U.S. SENATOR PATRICK LEAHY

 Bingaman & Leahy Urge President to Offer Assistance to Flood-Damaged Haiti  
 

WASHINGTON  (Friday, Nov. 05) – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) today urged President Bush to consider what steps the United States could take to help with the delivery of food and medical supplies to the tens of thousands of Haitians who were affected by Tropical Storm Jeanne. 

In a letter to the president, the senators pointed out that the United Nations authorized a peacekeeping force of 6,700 but thus far only 4,094 are on the ground.  As a result, the situation in Haiti remains unstable with little relief in sight. 

“The attacking and looting of convoys bringing food, water, medical supplies and other necessities is widespread and shows few signs of abating, particularly given the inadequate number of UN troops on the ground,” the senators wrote. 

Bingaman and Leahy asked the president what, if anything, his administration is planning to do to bring the UN peacekeeping force to full strength to limit the destabilizing actions of armed groups.   

“While we understand there may be some hesitancy to commit troops that are already spread far too thin to a non-military mission in Haiti, the number of troops required is relatively small and such a commitment now may be necessary to prevent a far greater need,” the senators wrote.  

 “Mr. President, we hope you share our sense of urgency that unless the situation is stabilized very soon, the prospects for addressing the humanitarian crisis and for creating conditions for a stable, democratic government in Haiti are grim.  While we must exhort all countries committed to the peacekeeping process to do their share, our country must also bear some of the burden in the service of security and stability in Haiti and the entire region,” they wrote.  

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