Today, Rep. Yvette D. Clarke released the following statement regarding an earthquake the hit 14 miles outside of Port-au-Prince, Haiti with a magnitude of 7.0:

“My thoughts and prayers go out to the people of Haiti, who are suffering from the catastrophic damage caused by this earthquake. I am greatly concerned about the extremely fragile infrastructure of this island nation. Reports have already indicated that Haiti’s critical infrastructure, including critical roadways and telecommunications systems, have been badly damaged.

“Haiti is the poorest nation in the western hemisphere. I am concerned that recovery efforts may be hampered by limited resources, as the country relies heavily on international support for emergency response assistance. For this reason, I have reached out to the State Department for a thorough assessment of the situation on the ground. It is imperative that the United States takes the lead in ensuring that humanitarian aid is delivered swiftly and smoothly to help our neighbors in the Caribbean.

“As a Brooklyn native whose roots are firmly planted in my Caribbean heritage, my heart goes out my Haitian brothers and sisters as they endure this tragedy. I also express my deep sympathy and support for their families, many of whom live in the 11th Congressional District of New York. I will work closely with U.S. and Caribbean officials to help this nation recover from this natural disaster. I strongly encourage anyone trying to find out information about U.S. citizens in Haiti; please contact the American Citizens Services at: 888-407-4747.”

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