Protesters Demand Accountability and Housing for Quake Victims
Protestors in front of the Haitian National Palace, August 26th, 2010
Protestors in front of the Haitian Consulate in New York. September 25th, 2010
A Call to Action
In solidarity with the victims of the January 12th earthquake, protestors in Haiti and in the Diaspora are demanding that authorities and NGO's do more to provide aid to the 1.5 million people still living in precarious conditions in tent cities throughout Port-au-Prince. Among the demands made by protestors are for increased security, permanent housing, and the disbursement of more of the aid collected in Haiti's name.
So far, only a third of the money collected by NGO's has been used to provide relief. More than 60% of the funds remain unutilized as the victims continue to languish in squalid tent encampments. Protestors are calling for authorities to release the funds, and to work more diligently to move people out of tents into more permanent homes.
As the United Nations prepares to observe World Habitat Day on October 4th, we, at Bookmanlit join this call to action and urge the government of Haiti and the international community to step up their efforts to ensure that the people of Haiti receive adequate housing and the services that they need.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press ( http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/cb_haiti_earthquake) reported that a republican politician from Oklahoma has been the one obstructing more than a billion dollars in funds pledged by the U.S. to help Haiti rebuild. The Senator, Tom Coburn, apparently does not understand the urgency of sending aid to the earthquake ravaged country. Because of Coburn's cruel actions, the U.S. has yet to send any part of the money that it had originally pledged to help rebuild the country. The phone number to Senator Coburn's office is (202) 224-5754.