•HRES 510 IH 
Whereas according to the United States Geological Survey 
(USGS), the earthquake epicenter was located approxi-
mately 15 miles southwest of the capital, Port-au-Prince; 
Whereas, according to USGS, the earthquake was followed by 
59 aftershocks of magnitude 4.5 or greater, the most se-
vere measuring 6.0; 
Whereas according to the Government of Haiti, more than 
316,000 people died as a result of the earthquake; 
Whereas according to the United Nations and the Inter-
national Organization for Migration, an estimated 
3,000,000 people have been directly affected by the dis-
aster, nearly one-third of the country’s population, and 
1,300,000 people were displaced to settlements; 
Whereas casualty numbers and infrastructure damage, in-
cluding to roads, ports, hospitals, and residential dwell-
ings, place the earthquake as the worst cataclysm to hit 
Haiti in over two centuries and, proportionally, one of the 
world’s worst natural disasters in modern times; 
Whereas the Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) con-
ducted by the Government of Haiti, the United Nations, 
the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, 
and other experts estimates that damage and economic 
losses totaled $7,800,000,000, approximately 120 percent 
of Haiti’s gross domestic product in 2009; 
Whereas the PDNA estimates that $11,500,000,000 over 
three years is required for Haiti’s reconstruction and to 
lay the groundwork for long-term development; 
Whereas Haiti is the poorest, least developed country in the 
Western Hemisphere with, prior to the earthquake, more 
than 70 percent of Haitians living on less than $2 per 
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•HRES 510 IH 
day and a ranking of 149 out of 182 countries on the 
United Nations Human Development Index; 
Whereas prior to the earthquake, Haiti was still in the proc-
ess of recovering from a catastrophic series of hurricanes 
and tropical storms, food shortages and rising commodity 
prices, and political instability, but was showing encour-
aging signs of improvement; 
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; 
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Whereas significant challenges still remain in Haiti as it 
works to recover and rebuild; 
Whereas according to the International Organization for Mi-
gration, approximately 550,000 people remain in sponta-
neous and organized camps in Haiti; 
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 November 30, 2011, more than 
6,900 people have died from cholera and more than 
500,000 affected; 
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-
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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 2010–2011, approximately 43 percent 
has been disbursed; and 
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 prevent the spread of cholera, treat persons who 
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contract the disease, provide technical assistance to 
the Haitian 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 cholera and post-earthquake re-
sponses; 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; and 
(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; 
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