Humanitarian Resources for Haiti

WHEREAS, On 1, January 1804 the Haitian Declaration of Independence marked the end of a 13-year long Haitian Revolution and the beginning of the first independent Black nation in the Western Hemisphere; and 

WHEREAS, Recent corruption has been a severe and widespread problem in all levels of the government in Haiti; and 

WHEREAS, The United Nations (UN) rated Haiti as the world's fourth most corrupt and dangerous country; and 

WHEREAS, Experts in public administration, say government corruption is ingrained in Haitian politics because of a lack of judicial integrity in the country; and 

WHEREAS, Haiti is currently suffering from widespread gang warfare, kidnappings, murders of anyone opposed to the civil unrest that includes a massive prison breakout in 2024 and high levels of sexual violence; and 

WHEREAS, Until 2005, rape was not legally considered a serious crime and a rapist could avoid jail by marrying their victims; and 

WHEREAS, Reporting a rape to police in Haiti is a difficult and convoluted process that contributes to the underreporting and difficulty in obtaining accurate statistics about sexual violence; and

WHEREAS, Sexual violence in Haiti is common because being raped is considered shameful in Haitian society. Victims find themselves abandoned by loved ones and have reduced marriageability; and WHEREAS, In 2006, the UN reported half of the women living in the capital city Port-auPrince had been raped. 

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) will advocate for multi-national peacekeeping forces be sent to Haiti to enforce civil unrest laws to protect the citizens, as well as government officials from these roving gangs. 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the NAACP demands that the United States government prioritize health funding for resources, healthcare workers, caregivers, social workers and counselors to address the trauma of the sexual assaults. 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED; . 
 the NAACP reaffirms its 2022 and 2003 resolutions calling for humanitarian aid to Haiti. 

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the NAACP should develop a coordinated effort to reboot the U.S. policy approach to Haiti. The approach would urge dialog with civil society in Haiti in the Haitian Diaspora, particularly with the National Haitian American Elected Officials Network.