[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 510 Introduced in House (IH)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 510

   Recognizing the anniversary of the tragic earthquake in Haiti on 
 January 12, 2010, honoring those who lost their lives, and expressing 
             continued solidarity with the Haitian people.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 13, 2012

    Ms. Lee of California (for herself, Ms. Bass of California, Ms. 
   Bordallo, Ms. Brown of Florida, Mr. Butterfield, Mr. Capuano, Ms. 
Clarke of New York, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Cummings, Mr. Al Green 
  of Texas, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Mr. 
 Honda, Ms. Jackson Lee of Texas, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Lewis of 
 Georgia, Mr. McGovern, Ms. Moore, Ms. Norton, Mr. Payne, Mr. Price of 
 North Carolina, Mr. Rush, Mr. Towns, Mr. Van Hollen, Ms. Waters, Ms. 
 Wilson of Florida, and Ms. Woolsey) submitted the following resolution

                            January 17, 2012

              Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Recognizing the anniversary of the tragic earthquake in Haiti on 
 January 12, 2010, honoring those who lost their lives, and expressing 
             continued solidarity with the Haitian people.

Whereas, on January 12, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck the country of 
        Haiti;
Whereas according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake 
        epicenter was located approximately 15 miles southwest of the capital, 
        Port-au-Prince;
Whereas, according to USGS, the earthquake was followed by 59 aftershocks of 
        magnitude 4.5 or greater, the most severe measuring 6.0;
Whereas according to the Government of Haiti, more than 316,000 people died as a 
        result of the earthquake;
Whereas according to the United Nations and the International Organization for 
        Migration, an estimated 3,000,000 people have been directly affected by 
        the disaster, nearly one-third of the country's population, and 
        1,300,000 people were displaced to settlements;
Whereas casualty numbers and infrastructure damage, including to roads, ports, 
        hospitals, and residential dwellings, place the earthquake as the worst 
        cataclysm to hit Haiti in over two centuries and, proportionally, one of 
        the world's worst natural disasters in modern times;
Whereas the Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) conducted by the Government of 
        Haiti, the United Nations, the World Bank, the Inter-American 
        Development Bank, and other experts estimates that damage and economic 
        losses totaled $7,800,000,000, approximately 120 percent of Haiti's 
        gross domestic product in 2009;
Whereas the PDNA estimates that $11,500,000,000 over three years is required for 
        Haiti's reconstruction and to lay the groundwork for long-term 
        development;
Whereas Haiti is the poorest, least developed country in the Western Hemisphere 
        with, prior to the earthquake, more than 70 percent of Haitians living 
        on less than $2 per day and a ranking of 149 out of 182 countries on the 
        United Nations Human Development Index;
Whereas prior to the earthquake, Haiti was still in the process of recovering 
        from a catastrophic series of hurricanes and tropical storms, food 
        shortages and rising commodity prices, and political instability, but 
        was showing encouraging signs of improvement;
Whereas President Barack Obama vowed the ``unwavering support'' of the United 
        States and pledged a ``swift, coordinated and aggressive effort to save 
        lives and support the recovery in Haiti'';
Whereas Congress passed House Resolution 1021 on January 21, 2010, on a vote of 
        411 to 1, expressing its ``deepest condolences and sympathy for the 
        horrific loss of life'' and bipartisan ``support for the recovery and 
        long-term reconstruction needs of Haiti'';
Whereas the response to the tragedy from the global community, and especially 
        from the countries of the Western Hemisphere, has been overwhelmingly 
        positive;
Whereas the initial emergency response of the men and women of the United States 
        Government, led by the United States Agency for International 
        Development and United States Southern Command, was swift and resolute;
Whereas individuals, businesses, and philanthropic organizations across the 
        United States and throughout the international community responded in 
        support of Haiti and its populace during this crisis, sometimes in 
        innovative ways such as fundraising through text messaging, which some 
        estimates reveal has raised more than $40,000,000;
Whereas significant challenges still remain in Haiti as it works to recover and 
        rebuild;
Whereas according to the International Organization for Migration, approximately 
        550,000 people remain in spontaneous and organized camps in Haiti;
Whereas according to numerous nongovernmental organizations and United States 
