The Slovak Interior Ministry has confirmed that a container holding a second shipment of humanitarian aid sent by Slovakia to Haiti following a devastating earthquake there a year ago is still awaiting clearance by Haitian customs after nine months.

The information was released by the chancellor Vladimír Krčméry and confirmed Lucia Gajarová of the Interior Ministry's communication department who specified that the Slovak shipment is not the only one to suffer this fate "there are reportedly hundreds of containers from other countries also awaiting customs clearance".

"It is extremely complicated to get anything done in Haiti. Everything you can do here [in Slovakia] within a week, takes a year over there," deplorerd Krčméry, specifying that only those who can afford to offer bribes can act fast. "Corruption is the largest enemy", he said, adding that "bribes are sought for everything".

HL/ HaitiLibre