The global food crisis has Haiti in its grip. As soaring food prices cripple many impoverished countries, Haiti is still shelling out millions of dollars in debt repayments while its people starve. See it for yourself in this short film produced by Journeyman Pictures.
The lack of affordable food has caused riots and political turmoil. While some Haitians are reportedly eating dirt to quell their hunger, their government is forced to pay almost $1 million each week in debt service to wealthy banks that were supposedly established to fight poverty.
On June 30th, Haitit reached "completion point" in the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative which cancelled $1.2 billion of Haitis debt. 40% of this was run up by the Duvalier dictators who between 1957 and 1986 stole part of these loans for themselves, and used the rest to repress the population.
To reach completion point, Haiti had meet a series of conditions, including the sorts of economic policy reforms that have been so harmful in the past.
Thanks to continued work by activists and advocates in the US, Haiti, and around the world, the Obama Administration committed to paying $20 million of Haiti's debt payments for 2009. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated: "Food security is not only a source of suffering, it is a direct threat to economic growth and global stability."
In early 2009, 72 Members of Congress sent a letter to World Bank President Robert Zoellick, urging Haiti's immediate debt cancellation. Thousands of letters and hearts have been written to Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner about Haiti, and will be delivered soon. Last year, nearly 3,000 of you signed the petition to Secretary Paulson urging immediate debt cancellation for Haiti. Thank you. Jubilee USA Network delivered your petition to the U.S. Treasury Department urging Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson Jr. to support immediate debt cancellation for Haiti. You joined Members of Congress, religious leaders and development advocates from across the country in urging immediate action on Haiti's debt in light of the current food crisis.
