficient backup capacity will ensure consistent power supply at competitive tariffs. The Park also offers appropriate water to support the needs of industrial laundries and fabric dye houses and state of the art waste water treatment plants built to the highest environmental standards. Contracts for the park construction and the power plant have been awarded in September after open, competitive international bidding."

New housing: To accommodate potential migration to the area and provide adequate and affordable housing, 5,000 new homes will be built in surrounding communities in convenient commuting distance of the Park, with access to services such as water and electricity.

Electrification: The Park's power plant will provide electricity to nearby towns and villages that are currently not connected to the electric grid, significantly improving the quality of life of local residents and the competitiveness of small and medium sized businesses in the region.

Direct access to global markets: The projects contains significant investments in modernized port facilities in the North that meet the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS) and offer short transit times of 3-4 days to the U.S. with frequent vessels.

Laying of the foundation stone for the Caracol Industrial Park

Somalia's Man-made Famine

The terror group "Al-Shabab" has turned Somalia's drought into man-made disaster where a child dies every six minutes.

Learn more about these terrorists:

Who are al-Shabab?

Al-Shabab Backgrounder

Watch news reports of the crisis:

Somali famine 'a crisis without a foreseeable end'

UN declares famine in parts of Somalia

The Toll in Turkey

At least 640 dead in two major quakes. More than 2,000 buildings destroyed. Thousands homeless.

Turkish PM visits earthquake victims

Turkey Rattled Again

A 5.7 aftershock rocked Turkey. Three reported killed in the already shaken area.

OK Earthquakes

Oklahoma has seen a series of quakes this week. One was the largest on record for that area.

Track the quakes here: Latest Earthquakes

Did the UN Bring Cholera to Haiti?

This report says yes and a class action law suit has been filed on behalf of a group of Haitians.

UN peacekeepers introduced cholera to Haiti

Turkey Quake Death Toll Tops 600

The offical death toll from the recent earthquake in Turkey continues to raise.

Death toll from Turkey quake more than 600

Flooding in Thailand

Thailand is being devastated by months of massive flooding. The water spreads over more than two thirds of the country.

Thai flood frustration grows

Home Ownership in Haiti

Bringing home ownership to Haiti is not an easy task. Loans are a new concept, but some organizations pushing forward.

Haiti creating home loan system to help in crisis