The IMF has announced it will cancel Haiti's $268m debt, handing our Drop Haiti's Debt campaign one of its biggest successes yet.
In the immediate aftermath of January's earthquake, thousands of Christian Aid supporters joined millions around the world in a call for the cancellation of the country's debts to help it recover from the earthquake.
The IMF's announcement on 22 July, along with its agreement to loan Haiti a further $60m, hands a real boost to the country as it seeks to rebuild – and marks a great victory for our campaigners.
Our fastest-growing campaign ever
In the two weeks between its launch and our hand-in to the then Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, the Drop Haiti's Debt petition became Christian Aid’s fastest-growing campaign action ever.
More than 15,000 people signed online at an average of more than a thousand a day, with hundreds more responses to our national newspaper ads.
And with Christian Aid's Haiti earthquake appeal raising more than £6m, it all adds up to an overwhelming show of support for the people of Haiti.
After the campaign, Venezuela cancelled its debt worth $295m. The Inter-American Development Bank then cancelled $441m of debt owed by Haiti.
In March 2010, Haiti’s debt to the World Bank, worth $39m, was cancelled.
The IMF's announcement came in the wake of a communiqué in which it stated: 'We look forward to consideration by the Fund of proposals for providing exceptional debt relief to countries hit by catastrophic disasters and, in that context, to joining international efforts to relieve Haiti’s debt.'
Useful link
BBC IMF cancels Haiti's debt
