,,iv #aaeth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,,res4 #di ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,january #ab1 #bjag,ms4 ,lee 7for herself1 ,ms4 ,clarke of ,new ,york1 ,ms4 ,maxine ,waters of ,california1 ,mr4 ,hastings1 ,mr4 ,conyers1 ,mr4 ,mc,govern1 ,ms4 ,wilson of ,florida1 ,mr4 ,rush1 ,mr4 ,engel1 ,mr4 ,grijalva1 ,ms4 ,norton1 ,mrs4 ,lowey1 and ,ms4 ,tsongas7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs ,,resolution ,recognizing the anniversary of the tragic earthquake in ,haiti on ,january #ab1 #bjaj1 honoring those who lost their lives in the earthquake and in ,hurricane ,matthew in ,october #bjaf1 and expressing continued solidarity with the ,haitian people4 ,whereas1 on ,january #ab1 #bjaj1 a #g4j-magnitude earthquake struck the country of ,haiti2 ,whereas according to the ,united ,states ,geological ,survey 7,,usgs71 the earthquake epicenter was located approximately #ae miles southwest of the capital1 ,port-au-,prince2 ,whereas according to ,,usgs1 the earthquake was followed by #ei aftershocks of magnitude #d4e or greater1 the most severe measuring #f4j2 ,whereas according to the ,government of ,haiti1 more than #caf1jjj people died as a result of the earthquake2 ,whereas according to the ,united ,nations and the ,international ,organization for ,migration1 an estimated #c1jjj1jjj people were directly affected by the disaster1 nearly one-third of the country's population1 and #a1cjj1jjj people were displaced to settlements2 ,whereas casualty numbers and infrastructure damage1 including to roads1 ports1 hospitals1 and residential dwellings1 place the earthquake as the worst cataclysm to hit ,haiti in over two centuries and1 proportionally1 one of the world's worst natural disasters in modern times2 ,whereas the ,post ,disaster ,needs ,assessment 7,,pdna7 conducted by the ,government of ,haiti1 the ,united ,nations1 the ,world ,bank1 the ,inter-,american ,development ,bank1 and other experts estimates that damage and economic losses totaled #g1hjj1jjj1jjj1 approximately #abj percent of ,haiti's gross domestic product in #bjji2 ,whereas the ,managing ,p,d,n,as estimated that #aa1ejj1jjj1jjj over three years would be required for ,haiti's reconstruction and to lay the groundwork for long-term development2 ,whereas in #bjab1 the ,world ,bank estimated that nearly #fj percent of ,haitians were living under the national poverty line and ,haiti ranked #afc out of #ahh countries on the ,united ,nations ,human ,development ,index2 ,whereas ,president ,barack ,obama vowed the unwavering support of the ,united ,states and pledged a swift1 coordinated and aggressive effort to save lives and support the recovery in ,haiti2 ,whereas ,congress passed ,house ,resolution #ajba on ,january #ba1 #bjaj1 on a vote of #daa to #a1 expressing its deepest condolences and sympathy for the horrific loss of life and bipartisan support for the recovery and long-term reconstruction needs of ,haiti2 ,whereas the response to the tragedy from the global community1 and especially from the countries of the ,western ,hemisphere1 has been overwhelmingly positive2 ,whereas the initial emergency response of the men and women of the ,united ,states ,government1 led by the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development and ,united ,states ,southern ,command1 was swift and resolute2 ,whereas individuals1 businesses1 and philanthropic organizations across the ,united ,states and throughout the international community responded in support of ,haiti and its populace during this crisis1 sometimes in innovative ways such as fundraising through text messaging1 which some estimates reveal has raised more than #dj1jjj1jjj2 ,whereas according to the ,international ,organization for ,migration1 as of ,september #bjaf1 approximately #ee1jjj people remain in spontaneous and organized camps in ,haiti and hundreds of thousands of ,haiti's poor continue to live in precarious housing conditions that make them vulnerable to potential future natural disasters2 ,whereas in #bjaf1 ,haiti continued to face long droughts and dry ,el ,nio conditions at the level of a national emergency1 causing further destruction of agricultural crops and food insecurity for over #e1jjj1jjj people2 ,whereas ,hurricane ,matthew caused significant and further damage to ,haiti1 directly affecting #a1djj1jjj people1 causing #age1jjj to be displaced1 and pushing #hjf1jjj into severe food insecurity1 and due to increased vulnerability from ,hurricane ,matthew the number of fatalities continues to rise2 ,whereas screening of vulnerable groups shows evidence of high rates of malnutrition and the need for immediate special attention programs1 especially for