At least two Belizeans missing in New York
More than a day after as yet unknown terrorists declared war on the United States of America, thousands of people in Manhattan and at the Pentagon in Virginia remain unaccounted for and feared dead. Tonight comes word from our diplomatic mission in New York that among these numbers are several Belizeans. As he did yesterday, Ambassador Stuart Leslie joined us on the phone earlier this afternoon for an update.
Ambassador Stuart Leslie, Via Phone From New York
“We know we can again confirm to you that there are Belizeans who have been reported to us that are missing. These Belizeans who are missing, and so far we have about three or four. Two of them we’re able to confirm their names because we have spoken with relatives of theirs. Tragically enough, one of them happens to be related to this mission because she’s the cousin of my own personal assistant and also sister to one of our former diplomat who’s worked with us for years Mr. Trevor Jeffries, that is Mr. Alva Jeffries Sanchez. Her family is looking around, we’re getting in touch with people around the city, checking with all the hospitals and so on, to ascertain if she was checked in to one of those medical facilities and enlisted as critical. At this moment, we continue to hope that if she is in a hospital critical or that she is trapped in a building, but still alive, so we continue to hope for that. Likewise, we have learnt just recently of one Pat Saldano, we’re not sure of the status of Mr. Saldano and we continue to ask about these people and do what ever we can.”
Stewart Krohn
Could you tell us ambassador, in the case of Ms. Jeffries and Mr. Saldano, where for example did Ms. Jeffries work in the World Trade Center?”
Stuart Leslie
“Both of them worked in the World Trade Center. Ms. Jeffries worked on the ninety-sixth floor of the first building, and the plane went in on the ninety-seventh floor. So she was that close and she’s a person who is known to be at work from as early as 6:30 or 7:00 in the morning.”
Stewart Krohn
“What about Mr. Saldano?”
Stuart Leslie
“We’re still trying to ascertain. Information is sketchy, we’re not sure which of the two twin towers he work in, but we know he work in there and all we have been able to ascertain is that he work in one of the upper floors. What we’re trying to do as much as possible is ask Belizeans if they could tell us the name of the company. Many of these companies have reported…some of them seventeen hundred people missing, eighteen hundred people missing. So if you know what company he worked for, we would be able to call the company and see what information we can get.”
Stewart Krohn
“Aside from those two, ambassador, have you received any reports at all of more missing Belizeans?”
Stuart Leslie
“Yes, yes we have received reports, but it is sketchy. We have not been able to confirm by family therefore I’m not in a position to release names of people at this time. But yes, we have been receiving other information by email and by telephone that there are other Belizeans who are missing.”
Stewart Krohn
“Let me shift gears for a minute. In addition consular services that the mission provides to Belizeans and other citizens, your main line of work is diplomacy at the United Nations, what is now taking place at the UN with regard to this disaster?”
Stuart Leslie
“Actually, as soon as I get off the phone I have to go into an emergency session of the United Nations. As I had mentioned to you yesterday, we were supposed to start the opening of the fifty-sixth general assembly yesterday. We were preparing for a massive conference, which would have included seventy-two world leaders and Minister Dolores Balderamos Garcia would have led a delegation including Belizean children here to New York for a special session on children. This was to commence in a week and a half or so. So all these things now have been put on hold. We’re going into and emergency session actually at 3:00 this afternoon for us to determine what to do.
The U.S. State Department and the Secret Service has not determined that the United Nations is off limits. They have not determined that we should go back, and in fact the UN is not open for operations today, only diplomatic staff and it’s under heavy, tight, tight security. Only those of us in the diplomatic community will be allowed in the United Nations along with security this afternoon for this meeting. After 3:00 I would be able to say whether we will proceed with the special session on children, although my instructions from Belmopan are that we should postpone, that is the way Belize will vote until things calm down here.”
Stewart Krohn
“Is there any action, is there anything that Belizeans at home or abroad can do to make your work easier or to make life any easier for those living in New York?”
Stuart Leslie
“The most important thing for us right now is that those Belizeans at home who are concerned about their loved ones, if they’re trying to get through to the mission and they can’t get through, just please be patient with us. We are here to serve the Belize community in New York, as well as to serve Belizeans at home. But as you appreciate, one of our staff members is busy trying to find her own relatives and our staff has been working long hours here. We also are suffering the tragedy of the Judge Edward Laing, who is in a sense attached to this mission. And so for us it has been a very trying time.”
