The Haitian parliament Friday extended the quake-hit nation's state of emergency for another 18 months as it set up a special committee to take charge of reconstruction.
Following a similar vote last week by the lower chamber, the Senate overnight agreed to the move by 13 votes in favor, one against and one abstention, Senator Michel Clerier told AFP.
"This law confirms the creation of the (reconstruction committee) as well as the extension of the state of emergency called for by the president," Clerier said. The text has already been sent to President Rene Preval to be signed.
The new committee will oversee the rebuilding of the country ravaged by the January 12 quake, and will be chaired by former US president Bill Clinton and Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive.
Its creation was one of the measures agreed at an international donors conference held in New York last month, when 138 states and organizations pledged some 5.3 billion dollars to help rebuild Haiti over the next two years.
In total some 9.9 billion dollars was pledged for three years and beyond.
"Now the international community must honor the promises it made in new York," said another Senator Hector M. Amacacis.
The 7.0-magnitude quake caused eight billion dollars worth of damage — about 120 percent of the nation's gross domestic product.
Some 200,000 people were killed in the disaster and 1.3 million left homeless, most now living in makeshift camps dotted around the capital Port-au-Prince.
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