As part of its strategy to support Haiti in the country’s efforts to rebuild after an earthquake killed more than 230,000 people and left more than 1 million homeless six months ago, the International Monetary Fund agreed to cancel the island nation’s debt of $286 million. BBC
Tags: debt, Haiti
The U.S. bishops have approved funding for 10 more projects in quake-stricken Haiti, bringing the total amount of aid sent by the conference to over $1 million, assording to Zenit.
After the 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit the island in January, a special collection in U.S. dioceses raised more than $80 million for Haiti. The Subcommittee on the Church in Latin American of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which is administering the funds, met this week to approve funding for projects that total $212,700.
“We are doing our best to ensure that the funds donated are used for reliable projects that will provide tangible relief for ordinary Catholics in Haiti,” said Haitian-American Auxiliary Bishop Guy Sansaricq of Brooklyn and a member of the Advisory Group for Haiti.
The projects include funding for a truck for the Diocese of Jacmel that will remove rubble from Church premises, a grant to train religious personnel and seminarians and adult literacy programs in the Diocese of Port-de-Paix, as well as evangelization programs.
Cardinal Sean O’Malley, the archbishop of Boston and member of the advisory group, said that during visits to Haiti after the earthquake he “constantly assured the people of the Church that we will be with them in the long run.”