Congresswoman Cherfilus-McCormick and Congressman Espaillat Spearhead Letter to the Administration Outlining the United States’ Support for Haiti Relief Efforts

WASHINGTON –Today, Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) and Congressman Adriano Espaillat (D-NY) led a bipartisan letter urging the Administration to consider leading an international task force to assist in addressing the Republic of Haiti’s security and humanitarian crises.

In the letter, the Members urge President Biden and Secretary Blinken to strongly consider providing additional aid to Haiti to combat the political, economic, and humanitarian crises plaguing the Caribbean nation. Reps. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) and María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) also signed the letter. 

In the letter, the Members write:

Dear Mr. President and Secretary Blinken:

Thank you for your service and leadership. We write to request that the United States consider leading an international task force to assist in addressing the Republic of Haiti’s security and humanitarian crises.

Earlier this month, we participated in the United Nations (“UN”) Foundation’s “Congressional Learning Trip to the UN Headquarters.” During our trip, we were briefed on Haiti’s dire political, economic, and health situation. After receiving the UN’s suggested recommendations, our congressional delegation devised a path forward. Based on briefings from dignitaries and organizational leaders, who provided on-the-ground intelligence and expertise, we formulated three requests for the Administration. Respectively, we would like the U.S. to lead an international task force that addresses our requests and the humanitarian needs of the people of the Republic of Haiti.

First, we request that the United States consider leading the rapid response efforts to address the crises in Haiti in a collaborative manner that places the human rights of Haitians and democracy for all at the center. As you are aware, on July 7, 2021, the President of Haiti, Jovenel Moïse, was assassinated by foreign mercenaries. Since then, the Republic of Haiti has been plagued by political instability. The country lacks an elected president, has no parliamentary quorum, and has a dysfunctional high court due to a lack of judges. Additionally, the Caribbean nation has been hard-hit by devastating natural disasters. Moreover, the country is marred by gang violence, fuel shortages, and a cholera epidemic.

Rapid response efforts should include assistance to address Haiti’s political instability, gang violence, economic crisis, health epidemic, and humanitarian crisis. To move the country forward, Haiti needs a government with functioning executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Additionally, gang violence must cease for rapid response units to contend with the ongoing economic, health, and humanitarian crises. However, safeguards would need to be implemented to ensure that any rapid response unit deployed does not remain in Haiti longer than necessary so that the country can have a Haitian-driven rebuilding process.

Second, we request that the United States continue strengthening the Haitian National Police (“PNH”).We believe that positive change will come from financial assistance to Haiti for the purpose of adequate resourcing, re-training, and technical assistance for the PNH to produce an elite national police unit skilled to combat the violence and gangs that are currently obstructing access to essential goods for the Haitian people.

Following the assassination of President Moïse, Haiti’s police force has struggled to maintain control and is ill-equipped, as more than 200 gangs have overrun the beleaguered country. The police force’s inability to reign in violence has resulted in numerous killings of police officers and attacks on official buildings. In November 2022, the director of Haiti’s National Police Academy, Harrington Rigaud, was shot and killed in a gang-controlled neighborhood in the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince, as he sat inside an official police vehicle. In October 2022, it was reported that Haitian Foreign Minister Jean Victor Geneus made a plea at the Organization of American States (OAS) Summit for international police support as the PNH struggles to respond to the escalating gang violence. Undoubtedly, assistance is needed, and we believe the United States can lead the international effort to address these life-threatening concerns. 

Third, we request that the United States continue providing humanitarian aid to Haiti. Today, violence, hunger, and cholera threaten to kill thousands of Haitians. According to an October 2022 UN World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organization report, “a record 4.7 million people face acute hunger [,] and almost 20,000 people are enduring ‘catastrophic hunger,’ meaning they are at risk of starving to death.” It is estimated that 2.4 million school-aged children are not enrolled, as eighty percent of schools are closed due to ongoing gang violence. Unfortunately, many unenrolled adolescents have been recruited by the gangs via social media and now make up roughly sixty percent of the gang members.

Haitian gangs have blocked all humanitarian corridors and are attacking humanitarians trying to deliver aid. As a result, the UN has been forced to negotiate with gang members. Reportedly, several United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (“UNICEF”) employees and their family members have been kidnapped, and their families have been asked to prepare ransom payments in exchange for their return. For months, women and girls have been subjected to gender-based violence—mostly rape—at the hands of gangs.

On October 18, 2022, UNICEF classified the situation in Haiti as a Level-2 emergency. Currently, Haiti has no humanitarian or non-profit organization to assist with the country’s many crises. If possible, we request that the United States work with the international community and the Haitian diaspora to render humanitarian assistance to the people of Haiti, potentially creating employment opportunities and strengthening our foreign relations with other countries.

Moreover, we encourage you to advise and assist in revamping Haiti’s healthcare infrastructure to help address the most pressing health concerns, including maternal and neonatal health. A significant first step would be international partners coming together to aid in constructing hospitals throughout Haiti and at the Haitian border, proactively responding to the volume of Haitian mothers in dire need of quality medical care. The House of Representatives passed an appropriations measure for Fiscal Year 2022 supporting dialogue in Haiti aimed at resolving the political crisis, urging stronger action against human rights abuses, and addressing the plight of pregnant Haitian women leaving their country to seek neonatal care. However, this dialogue must be met with funding, strategy, and international coordination to mitigate on-the-ground challenges.

We respectfully request that the Administration strongly consider the requests mentioned above. Additionally, we ask that the Administration keep the undersigned Members of Congress informed on any developments regarding this matter, either in writing or in an unclassified or classified briefing.

Thank you in advance for your attention to this critical matter. We appreciate your efforts and are willing and able to provide any support or assistance you may need.

READ THE FULL TEXT OF THE LETTER HERE

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