23332: Walton: RE: 23378: White: Rep. Waters' Floor statement on HConRes 496 ( fwd )Food for Thought (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: "Walton, Robert" <robert.walton3@us.army.mil>

It seems to me that neither the current (or former) Hatian government nor
our own is particularly expert in providing the kind and quality of aid in a
manner that reaches the PEOPLE or meets their immediate needs.

IMHO, a half-billion dollars provided to the Hatian government would likely
result in great improvement in the infrastructure in and around PAP, not to
mention improvement the life style and business profits of those controlling
the government and their friends.  What to do...what to do... IDEA!!!! Why
not provide adequate funding to the "agengcies on the the ground" that have
a proven track record in disaster relief?  For starters:

A.    "GENEVA, Oct 5 (Reuters) - The world's largest disaster relief body
nearly tripled on Tuesday an aid appeal for Haiti to $9.2 million, saying
the money was needed to avert a humanitarian crisis on the Caribbean island.
     At least half the population in and around the northern city of
Gonaives, which took the brunt of hurricane Jeanne last month, was in urgent
need of help, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies said."

B. "Miami relief group's mission: Give Haitians the tools to rebuild. A
relief effort headed by a missionary group with ties to Haiti planned to
urge the community to keep donating items ranging from diapers to Dimetapp
-- and also to throw in tools for rebuilding.  Volunteers at Amor en Accion
-- a missionary organization that has worked with priests in the hardest-hit
areas of northwestern Haiti for years --"

V/R

Bob Walton