United Nations
General Assembly
A/RES/56/11
Distr.: General
6 December 2001
Fifty-sixth session
Agenda item 20 (b)
Resolution adopted by the General Assembly
[without reference to a Main Committee (A/56/L.16 and Add.1)]
56/11. Emergency assistance to Belize
The General Assembly,
Recalling its resolutions 42/169 of 11 December 1987, 43/202 of 20 December
1988, 44/236 of 22 December 1989, 45/185 of 21 December 1990, 46/149 of
18 December 1991, 46/182 of 19 December 1991, 48/188 of 21 December 1993,
49/22 A of 2 December 1994 and 55/165 of 14 December 2000,
Having been made aware of the extensive damage caused by powerful
hurricane Iris during its landfall and passage through Belize on 8 October 2001,
Mindful of the human suffering caused by the displacement of thousands of
people and the disrupted delivery of health and social services,
Aware of the devastation to the infrastructure of southern Belize and to the
agricultural, fisheries and tourism sectors of Belize,
Conscious of the negative ecological impact of the hurricane on the coastal
region and the inland rainforest,
Noting the enormous efforts required to alleviate the devastation caused by this
natural disaster,
Cognizant of the efforts of the Government and people of Belize to relieve the
suffering of the victims of hurricane Iris,
Conscious of the rapid response being made by the Government of Belize, the
agencies and bodies of the United Nations system, international and regional
agencies, non-governmental organizations and private individuals to provide relief,
Recalling the International Strategy For Disaster Reduction, and in this regard
underlining the importance of efforts aimed at strengthening early warning,
prevention and preparedness mechanisms for natural disasters and measures to
strengthen capacity-building at the local, national and regional levels, with an
emphasis on risk reduction,
Aware that the extent of the disaster and its medium-term and long-term effects
will require, as a complement to the efforts being made by the Government and
people of Belize, a demonstration of international solidarity and humanitarian
concern to ensure broad multilateral cooperation in order to facilitate the transition
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