Marjorie Dumornay (Je nan Je's campaign coordinator) delivers the charter of demands
Photo: Claudine Andre / ActionAid
Two years after the devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010, ActionAid Haiti continues to help the most vulnerable to rebuild their shattered lives. Some 10,000 people marched through downtown Port-au-Prince on January 11 to demand access to land and adequate housing.
The march, organized by the campaign Je nan Je (Eye to Eye), in partnership with ActionAid was considered a success by our country director in Haiti, Jean Claude Fignolé. Haitians marched through the streets of Port au Prince to come to Parliament where they were received by a commissioner who received a document with the main demands of the population. They demand land reform and the delivery of decent homes for those affected by the earthquake. The Senate President Deras Dieusseul Simon, announced the formation of a bicameral commission (Senate and House), which will discuss the letter of demands delivered in session to be held in parliament on 18th January.
Haitian government organizations and the international community have the perfect opportunity to come together to define the parameters for a structure that is inclusive, collaborative and above all transparent
says Jean Claude Fignolé.
Background
On January 12, 2010 Haiti was hit by an earthquake, the strongest in 200 years. More than 220,000 people died and more than 300,000 were injured. 300,000 houses were destroyed or damaged, leaving 1.5 million people homeless. In the months after the disaster, Haiti also faced a cholera epidemic and political turmoil.
Two years after the earthquake, an estimated half a million people still live in temporary shelters. In January 2011, the ActionAid document "Building for the Future" found that Haiti's reconstruction could cost over $50 million in emergency tent replacement, unless the Haitian government and international donors - the U.S., Canada France, Spain and European Union - solve the land problem that has greatly hindered the rebuilding of the nation.