children under the age of #e2 ,whereas many displaced ,haitians continue to live in temporary shelters1 such as schools1 churches1 or shelters that have been pieced together with scrap aluminum sheets1 tarps1 and wood2 ,whereas schools in many areas still have not reopened since the ,hurricane ,matthew2 ,whereas between #hj to #ij percent of crops in the ,grande ,anse and ,south were destroyed by ,hurricane ,matthew and farmers have not yet received support for seeds and tools2 ,whereas only #dh percent of the ,united ,nations #agh1jjj1jjj ,flash ,appeal for ,haiti has been funded2 ,whereas a devastated agricultural sector has a ripple effect throughout the ,haitian economy and affects the most vulnerable1 particularly children and poor women and men2 ,whereas ,haiti's geographical location in the hurricane belt1 acute ecological damage1 rising sea levels1 increasing global temperatures1 severity of hurricanes1 drought1 and other forms of climate disruption combine to make ,haiti one of the three most climate vulnerable countries in the world1 with devastating consequences for all sectors of its economy and society2 ,whereas ,haiti's growing food insecurity results largely from deforestation and entrenched neglect of its rural agricultural sector1 particularly smallholder farmers who grow most of the food in ,haiti1 and account for a large percentage of the food insecure populations2 ,whereas in #bjaf1 the ,food and ,agriculture ,organization 7,,fao7 ,global ,food ,security ,index ranked ,haiti's food sector #ajh out of #aac countries surveyed2 ,whereas ,haiti's vulnerability to natural disasters is rooted in the dearth of stable public infrastructure and housing due to rapid urbanization and is exacerbated by climate change2 ,whereas ,haiti will be unable to adapt to1 and mitigate its disproportional vulnerability to climate change unless the ,haitian government is resourced and empowered to implement comprehensive disaster prevention and relief measures2 ,whereas according to an independent ,united ,nations panel investigation1 on ,october #ai1 #bjaj1 an outbreak of cholera was detected in the ,lower ,artibonite region1 originating from a tributary near the ,united ,nations ,stabilization ,mission in ,haiti 7,,minustah7 camp at ,mirebelais1 where the panel found that sanitation conditions were not sufficient to prevent fecal contamination of the ,meye ,tributary ,system of the ,artibonite ,river2 ,whereas according to the ,haitian ,ministry of ,public ,health and ,population 7,,mspp71 as of ,may #bh1 #bjaf1 #i1cag people have died from cholera and nearly #ghj1adj have been infected2 ,whereas1 according to the ,,mspp1 the damage caused by ,hurricane ,matthew in ,october #bjaf resulted in a sharp increase in the number of cholera cases in ,haiti2 ,whereas in ,august #bjaf the ,government of ,haiti1 supported by the ,world ,health ,organization 7,,who71 the ,pan ,american ,health ,association 7,,paho71 the ,united ,nations ,children's ,fund 7,,unicef71 and the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention 7,,cdc7 and other members of the ,regional ,coalition to ,eliminate ,cholera in ,hispaniola presented an updated medium-term plan on cholera for #bjaf-bjah to improve coordination among national and international partners1 ensure rapid response to outbreaks1 vaccinate vulnerable populations and improve water1 sanitation1 and health2 ,whereas1 on ,december #a1 #bjaf1 ,united ,nations ,secretary-,general ,ban ,ki-moon spoke directly to the ,haitian people while addressing the ,united ,nations ,general ,assembly1 stating we apologize to the ,haitian people4 ,we simply did not do enough with regard to the cholera outbreak and its spread in ,haiti4 ,we are profoundly sorry for our role42 ,whereas1 on ,december #a1 #bjaf1 the ,united ,nations presented a new two-track response to cholera in ,haiti1 including material assistance to those ,haitians most directly affected by cholera as well as intensified efforts to control treat and eradicate cholera2 ,whereas the ,united ,nations has launched a ,multi-,partner ,trust ,fund to support the new response and is seeking #djj1jjj1jjj in donor contributions1 with #bjj1jjj1jjj to be allocated to ,track #a and #bjj1jjj1jjj to ,track #b of the new response2 ,whereas throughout these crises1 the people of ,haiti continue to demonstrate unwavering resilience1 dignity1 and courage2 ,whereas the ,assessing ,progress in ,haiti ,act 7,,apha7 seeks to measure the progress of recovery and development efforts in ,haiti since the devastating earthquake of ,january #bjaj and was passed in response to widespread concerns regarding the mixed results and opacity of post-quake relief and reconstruction efforts2 ,whereas the ,department of ,state has produced two of four annual reports with detailed information on the status of ,united ,states aid programs in ,haiti with the aim of increasing transparency and accountability with respect to the roughly #d1jjj1jjj1jjj that the ,united ,states ,government has allocated for ,haiti aid since the earthquake2 ,whereas1 as of ,september #cj1 #bjaf1 the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development 7,,usaid7 estimates that of the roughly #d1jjj1jjj1jjj allocated for humanitarian relief assistance and recovery and reconstruction and development in the post-earthquake recovery1 approximately #hc percent of such funds has been disbursed2 ,whereas an evaluation led by the ,,mspp in areas affected by ,hurricane ,matthew's landfall on ,october #d1 #bjaf1 concluded that public health facilities may viably provide essential services1 but severely lack the equipment and medical commodities to do so2 ,whereas significant challenges still remain in ,haiti as it works to recover and rebuild from past natural disasters and to prepare for future ones2 and ,whereas ,haiti requires the sustained assistance of the ,united ,states and the international community in order to prevent further malnutrition in key vulnerable groups1 prevent an increase in hunger in #bjag1 address chronic food insecurity1 confront the ongoing cholera epidemic and mitigate vulnerability to climate change3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,house of ,representatives-- 7#a7 honors those who lost their lives due to the tragic earthquake that struck the country of ,haiti on ,january #ab1 #bjaj2 7#b7 honors those who lost their lives due to ,hurricane ,matthew in ,october #bjaf2 7#c7 honors the sacrifice of the men and women of the ,government of ,haiti1 the ,united ,states ,government1 the ,united ,nations1 and the international community in their response to those affected and who continue to be affected by these calamities2 7#d7 expresses continued solidarity with the people of ,haiti as they work to prevent malnutrition and hunger1 mitigate the effects of climate change1 and rebuild their homes1 neighborhoods1 livelihoods1 and country2 7#e7 reaffirms its commitment to support ,haiti1 in partnership with the ,government of ,haiti and in coordination with other donors1 in long-term development and disaster preparedness2 7#f7 supports the efforts of the ,administration to increase food security in ,haiti through sustainable agriculture programs1 shore up housing initiatives for ,haiti's poor and vulnerable1 prevent the spread of cholera1 treat persons who contract the disease1 provide technical assistance to the ,haitian ,ministry of ,public ,health and ,population 7,,mspp71 and improve longer-term water1 sanitation1 and health systems2 7#g7 urges the ,president and the international community to-- 7,a7 continue to focus assistance on building the capacity of ,haiti's public sector and reinforcing the systems it employs to sustainably provide basic services to its people2 7,b7 develop1 improve1 and scale-up communications and participatory mechanisms to more substantially involve ,haitian civil society at all stages of post-disaster responses2 and 7,c7 give priority to programs that protect and involve vulnerable populations1 including internally displaced persons1 children1 especially malnourished children under the age of #e1 pregnant and lactating women1 women and girls1 and persons with disabilities2 and 7#h7 urges the ,president to-- 7,a7 continue to make available to ,united ,states ,government agencies1 nongovernmental organizations1 private volunteer organizations1 regional institutions1 and ,united ,nations agencies the resources necessary to confront the ongoing consequences of these natural disasters2 7,b7 support the efforts of the ,united ,nations ,secretary-,general to secure the necessary resources required to fully execute the ,united ,nations new two-track response to eradicate cholera from ,haiti and provide material assistance to those ,haitians most directly affected by cholera2 7,c7 continue to lead humanitarian and development and disaster risk reduction efforts with the ,government of ,haiti1 the ,haitian ,diaspora1 and international actors who share in the goal of a better future for ,haiti2 7,d7 maximize responsible local and regional procurement2 7,e7 establish improved and transparent mechanisms for monitoring the implementation of ,united ,states ,government-funded aid programs2 and 7,f7 work with ,haitian authorities and private landowners to prevent the forced eviction of internally displaced person communities and provide decent housing for the poorest and most vulnerable ,haitians4