Press Releases

Congresswoman Frederica S. Wilson, joined by Representatives Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Florida), John Conyers (D-Michigan), Maxine Waters (D-California), Barbara Lee (D-California), and Yvette Clark (D-New York), on Wednesday, November 16, served as honorary co-hosts of a briefing on USAID-led efforts to help Haiti recover from the extensive damage wrought by Hurricane Matthew.

Tim Callahan, leader of USAID’s Disaster Assistance Response Team, offered detailed accounts of the Category 4 storm’s impact on the Caribbean nation’s already fragile infrastructure and Haitians’ daily lives, and the steps taken so far to help Haiti get on a sure footing toward recovery. Ensuring clean water, preventing a cholera outbreak, and creating access to hard-to-reach rural areas are among his agency’s biggest challenges, Callahan noted, adding that USAID and the Department of Defense have put a very strong team on the ground and every effort is being made to “save lives and relieve those who are suffering.”

Reps. Wilson and Ros-Lehtinen traveled to Haiti at the end of October to assess the damage and recovery efforts and determine how best to help. In her remarks, Rep. Wilson recalled how “heartbreaking,” the trip was because there was so much loss and urged those who wish to make a contribution to help recovery to do so monetarily so that relief groups can buy what’s actually needed and to help boost Haiti’s economy. Trusted organizations accepting donations include USAID’s Center for International Disaster Information (www.cidi.org), Santia (www.santia.org), and Haiti Renewal Alliance (www.hra-intl.org).

The Florida lawmaker also expressed concern about the presidential and legislative elections slated to take place on Sunday, November 20, and the obstacles that the hurricane damage presents to a smooth process. Schools that would normally be used as polling places, for example, are instead serving as shelters for people who have been made homeless by the storm. In addition, voting cannot take place in areas that are still cut off and receiving food and other supplies by airdrop.

“I know what it takes to hold an election in a developing nation like Haiti. In my view, Haiti is not ready and there may be some serious challenges to the election because there will be so many people who won’t get to vote because one, they didn’t have the appropriate credentials; two, they couldn’t get to the polling place to vote; and three, they didn’t know where their polling places are,” Rep. Wilson sad.

Rep. Wilson reiterated her objections to the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to resume deportation flights to Haiti.

In October she led more than 50 House Democrats and Republicans in a letter to President Obama urging him to delay the deportations because Haiti is not equipped to care for the planned biweekly arrival of deportees or to provide the resources they will need to rebuild their lives. She also called on the administration to hold full and fair asylum hearings; provide effective counsel and other forms of relief; re-designate Haiti’s temporary protective status due to expire next July to include Haitians already in the United States; and to expand the Haitian Family Reunification Parole Program, which promotes safe and legal migration to the U.S.

“The deportations must stop—that’s the bottom line,” Rep. Wilson said to applause.