        contractors, the pace of reconstruction has lagged significantly behind 
        the original emergency relief phase;
Whereas according to an independent United Nations panel investigation, on 
        October 19, 2010, an outbreak of cholera was detected in the Lower 
        Artibonite region, originating from a tributary near the Minustah camp 
        at Mirebelais, where the panel found that sanitation conditions ``were 
        not sufficient to prevent fecal contamination of the Meye Tributary 
        System of the Artibonite River'';
Whereas initial efforts to contain the epidemic were disrupted by Hurricane 
        Tomas and resulting widespread flooding, which led to the spreading and 
        entrenchment of the disease throughout the country;
Whereas according to the Haitian Ministry of Public Health and Population, as of 
        November 30, 2011, more than 6,900 people have died from cholera and 
        more than 500,000 affected;
Whereas throughout these crises, the people of Haiti continue to demonstrate 
        unwavering resilience, dignity, and courage;
Whereas at the international donors conference ``Towards a New Future for 
        Haiti'' held on March 31, 2010, 59 donors pledged approximately 
        $5,600,000,000, including nearly $1,150,000,000 from the United States, 
        to support the Government of Haiti's Action Plan for National Recovery 
        and Development;
Whereas the United Nations Office of the Special Envoy for Haiti estimates that 
        of the recovery and development funds pledged for 2010-2011, 
        approximately 43 percent has been disbursed; and
Whereas Haiti requires the sustained assistance from the United States and the 
        international community in order to confront the ongoing cholera 
        epidemic and promote reconstruction and development: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) honors those who lost their lives due to the tragic 
        earthquake of January 12, 2010;
            (2) honors the sacrifice of the men and women of the 
        Government of Haiti, the United States Government, the United 
        Nations, and the international community in their response to 
        those affected by the calamity;
            (3) expresses continued solidarity with the people of Haiti 
        as they work to rebuild their neighborhoods, livelihoods, and 
        country;
            (4) reaffirms its commitment to support Haiti, in 
        partnership with the Government of Haiti and in coordination 
        with other donors, in long-term reconstruction;
            (5) supports the efforts of the Administration to prevent 
        the spread of cholera, treat persons who contract the disease, 
        provide technical assistance to the Haitian Ministry of Public 
        Health, and improve longer-term water, sanitation, and health 
        systems;
            (6) urges the President and the international community 
        to--
                    (A) continue to focus assistance on building the 
                capacity of Haiti's public sector to sustainably 
                provide basic services to its people;
                    (B) develop, improve, and scale-up communications 
                and participatory mechanisms to more substantially 
                involve Haitian civil society at all stages of the 
                cholera and post-earthquake responses; and
                    (C) give priority to programs that protect and 
                involve vulnerable populations, including internally 
                displaced persons, children, women and girls, and 
                persons with disabilities; and
            (7) urges the President to--
                    (A) continue to make available to United States 
                agencies, nongovernmental organizations, private 
                volunteer organizations, regional institutions, and 
                United Nations agencies the resources necessary to 
                confront the consequences of the natural disaster;
                    (B) undertake comprehensive assessments of the 
                long-term needs for investing in public health, 
                building adequate water and sanitation infrastructure, 
                and transparent accountability mechanisms, particularly 
                in relation to the cholera epidemic in Haiti;
                    (C) continue to lead humanitarian and development 
                efforts with the Government of Haiti, the Haitian 
                Diaspora, and international actors who share in the 
                goal of a better future for Haiti;
                    (D) maximize local and regional procurement;
                    (E) establish improved and transparent mechanisms 
                for monitoring the implementation of United States 
                Government-funded aid programs; and
                    (F) work with Haitian authorities and private 
                landowners to prevent the forced eviction of internally 
                displaced person communities.
                                 <all>