Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke delivered the following speech today to honor the resolve of the people of Haiti to rebuild their nation.

“Mr. Speaker, I stand here before you on the Fourth Anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti. I come in honor and in awe of the unmitigated strength, hope and faith of the Haitian people.

“Although there is still significant progress to be made, let us take this time to remember those who have died and those who continue living with the visible and invisible scars of trauma.

“We cannot forget those who still remain in IDP camps, subject to forced evictions and living in squalid and precarious conditions. We must remember those who are victims of sexual and gender based violence and we cannot turn a blind eye on those Haitians suffering from Cholera, which was introduced to the country through no fault of their own.

“Mr. Speaker, the passion of the Haitian people continues to inspire a sense of community, generosity, strength and drive throughout the Caribbean Diaspora.

“Therefore, I urge my colleagues to draw on the energy, will and determination of the Haitian people and continue the fight to help Haiti truly recover from the devastating earthquake of 2010.”