Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Chairman of its Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, and Narcotics Affairs, released the following statement today on the devastating storms that have swept through the Caribbean in recent days:

“My thoughts and prayers are with those throughout the Caribbean, particularly in Haiti and Cuba, whose lives have been devastated by the multiple blows of Tropical Storms Fay and Hanna and Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.  Preliminary estimates indicate that well over a million people have been evacuated and many more are without power, food or shelter.  The death toll in Haiti is already in the hundreds and is certain to rise.

“USAID has mobilized quickly to aid storm victims in Haiti, already pledging $10 million at this early stage.  The State Department’s offer to release $100,000 in emergency assistance in Cuba is a step in the right direction, but many Cuban-Americans eager to provide aid to families and friends on the island are unable to because of severe restrictions put in place by the Bush Administration. 

“The Administration should immediately ease restrictions on food donations, remittances and family travel to Cuba, so that we can mobilize the generous spirit of countless Americans wanting to help their neighbors.”

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