On the occasion of the 10 years of the earthquake of January 12, 2010, António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, issued the following statement on Sunday, in which he renewed the United Nations commitment to help Haiti and its people build a brighter future.

"On this day we remember the hundreds of thousands of Haitians who lost their lives and the millions gravely affected by the devastating earthquake that struck their country ten years ago. We also honor the memory of the 102 United Nations colleagues lost that same day.

I will never forget the shock and sadness across the United Nations as we became aware of the scale of the tragedy.

My heart goes out to all those who lost family friends and loved ones. Over the past decade Haiti has drawn on the resilience of its people and the support of its many friends to overcome this disaster.

With the continued support of international community Haiti is striving to achieve the sustainable development goals including so stressing the institutions that are so crucial to our being and prosperity of its people.

On this day I renew the commitment of the United Nations to helping Haiti and its people build a brighter future.

Thank you"

IC/ iciHaiti