Senator Parker Calls on Governor for Immediate Aid to Haiti Following Tragic Earthquake
Kevin S. Parker
January 13, 2010
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ISSUE:
- National Guard
SENATOR PARKER CALLS ON GOVERNOR FOR IMMEDIATE AID TO HAITI FOLLOWING TRAGIC EARTHQUAKE
Brooklyn, NY- Senator Parker released the following letter to Governor Paterson today in response to the increasingly devastating natural tragedy that shook Haiti yesterday. The letter calls for the Governor to deliver immediate aid to the people of Haiti who were struck by an overly destructive 7.0 magnitude earthquake yesterday afternoon at 4:40 p.m. The Senator’s district currently has one of the highest population of Haitian-Americans outside of Haiti, and it is understood that many of their families have been affected by the natural disaster.
“In this tragic time for Haiti’s people, we, as legislators, have a clear responsibility to help ensure the free and rapid delivery of humanitarian aid to the people who need it most. We must act now, before this crisis worsens. As New Yorkers, we understand the importance of acting decisively against the worst effects of any disaster. We must use our full arsenal of tools to reach out and assist our ailing neighbors and friends,” said Sen. Parker.
In the letter, Senator Parker recommends an opening of National Guard armories in neighborhoods of large Haitian populations to gather and coordinate charitable donations of supplies. Secondly, dispensing the New York National Guard Helicopter Services to transport these basic supplies to the affected areas in Haiti.
In the wake this unexpected disaster, Haiti is facing another crippling humanitarian crisis, and Senator Parker insist that the people of Haiti aren’t left hindered in their time of need. The damage and suffering from this earthquake has devastated the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Hundreds of thousands of Haitians are in need of immediate assistance, including water, food, clothing and shelter. This has only compounded the problems Haiti was already facing due to worldwide increases in food prices, which has left some 4 million Haitians struggling to provide for themselves and their families.
Reports claim that at least over one thousand people have died from the earthquakes .
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