[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 11 (Wednesday, January 26, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S261-S263]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE TRAGIC EARTHQUAKE IN HAITI ON
JANUARY 12, 2010
Mr. BEGICH. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 26, which was
submitted earlier today.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
The bill clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 26) recognizing the anniversary of
the tragic earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010, honoring
those who lost their lives in that earthquake, and expressing
continued solidarity with the Haitian people.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution.
Mr. BEGICH. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to
reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or
debate, and that any statements relating to the measure be printed in
the Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 26) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:
S. Res. 26
Whereas on January 12, 2010, an earthquake measuring 7.0 on
the Richter scale struck the country of Haiti;
Whereas, according to the United States Geological Survey,
the epicenter of the earthquake was located approximately 15
miles southwest of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti;
Whereas, according to the United States Geological Survey,
the earthquake was followed by 59 aftershocks of magnitude
4.5 on the Richter scale or greater, with the most severe
measuring a magnitude of 6.0 on the Richter scale;
Whereas, according to the Government of Haiti, more than
230,000 people died as a result of the earthquake, including
103 citizens of the United States;
Whereas an untold number of international aid personnel
also died as a result of the earthquake, including more than
100 United Nations personnel;
Whereas, according to the United Nations and the
International Organization for Migration--
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(1) an estimated 3,000,000 people, or nearly \1/3\ of the
population of Haiti, have been directly affected by the
disaster; and
(2) an estimated 1,300,000 people were displaced from their
homes to settlements;
Whereas casualty numbers and infrastructure damage,
including damage to roads, ports, hospitals, and residential
dwellings, place the earthquake as the worst cataclysm to hit
Haiti in more than 200 years and, proportionally, as one of
the worst natural disasters in the world in modern times;
Whereas the Post Disaster Needs Assessment, which was
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, which is equal to approximately 120 percent
of the gross domestic product of Haiti in 2009;
Whereas the Post Disaster Needs Assessment estimates that
$11,500,000,000 is needed during the next 3 years for the
reconstruction of Haiti and to lay the groundwork for long-
term development;
Whereas Haiti was the poorest, least developed country in
the Western Hemisphere before the January 2010 earthquake,
when--
(1) more than 70 percent of Haitians lived on less than $2
per day; and
(2) Haiti was ranked of 149th out of 182 countries on the
United Nations Human Development Index;
Whereas, before the earthquake, Haiti was in the process of
recovering from a catastrophic series of hurricanes and
tropical storms, food shortages, 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 Senate Resolution 392, which was agreed to on
January 21, 2010, by unanimous consent--
(1) expressed the profound sympathy and unwavering support
of the Senate for the people of Haiti; and
(2) urged all nations to commit to assisting the people of
Haiti with their long-term needs;
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 throughout the United States and the
international community responded to the crisis by supporting
Haiti and its people through innovative ways, such as
fundraising through text messaging;
Whereas more than $2,700,000,000 is estimated to have been
raised from private donations in response to the tragedy in
Haiti;
Whereas the Haitian diaspora community in the United
States, which was integral to emergency relief efforts--
(1) has annually contributed significant monetary support
to Haiti through remittances; and
(2) continues to seek opportunities to partner with the
United States Agency for International Development and other
Federal agencies to rebuild Haiti;
Whereas Haiti continues to suffer from extreme poverty,
gross inequality, a deficit of political leadership at all
levels, and weak or corrupt state institutions;
Whereas significant long-term challenges remain as Haiti
works to recover and rebuild;
Whereas the International Organization for Migration
estimates that approximately 800,000 people remain in
spontaneous and organized camps in Haiti;
Whereas, according to numerous nongovernmental
organizations and United States contractors, the pace of
reconstruction in Haiti has lagged significantly behind the
original emergency relief phase;
Whereas there is an acute need--
(1) to increase local capacity in health care and
education; and
(2) to focus international attention on employment
opportunities, rubble removal, permanent and sustainable
shelter, reconstruction of roads, safety and security, and
fundamental human rights in Haiti, especially in temporary
camps and shelters;
Whereas the alleged irregularities and fraud that occurred
in the election held in Haiti on November 28, 2010, have
imperiled the credibility of the electoral process,
undermined the recovery effort, and further destabilized
