Activists call for end to Haitian debt
IMF criticised for offering loans rather than grants
Campaigners across the world are calling for the total cancellation of all Haiti’s debts following the earthquake that has killed up to 200,000 people in the country. Christian Aid has launched a petition to the chancellor of the exchequer, Alistair Darling, urging him to push for full debt cancellation. They tell him that the UK can ‘lead the world by giving Haiti a fighting chance for the future’. However, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is under fire for extending further loans to Haiti. The Jubilee Debt Campaign (JDC) described the IMF’s decision as ‘completely inappropriate’, saying that Haiti needs grants, not loans. They added that IMF and similar institutions ‘bore a good degree of responsibility for the poor state of Haiti’s economy today’.
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