Take Action: Cancel Haiti’s $890 Million World Debt
UPDATE 1/25/10: Our newest numbers now put Haiti’s debt at $1 billion.
On Friday afternoon, ONE launched a campaign to encourage the world to drop Haiti’s $890 million in debt — and just a few days later over 70,000 people from across the globe have already added their name.
If you haven’t already, please sign that petition now, and if you have, please forward it along to your friends.
For a country like Haiti —- the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere —- a natural disaster can reverse years of development gains. Before the earthquake hit, the country faced tremendous challenges. But it had also found great reason to hope. Recent years had brought a more stable government and tenuous gains in the fight against poverty. The country had also reached a significant milestone in the debt cancellation process: $1.2 billion owed to bilateral and multilateral institutions had been completely dropped, erasing most -— but not all -— of Haiti’s debt.
With aid now pouring in, it’s time to make sure that our support helps the Haitian people realize their dream for a stronger, more secure nation. While the Haitian and other governments work together on the initial rescue and relief efforts, we can help lay the foundation for a smooth recovery and rebuilding effort. First, the international community should cancel Haiti’s $890 million in remaining debt. This will help ensure that future dollars go towards rebuilding a stronger Haiti, not to servicing old debts.
Our global community must also ensure that any emergency earthquake assistance is provided in the forms of grants, not debt-incurring loans. By providing grants, Haiti will be able to invest all their resources into education, health, the economy—rather than repaying new IOUs.
Thankfully, the United States has already forgiven Haiti’s past debts and now only gives assistance in the form of grants. We need Haiti’s other creditors -— the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, and countries like Taiwan and Venezuela —- to follow this lead and do the same.
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January 18, 2010 at 3:53 pm
Please drop Haiti’s enormous debt NOW!
January 18, 2010 at 9:21 pm
Haiti should not be required to pay past debts. Their current tragedy is so enormous that its people could never pay such a debt.
January 18, 2010 at 11:04 pm
In solidarity with all those who have signed before me, I beg the world community to drop Haiti’s world debt, and I beg each of us world citizens to make a heartfelt donation to these poorest of the poor in the Western world. Give what you can because together we can make a difference.
January 19, 2010 at 6:03 am
In the weeks and months to come the Haitian earthquake will slowly fade away. The news organizations will leave and move on to the next “story”. We will feel good that we contributed what we could, and then we will quickly shift our attention back to our own busy lives. But in Haiti the horror will still be unfolding. Without homes or jobs, with family members dead and dying, with the country in ruins, they will struggle just to stay alive. We need to make a long term commitment to those whose lives have been decimated. The best way to help would be to make a monthly contribution to an organization that is committed to helping Haiti long after the TV cameras are gone. With a steady flow of aid, instead of just an influx of money at the time of a disaster, we can help raise their standard of living. This in turn will help them withstand the next crisis without such a staggering loss of life.
January 19, 2010 at 11:00 am
Most often the hard thing to do and the right thing to do are one and the same. In the case of Haiti in its present crisis, the right thing to do is to wipe out its debt, not endenture its people as a result of poor IMF policy.
January 19, 2010 at 11:04 am
Please cancel Haiti’s debt. They can never recover from this with debt hanging over their heads. They have suffered enough.
January 19, 2010 at 11:05 am
Please cancel the debt of this poor country, Haiti.
January 19, 2010 at 11:31 am
HELL NO!!!!! Their government for hundreds of years have exploited their people by taking anything and everything these people will ever own. By freeing the county’s debt up, the government will not care and continue to live in squander will the citizens will live the continued life of squaller.
January 19, 2010 at 7:35 pm
pls cancel the debt of Haiti
January 19, 2010 at 8:14 pm
The debt cancellation needs to be free of conditions as well. Haiti has suffered enough under the neoliberal policies forced upon them by past debt relief deals and loans.
January 20, 2010 at 6:28 pm
The IMF, IDB and World Bank should cancel their debt and then France and the United States should pay Haiti’s other creditors, because France and the U.S. are greatly responsible for the condition that Haiti is in today.
January 27, 2010 at 11:58 pm
Drop the debt!!
February 1, 2010 at 9:12 pm
What? Debt counseling through your cell phone? I think that is a very creative and very useful thing. I wish it can help more people that has problem on debt.
February 1, 2010 at 9:16 pm
Of all the things Congress does every year, raising the federal debt limit is definitely the least popular.
February 20, 2010 at 10:33 pm
This is so naive. Countries cannot show that they value honoring their foreign debt, they cannot attract capital in the future. This is great harm to Haiti, though it self righteous for those proposing it.
October 23, 2010 at 5:38 pm
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Debt Advice