21590: Esser: Voice of America

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: D. Esser torx@joimail.com

Voice of America
http://www.voanews.com

28 Apr 2004

Silent Crisis' Troubles Haiti, Aid Worker Says
by Tom Crosby, Washington

The United States has repatriated 651 Haitian migrants
intercepted at sea last week aboard three overcrowded boats. The U.S.
Coast Guard says nearly 1,600 Haitian migrants have been returned to
their homeland since late February, when rebels ousted the government
of former President Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

The country they were fleeing is beset by a great many problems not
the least of which is crushing poverty. Sandy Laumark is the country
director for Haiti from the private aid agency CARE USA. She is in
Washington hoping to draw more attention to what she says is the
"silent crisis" in Haiti.

"Emergency funding has pretty much stopped," she said. "But we are
also seeing other support that has been in place before for basic
things like health and education. I think a number of donors are
holding back and waiting to see or have their own issues about how
much money they would like to give the new government and how many
other commitments they have abroad and other issues."
.