Friday, five Members of Congress, Maxine Waters, Yvette Clarke, John Conyers, Barbara Lee, et Frederica S. Wilson, leading advocates for development assistance and human rights in Haiti, in a joint statement declared "On the fourth anniversary [...] we pause to honor those affected and salute the strength and resilience of the Haitian people.

As Members of the Congressional Haiti Taskforce, we reaffirm our commitment to rebuilding and restoring Haiti and to building the foundation for equitable and sustainable development for the Haitian people [...]

Through the resolve and hard work of the Haitian people as well as effective assistance from the Obama Administration and international partners, Haiti has started on the process of recovery [...]

Serious challenges—including displacement, food insecurity, and cholera—remain. And US authorities can do better. According to a report by the Government Accountability Office, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) had—as of June 2013—obligated only 52 percent and disbursed just 35 percent of the funding for Haiti reconstruction from the 2010 Supplemental Appropriations Act.

To address these concerns, the US House of Representatives recently passed bipartisan legislation introduced by Congresswoman Barbara Lee and members of the CBC Haiti Task Force, the Assessing Progress in Haiti Act, which requires the State Department to provide detailed progress reports every six months through September 30, 2016 [...]

The fourth anniversary [...] provides an opportunity to honor the dead and recognize the progress made. It is also a time to renew our efforts to rebuild Haiti by insisting on accountability, transparency, and good governance."

HL/ HaitiLibre