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| OAS Assistant Secretary General elect Albert R. Ramdin. (PHOTO: Roberto Ribeiro-OAS/OEA) | |
WASHINGTON D.C., United States, April 11, 2008 - The Organisation of American States (OAS) has called for urgent, short-term assistance for Haiti, warning that unrest in the country over the rising cost of living could worsen.
Assistant General Secretary Albert Ramdin, who led an OAS delegation to the United States Congress to give a briefing on developments in Haiti, said there was an urgent need for short-term job-creation and poverty alleviation, particularly in the wake of the demonstrations this week
Ramdin said that unless something is done urgently, the situation could deteriorate even further.
He also suggested the need for some form of a social safety net.
Ramdin said that in order to secure the gains which his organisation has made in the country, the international community must help deliver some concrete "wins" on the ground.
The OAS team also stressed their support for temporary protected status for Haitian nationals living in the United States, and asked for congressional support to pass the Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act-II to promote economic development and investment in Haiti.
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