•HRES 31 IH 
Whereas President Barack Obama vowed the ‘‘unwavering 
support’’ of the United States and pledged a ‘‘swift, co-
ordinated and aggressive effort to save lives and support 
the recovery in Haiti’’; 
Whereas Congress passed House Resolution 1021 on January 
21, 2010, on a vote of 411 to 1, expressing its ‘‘deepest 
condolences and sympathy for the horrific loss of life’’ 
and bipartisan ‘‘support for the recovery and long-term 
reconstruction needs of Haiti’’; 
Whereas the response to the tragedy from the global commu-
nity, and especially from the countries of the Western 
Hemisphere, has been overwhelmingly positive; 
Whereas the initial emergency response of the men and 
women of the United States Government, led by the 
United States Agency for International Development and 
United States Southern Command, was swift and reso-
lute; 
Whereas individuals, businesses, and philanthropic organiza-
tions across the United States and throughout the inter-
national community responded in support of Haiti and its 
populace during this crisis, sometimes in innovative ways 
such as fundraising through text messaging, which some 
estimates reveal has raised more than $40,000,000; 
Whereas significant challenges still remain in Haiti as it 
works to recover and rebuild; 
Whereas according to the International Organization for Mi-
gration, approximately 360,000 people remain in sponta-
neous 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 poten-
tial future natural disasters; 
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•HRES 31 IH 
Whereas in 2012 alone, Haiti faced a long drought period 
and 2 major tropical storms that destroyed 70 percent of 
agricultural crops in Haiti, impacting the lives of nearly 
2,000,000 people facing food insecurity; 
Whereas a devastated agricultural sector has a ripple effect 
throughout the Haitian economy and affects the most 
vulnerable, particularly children and poor women and 
men; 
Whereas Haiti’s food insecurity results largely from en-
trenched neglect of its agricultural sector, particularly 
smallholder farmers who grow most of the Haitian food, 
and account for a large percentage of the food insecure 
populations; 
Whereas according to numerous nongovernmental organiza-
tions and United States contractors, the pace of recon-
struction has lagged significantly behind the original 
emergency relief phase; 
Whereas according to an independent United Nations panel 
investigation, on October 19, 2010, an outbreak of chol-
era was detected in the Lower Artibonite region, origi-
nating from a tributary near the Minustah camp at 
Mirebelais, where the panel found that sanitation condi-
tions ‘‘were not sufficient to prevent fecal contamination 
of the Meye Tributary System of the Artibonite River’’; 
Whereas initial efforts to contain the epidemic were disrupted 
by Hurricane Toma´s and resulting widespread flooding, 
which led to the spreading and entrenchment of the dis-
ease throughout the country; 
Whereas according to the Haitian Ministry of Public Health 
and Population, as of December 12, 2012, more than 
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•HRES 31 IH 
7,820 people have died from cholera and more than 
629,000 have been infected; 
Whereas according to the Pan American Health Organization 
and the World Health Organization, cholera could spread 
to 118,000 people within the next year, potentially caus-
ing over 1,400 deaths at the current case fatality rate; 
Whereas the Governments of Haiti and the Dominican Re-
public, jointly with the Pan American Health Organiza-
tion, the United Nations Children’s Fund, and the 
United States Centers for Disease Control and Preven-
tion, have developed a 10-year plan to eliminate cholera 
from Hispaniola through treatment, hygiene education, 
and the building of sustainable water and sanitation in-
frastructure; 
Whereas the United Nations Secretary-General announced 
that only approximately 10 percent of the funds needed 
to execute this plan have been secured; 
Whereas throughout these crises, the people of Haiti continue 
to demonstrate unwavering resilience, dignity, and cour-
age; 
Whereas at the international donors conference ‘‘Towards a 
New Future for Haiti’’ held on March 31, 2010, 59 do-
nors pledged approximately $5,600,000,000, including 
nearly $1,150,000,000 from the United States, to sup-
port the Government of Haiti’s Action Plan for National 
Recovery and Development; 
Whereas the United Nations Office of the Special Envoy for 
Haiti estimates that of the recovery and development 
funds pledged for 2010 through 2012, approximately 53 
percent has been disbursed; and 
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•HRES 31 IH 
Whereas Haiti requires the sustained assistance from the 
United States and the international community in order 
to confront the ongoing cholera epidemic and promote re-
construction and development: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) honors those who lost their lives due to the 
tragic earthquake of January 12, 2010; 
(2) honors the sacrifice of the men and women 
of the Government of Haiti, the United States Gov-
ernment, the United Nations, and the international 
community in their response to those affected by the 
calamity; 
(3) expresses continued solidarity with the peo-
ple of Haiti as they work to rebuild their neighbor-
hoods, livelihoods, and country; 
(4) reaffirms its commitment to support Haiti, 
in partnership with the Government of Haiti and in 
coordination with other donors, in long-term recon-
struction; 
(5) supports the efforts of the Administration 
to increase food security in Haiti through sustain-
able agriculture programs, shore up housing initia-
tives for Haiti’s poor and vulnerable, prevent the 
spread of cholera, treat persons who contract the 
disease, provide technical assistance to the Haitian 
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•HRES 31 IH 
Ministry of Public Health, and improve longer-term 
water, sanitation, and health systems; 
(6) urges the President and the international 
community to— 
(A) continue to focus assistance on build-
ing the capacity of Haiti’s public sector to 
sustainably provide basic services to its people; 
(B) develop, improve, and scale-up commu-
nications and participatory mechanisms to more 
substantially involve Haitian civil society at all 
stages of the post-earthquake responses; and 
(C) give priority to programs that protect 
and involve vulnerable populations, including in-
ternally displaced persons, children, women and 
girls, and persons with disabilities; 
(7) urges the President to— 
(A) continue to make available to United 
States agencies, nongovernmental organizations, 
private volunteer organizations, regional institu-
tions, and United Nations agencies the re-
sources necessary to confront the consequences 
of the natural disaster; 
(B) support the efforts of the United Na-
tions Secretary-General to secure the necessary 
resources required to fully execute plans to 
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•HRES 31 IH 
eliminate cholera from the island of Hispaniola 
through enhanced treatment and prevention ef-
forts, and through the development of clean 
water and sanitation infrastructure that is ac-
cessible to all Haitians; 
(C) continue to lead humanitarian and de-
velopment efforts with the Government of Haiti, 
the Haitian Diaspora, and international actors 
who share in the goal of a better future for 
Haiti; 
(D) maximize responsible local and re-
gional procurement; 
(E) establish improved and transparent 
mechanisms for monitoring the implementation 
of United States Government-funded aid pro-
grams; and 
(F) work with Haitian authorities and pri-
vate landowners to prevent the forced eviction 
of internally displaced person communities and 
provide decent housing for the poorest and most 
vulnerable Haitians; and 
(8) desires a clear understanding for what 
would constitute success in the priority areas identi-
fied by the United States Department of State. 
Æ 
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