Press Releases

(Miami, Florida) – A bipartisan congressional delegation comprised of Congresswoman Frederica Wilson (D-FL) and Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) will travel to Haiti on Saturday, October 29, 2016, and return to Miami on Sunday, October 30, 2016, on a commercial flight. The purpose of the trip is to examine hurricane relief efforts after Hurricane Matthew. The two lawmakers are scheduled to receive briefings by the U.S. Embassy and the United Nations Mission in Haiti on the emergency relief operations and cholera response, travel to one of the hardest hit areas of Jérémie to observe distribution of food and health care services, meet with the Haitian prime minister, and hold discussions with key stakeholders in Haiti regarding the upcoming elections.

Statement by Wilson:

“This trip to Haiti is very important to me for different reasons. I represent members of one of the nation’s largest Haitian-American communities. Many of my constituents still have deep ties to Haiti and are desperate for accurate accounts of the damage caused by Hurricane Matthew from sources they can trust. More important, witnessing and assessing the damage firsthand is the best way to determine the different types and levels of support Haiti will need to rebuild from this latest natural disaster and how I can advocate on the nation’s behalf as it fights to fully recover from both Hurricane Matthew and the 2010 earthquake.”

Statement by Ros-Lehtinen:

“I am thankful to have Frederica join me on this bipartisan congressional delegation to Haiti to get an on the ground assessment of our hurricane relief efforts. With about 1.5 million in need of humanitarian assistance, including approximately 175,000 in evacuation shelters and 806,000 in need of immediate food aid, Hurricane Matthew has had devastating consequences on the people of Haiti. Haiti has suffered through an earthquake and hurricanes in recent years and the U.S. will remain committed to help in the humanitarian response but it is crucial that our assistance is getting to those most affected who are in desperate need of food, water, shelter, and sanitation services. I look forward to meeting with U.S. and UN officials, as well as relief workers, to examine the distribution of essential humanitarian services.”