Signez la pétition pour l'annulation de la dette d'Haïti

Publié par Elsie HAAS sur 13 Juin 2008, 09:38am

Catégories : #ECONOMIE

Dear Sr. Ann Gray,

The global food crisis has Haiti in its grip.

As soaring food prices cripple many impoverished countries, Haiti is still shelling out millions of dollars in debt repayments while its people starve. The finance ministers of the G8 countries - the world's richest nations - meet on June 13 and 14 in Japan to discuss the food crisis. By cancelling debts they could help alleviate the suffering of Haiti and other affected countries.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson Jr. will be attending the G8 meeting. Please sign the petition to Secretary Paulson ahead of this meeting, to urge immediate debt cancellation for Haiti - and a moratorium on its debts in the meantime. Jubilee USA will deliver the petition to the Treasury department before Secretary Paulson departs next Wednesday, June 11.

The lack of affordable food has caused riots in Port au Prince, Haiti's capital, where United Nations peacekeepers used rubber bullets and tear gas against protesters attempting to storm the presidential palace. Days later the Prime Minister was sacked and has yet to be replaced.

While some Haitians are reportedly eating dirt to quell their hunger, their government is forced to pay almost $1 million each week in debt service to wealthy banks that were supposedly established to fight poverty.

Haiti's current debt stands at $1.3 billion, 40% of which was run up by the Duvalier dictators who between 1957 and 1986 stole part of these loans for themselves, and used the rest to repress the population.

Haiti has now qualified for debt relief through the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) initiative but it still has to meet a series of conditions, including the sorts of economic policy reforms that have been so harmful in the past, before it can complete the HIPC process and access urgently needed debt cancellation. But Haiti should not be forced to continue repaying its debts in the midst of this emergency.

Haiti is just one country facing a double crisis as food prices soar while debt payments have to take precedence over tackling poverty. Jubilee USA Network is calling for immediate debt cancellation, and an interim moratorium on debt service, for Haiti and for ALL poor countries affected by the food crisis.

Sign the petition to Secretary Paulson to call for debt cancellation for Haiti now. See more information on Haiti, the food crisis, and Haiti's debt here.

Thank you for your support.

Mercedes Mack

National Field Organizer

PS After you've signed the petition, please forward it to friends and family.

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