security throughout Haiti;
Whereas political leadership is required to ensure that a
democratically elected government, which is respected by the
people of Haiti and recognized by the international
community, is prepared to assume office on February 7, 2011,
or shortly thereafter;
Whereas, on October 19, 2010, an outbreak of cholera was
detected in the lower Artibonite region of Haiti;
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 Haiti;
Whereas, according to the Haitian Ministry of Public Health
and Population, between the outbreak in October 2010 and
January 21, 2011--
(1) more than 3,850 people have died from cholera in Haiti;
and
(2) more than 194,000 people in Haiti have been affected by
the disease;
Whereas, according to the Pan American Health Organization
and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cholera
could spread to as many as 400,000 people within the first
year of the epidemic, potentially causing 8,000 deaths at the
current case fatality rate;
Whereas the United States has provided $40,000,000 worth of
assistance to combat the cholera epidemic, primarily through
the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance, to assist with
stockpiling health commodities, equipping cholera treatments
centers, providing public information, and developing a safe
and sustainable water and sanitation system;
Whereas the efforts to combat the cholera epidemic have
helped to drive the mortality rate from cholera down from 7
percent to 1 percent of all contracted cases during the 3-
month period ending on January 21, 2011;
Whereas, during the first year following the January 12,
2010 earthquake in Haiti, the people of Haiti have
demonstrated unwavering resilience, dignity, and courage;
Whereas at the conference of international donors entitled
``Towards a New Future for Haiti'', which was held on March
31, 2010, 59 donors pledged approximately $5,570,000,000
(including nearly $1,200,000,000 pledged by donors from the
United States) to support the Action Plan for National
Recovery and Development of the Government of Haiti;
Whereas the United Nations Office of the Special Envoy for
Haiti estimates that approximately 63 percent of the recovery
and development funds pledged for 2010 have been disbursed;
and
Whereas Haiti requires 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 Senate--
(1) honors those who lost their lives as a result of the
tragic earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010;
(2) honors the sacrifices of the men and women of the
Government of Haiti, the Government of the United States, the
United Nations, and the international community in their
responses to those affected by the earthquake;
(3) expresses continued solidarity with the people of Haiti
as they work to rebuild their neighborhoods, livelihoods, and
country;
(4) reaffirms the commitment of the Senate to support the
long-term reconstruction of Haiti, in partnership with the
Government of Haiti and in coordination with other donors;
(5) supports the efforts of the Executive Branch to prevent
the spread of cholera, treat persons who contract the
disease, provide technical assistance to the Haitian Ministry
of Public Health, and improve long-term water, sanitation,
and health systems;
(6) expresses support for the United States Embassy team in
Port-au-Prince, members of the United States Coast Guard,
United States Armed Forces, other United States Government
personnel, and all members of international organizations who
have persevered through adverse local conditions and continue
to serve Haiti and the Haitian people;
(7) supports the continued effort of the Interim Haiti
Recovery Commission, under the leadership of former President
Bill Clinton and Prime Minister Bellerive, in its efforts to
improve coordination, build state capacity, and bring donors
and the Government of Haiti together to effectively lead the
reconstruction process;
(8) urges the international community--
(A) to call on the leaders of Haiti to immediately reach a
democratic resolution to the current electoral crisis to
enable the newly elected leaders of the Government of Haiti
to take office by February 7, 2011, or shortly thereafter;
(B) to continue to focus assistance on the priorities of
the Government of Haiti;
(C) to 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
(D) to give priority to programs that protect and involve
vulnerable populations, including internally displaced
persons, children, and persons with disabilities;
(9) urges aid agencies--
(A) to train and use Haitian local and national authorities
in the delivery of assistance; and
(B) to enhance their coordination and consultation with the
Haitian people and key Haitian Government ministries to
ensure the effectiveness of aid; and
(10) expresses support for--
(A) the continuation of the work of United States agencies,
nongovernmental organizations, private volunteer
organizations, regional institutions, and United Nations
agencies to confront the consequences of the crises affecting
Haiti;
(B) comprehensive assessments of the long-term needs for
confronting the cholera epidemic in Haiti, including the
construction of adequate water and sanitation infrastructure;
and
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(C) the continuation of humanitarian and development
efforts between the Government of the United States and the
Government of Haiti, the Haitian Diaspora, and international
actors who support the goal of a better future for Haiti.
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