Caribbean American Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke has called on the Obama administration to expedite aid to Haiti in the wake of the destruction caused by passage of Hurricane Matthew.
“People of good faith from around the world have been horrified by the images of Haitian families wading through the flood waters in search of safe shelter,” said Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who represents the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, New York, on Saturday.
“With members of my staff and my colleagues in government at the federal, state, and local levels, we will continue to work with the Haitian Diaspora to aid in coordinating an effective disaster relief and recovery response and continue to raise our voices to the Obama Administration, the Department of State, and the Department of Homeland Security to demand expedited action and support for the recovery efforts currently underway,” she added.
“I will also continue to monitor the situation and insist on accountability,” she continued. Resources are an important start, but only a start. To complete the process of recovery, we must connect those resources to the families in need, as quickly as possible. With the threat of cholera and other threats to the public health, we cannot afford any delay.”
As members of the Caribbean-American community in the United States, Clarke noted that “we have always joined in solidarity in moments of crisis.
“After Dominica was devastated by Tropical Storm Erika last year, we came together to provide assistance,” she said. “Now, we have a responsibility to renew our commitment to each and every member of our community, at home and in the Diaspora.”
Speaking from the Oval Office on Friday, United States President Barack Obama, accompanied by Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Craig Fugate and Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, expressed deep concern for Haiti.
