WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement about the humanitarian crisis in Haiti after the destruction of Hurricane Matthew, which has killed hundreds of people and displaced thousands of families:

“People of good faith from around the world have been horrified by the images of Haitian families wading through the flood waters in search of safe shelter. With members of my staff and my colleagues in government at the federal, state, and local levels, we will continue to work with the Haitian Diaspora to aid in coordinating an effective disaster relief and recovery response and continue to raise our voices to the Obama Administration, the Department of State, and the Department of Homeland Security to demand expedited action and support for the recovery efforts currently underway. I will also continue to monitor the situation and insist on accountability. Resources are an important start, but only a start. To complete the process of recovery we must connect those resources to the families in need, as quickly as possible. With the threat of cholera and other threats to the public health, we cannot afford any delay. As members of the Caribbean-American community, we have always joined in solidarity in moments of crisis. After Dominica was devastated by Tropical Storm Erika last year, we came together to provide assistance. Now we have a responsibility to renew our commitment to each and every member of our community, at home and in the Diaspora.”

Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, a member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade, the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, the Committee on Ethics and the Committee on Small Business in the House of Representatives, proudly represents Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Flatbush, Gerritsen Beach, Madison, Midwood, Park Slope, Flatlands, Prospect Heights, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, Sheepshead Bay, and Windsor Terrace.