“We estimate that between 2005 and 2010, nearly half a billion people escaped extreme hardship, as the total number of the world's poor fell to 878 million people. Never before in history have so many people been lifted out of poverty in such a short period.”

– Laurence Chandy and Geoffrey Gertz, in a Washington Post op-ed detailing the findings of their new Brookings Institution report entitled Poverty in Numbers: The Changing State of Global Poverty from 2005 to 2015

This week, the Senate unanimously passed a resolution (S.Res.26) recognizing the anniversary of the tragic earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010, honoring those who lost their lives in the disaster, and expressing continued solidarity with the Haitian people. InterAction commends the Senate for this official statement of support for the ongoing relief and recovery effort in Haiti and thanks the resolution’s co-sponsors for advancing it. Find the text and a complete list of co-sponsors by clicking here. A similar resolution (H.Res.35) has been introduced in the House by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA).

Furthermore, we are saddened to announce that Busi Langa is leaving InterAction for a position she recently accepted with DAI. In the interim, for any issues related to her portfolio, please contact Shana O’Brien (sobrien@interaction.org), who will be providing some transitional coverage until her replacement is on board. For urgent matters, please reach out to Todd Shelton directly at (202) 552-6544. Please join all of us in wishing Busi good luck in her future endeavors!

Please enjoy the rest of our shortened weekly update which includes a United Nations hearing summary, upcoming hearings and events, and articles of interest.