In August 2021, Haiti experienced a devastating earthquake that hit its southwestern region and left more than 2,000 people dead and thousands displaced. The people recovered from the rubbles and ruins of their cities and towns were met with overwhelmed health care facilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Gang violence hindered the delivery of aid to the most affected areas. The assassination of President Jovenel Moïse a month before the earthquake and the ongoing political instability in the country affected the provision of international aid, all while the nation was still rebuilding from the 2010 earthquake. Due to our long-standing relationships in Haiti and our commitment to disaster justice, UUSC provided an emergency grant to Grassroots International to assist in the earthquake recovery, while also renewing our long-term commitment to support Haitians rebuilding their nation.

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For the past four months, UUSC has been working to establish long-term relationships with the following four key grassroots groups in Haiti whose work aligns with UUSC’s core initiatives (i.e., migration justice, disaster justice, international justice and accountability, and climate-forced displacement): 

In addition, UUSC is working with advocacy allies in the United States to support the work of the Commission on Haitian Solution to the Crisis in advancing the Montana Agreement, an initiative to protect the rights of Haitians in shaping their own democracy. In alignment with our advocacy against the Biden administration’s Title 42 policy, UUSC has also been assisting Haitians seeking asylum at the U.S. border to submit their parole applications and connect with potential sponsors.

UUSC’s strategy and commitments are built on practical advice and lessons from Haiti’s movement leaders and from our own previous experience in Haiti. As we commemorate the 12th year anniversary of the deadly 2010 earthquake, these are pertinent reminders to heed in the face of a number of growing injustices, (i.e., a deadly pandemic and the inequitable distribution of vaccines to developing countries; the growing climate crisis and its disproportionate burden on small island nations; the effect of rising authoritarianism on human rights defenders and the inhumane immigration policies that are being enacted on those seeking refuge at our borders):

In the spirit of learning and with a commitment to racial justice and decolonization, UUSC is revisiting our prior work in Haiti to identify what we did wrong, what we can repair and what we must avoid doing again. These are questions that we must all ask ourselves and commit to following through as we embark on a new year. 

Photo Credit: iStock—KSKImaging