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US Human Rights Network launches petition drive to promote government accountability to Katrina victims March 2, 2006 Contact: Ajamu Baraka, 404.588.9761 As the U.S. government and Gulf Coast officials have widely acknowledged, the response to Hurricane Katrina has continually failed to protect the rights of those most affected by the crisis. The reasons for this go well beyond disorganization or a lack of preparation, but rather underscore a fundamental lack of standards governing the rights and needs of Katrina’s victims. Marking six months since Katrina struck the Gulf Coast; the U.S. Human Rights Network (USHRN) today launched a petition drive to demand that the federal government and other decision-makers apply internationally recognized human rights standards in their response to such tragedies now and in the future. As Oxfam recently reported, 750,000 households remain displaced by the storm. More than 7,000 people in Louisiana and Mississippi alone have yet to find suitable housing, yet are facing eviction from hotels that could leave them homeless. Of the 50,000 homeowners in Mississippi whose residences were damaged by the storm, more than 35,000 lacked insurance; because of compensation restrictions, the poorest households in the affected areas may be permanently forced out of their communities as rebuilding proceeds. Thousands of others face continued obstacles to employment, medical care, education and other essentials. The international community, including the United States, recognizes the special category of internally displaced persons (IDPs), those who have been forced to leave their homes and communities by natural disasters, domestic strife or other factors but not crossed international borders. The rights of and obligations to the internally displaced are set forth in the United Nations Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement, which form the basis for U.S. policy abroad. As the U.S. Agency for International Development policy on aid to the internally displaced states, “IDPs should be granted the full security and protection provided under applicable norms of international human rights laws, international humanitarian law and national law.” The Guiding Principles hold that IDPs have a right to basic shelter and housing, education, and medical care; that their right to life, liberty and security is protected during their displacement; and that they should be able to fully participate in decisions about their future. Unfortunately, U.S. government action in the wake of Katrina has not conformed to these principles or been consistent with its response in similar instances overseas. With the petition drive, The USHRN hopes to leverage an understanding that ongoing relief efforts must be viewed in the context of adhering to the framework outlined in the Guiding Principles and providing meaningful opportunities for the displaced in the months and years to come. In addition to the application of international standards governing displaced persons to the Katrina survivors, the Network is also calling for the international community to recognize the survivors of Katrina as internally displaced persons who fall under the umbrella of the Guiding Principles, and to ensure that U.S. authorities respect and adhere to the spirit of those principles. For further information please contact Ajamu Baraka at 404.588.9761 or visit www.ushrnetwork.org. |