14562: Miles: Release Funds To Haiti Says Investigatory Delegation (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: "Melinda Miles, Haiti Reborn" <melinda@haitireborn.org>

For Immediate Release: January 21, 2003
Contact: Melinda Miles, Co-Director Haiti Reborn/Quixote
CenterTelephone: (Haiti) 509-406-3672 until 1/22
(US) 301-699-0042, 240-432-7414

January 2003 Fact Finding Delegation Concludes
Humanitarian Aid to Haiti's Government Must Be ReleasedImmediately

Diverse Group Including Congressional Staff Demand U.S.
Government Respect Haitian Democracy and ProvideFunding to Health, Safe Water and Education

>From January 11-19, Haiti Reborn/Quixote Center
coordinated a twenty-one member fact finding delegation toHaiti.
This large group of individuals with diverse areas of
expertise and far reaching constituencies have made aunanimous declaration today: "The democratic government of
Haiti must have immediate and unfettered access tointernational funding."

The delegation, "Investigating the Human Effects of
Withheld Humanitarian Aid," included TransAfrica Forum,Jubilee USA Network, Global Justice, Marin Interfaith Task
Force on Central America, religious leaders, teachersand students from throughout the United States who joined
with the offices of Representatives Donald Payne (NJ),Barbara Lee (CA) and Lynn Woolsey (CA) on this seven day
investigation.
The delegation visited three geographical departments in
Haiti and participated in various meetings finding that
theHaitian people are suffering without basic health services
or even potable drinking water. The U.S. Government andmultilateral lending institutions have ceased funding the
Haitian Government's programs to provide the basichuman
rights of life, health and education.

For the last year and half, the U.S. Government has
provided funding to Haiti at a drastically reduced amount
andonly through non-governmental organizations, NGOs. Gerard
Johnson, the Inter-American Development Bank'sResident Representative in Port-au-Prince, told the
delegates, "If you don't have a government, you don't have
acountry. You can't lend only to NGO's." He made this
statement despite the fact that the IDB has yet to releaseapproved loans in the amount of $146 million for health
care, basic education, rural road rehabilitation and
potablewater.

Haitian human rights Attorney Mario Joseph explained to
the delegation "it is shameful that the people who talkabout human rights are the same ones who maintain
sanctions which violate human rights." Urban water
providersCAMEP underlined the ways in which loans from the IDB to
improve water infrastructure can have wide reachingeffects on rapidly increasing disease and death
attributable to water-borne microbes. "The embargo makes
itimpossible for us to do what we need to do for the
population. People can't pay for water so they get itclandestinely. The emerging statistics will show increased
sickness from water borne disease."
The delegation will be issuing a full report and members
are available for comment. Haiti Reborn/Quixote CenterCoordinator Melinda Miles emphasized the importance of the
findings of the delegation. "Haiti is facing a criticalmoment with rapidly increasing price of living and an
unparalleled decrease in access to water and health care
forthe poor majority of Haitian people."

Haiti's national maternal mortality rate rose from
450/100,000 in 1997 to 513 this year. In Haiti's capitalPort-au-Prince it is estimated to be more than
1200/100,000. The national HIV/AIDS infection rate is
5.17% and isestimated to be 10% in Port-au-Prince. In a recent study
of access to potable water in 147 countries, Haiti rankedat 147.

For a copy of the  report, full list of participants,
interviews or statements, contact: Melinda Miles or
EugeniaCharles-Mathurin at Haiti Reborn/Quixote Center, phone in
Haiti until 1/22: 509-406-3672, in U.S. (301)699-0042,240-432-7414 or via email melinda@haitireborn.org.



-- 
Melinda Miles, Coordinator
Haiti Reborn/Quixote Center
P.O. Box 5206
Hyattsville, MD 20782
(301)699-0042, fax: (301)864-2182
www.haitireborn.org