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Haiti Needs Our Help by Rep. Maxine Waters

By matt carter ⋅ September 24, 2008 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

An Amen to this from Rep. Maxine Waters:

Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, has suffered through several natural disasters previously. But none compare to the storms that hit Haiti over the last month. Haiti has been struck by four hurricanes and tropical storms in rapid succession. Severe flooding, landslides, wind and sea surge damage have affected the entire country.

The government of Haiti estimates that 600 people have been killed and an additional 850,000 people have been affected by the storms. According to the United States Agency for International Development, more than 10,000 houses have been destroyed and more than 35,000 houses have been damaged. There are more than 150,000 internally displaced persons in Haiti.

As many as 800,000 people – almost 10 percent of the population of Haiti – are in dire need of humanitarian assistance. The entire harvest for the current agricultural season has been severely damaged or destroyed. Many roads and bridges also have been damaged or destroyed. Almost all agricultural land in the country has been flooded. There is a desperate need for food, clean water, and health services.

Immediate international assistance is critical to save lives and rebuild homes and infrastructure. The needs far surpass the capacity of both the United Nations mission and the Haitian government.

The Embassy of Haiti has provided my office a detailed list of needs. The list is varied and includes portable bridges, patrol boats, life jackets, rehabilitation of major ports, water pumps, water pipes, and sewage cleanup supplies.

Tags: haiti, international aid, poverty, starvation