Armed gangs control the capital city with many people trapped in their homes and unable to feed their families or flee the escalating violence. Armed groups are blocking distribution routes and paralyzing the main port. This is exacerbating food insecurity due to years of widespread drought, leaving 1.4 million Haitians on the verge of famine, and more than 4 million in need of food aid, according to the UN’s World Food Program. Learn more about the situation here.
It is crucial that the U.S. mobilize more humanitarian aid as well as enact policies to support a Haitian-led democracy and cease the violence. In that regard, we stand with the Quixote Center, the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, the Religious of Jesus & Mary, the Mercy Justice Team, and others, in urging the Biden Administration and lawmakers to support the following specific actions to help ease the crisis-level situation in Haiti:
* Support S396, the Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act to identify and hold accountable those who are financing armed groups, especially those with assets in the U.S.
* Stop the illegal flow of weapons from the U.S. into Haiti by supporting HR 6618, the ARMAS Act, as well as introducing a companion bill in the Senate.
* Redesignate and extend TPS (Temporary Protected Status) for Haitians, which will offer protection against removal and eligibility for work authorization to all eligible Haitians currently in the U.S.
* Stop deportation flights.
* Increase humanitarian aid and ensure consultation with impacted populations, prioritizing Haitian diaspora organizations and a community development approach.
* Open a channel of communication and consultation on the future of Haiti where all affected groups can share their views on a sustainable socio-political framework.
* Ensure that any international police or military intervention consults with Haitian civil society, takes measures to ensure human rights protections, strengthens the capacity of the Haitian National Police and articulates a clear mission to support a Haitian-led solution to restore democracy.
The School Sisters of Notre Dame have a deep commitment to standing up for human dignity and the protection of the vulnerable. Please take time today to contact the Biden Administration and Congress to urge support for these efforts to help our sisters and brothers in Haiti.