[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 31 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 31

   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 15, 2013

Ms. Lee of California (for herself, Ms. Bordallo, Ms. Brown of Florida, 
   Mr. Capuano, Ms. Clarke, Mr. Ellison, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Mr. 
   Deutch, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Meeks, Ms. Jackson Lee, Ms. Meng, Mr. 
     McGovern, Mr. Payne, and Ms. Norton) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was 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 prior to the earthquake, more than 70 percent of Haitians lived on less 
        than $2 per day and Haiti ranked 158 out of 187 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 
        360,000 people remain in spontaneous and organized camps in Haiti and 
        hundreds of thousands of Haiti's poor continue to live in precarious 
        housing conditions that make them vulnerable to potential future natural 
        disasters;
Whereas in 2012 alone, Haiti faced a long drought period and 2 major tropical 
        storms that destroyed 70 percent of agricultural crops in Haiti, 
        impacting the lives of nearly 2,000,000 people facing food insecurity;
Whereas a devastated agricultural sector has a ripple effect throughout the 
        Haitian economy and affects the most vulnerable, particularly children 
        and poor women and men;
Whereas Haiti's food insecurity results largely from entrenched neglect of its 
        agricultural sector, particularly smallholder farmers who grow most of 
        the Haitian food, and account for a large percentage of the food 
        insecure populations;
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 
        December 12, 2012, more than 7,820 people have died from cholera and 
        more than 629,000 have been infected;
Whereas according to the Pan American Health Organization and the World Health 
        Organization, cholera could spread to 118,000 people within the next 
        year, potentially causing over 1,400 deaths at the current case fatality 
        rate;
Whereas the Governments of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, jointly with the 
        Pan American Health Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund, 
        and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have 
        developed a 10-year plan to eliminate cholera from Hispaniola through 
        treatment, hygiene education, and the building of sustainable water and 
        sanitation infrastructure;
Whereas the United Nations Secretary-General announced that only approximately 
        10 percent of the funds needed to execute this plan have been secured;
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 through 2012, 
        approximately 53 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 increase 
        food security in Haiti through sustainable agriculture 
        programs, shore up housing initiatives for Haiti's poor and 
        vulnerable, 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 
                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;
            (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) support the efforts of the United Nations 
                Secretary-General to secure the necessary resources 
                required to fully execute plans to eliminate cholera 
                from the island of Hispaniola through enhanced 
                treatment and prevention efforts, and through the 
                development of clean water and sanitation 
                infrastructure that is accessible to all Haitians;
                    (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 responsible 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 and provide decent housing 
                for the poorest and most vulnerable Haitians; and
            (8) desires a clear understanding for what would constitute 
        success in the priority areas identified by the United States 
        Department of State.
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