An aerial view of Port-au-Prince''s downtown area demonstrates the extent of damage inflicted by the powerful earthquake that hit the Haitian capital. Massive rebuilding efforts will be needed and the World Bank is already preparing for that phase of the Haiti relief. (UN Photo/Logan Abassi)

GEORGIA, United States, February 12, 2010 A US delegation to Haiti led by civil rights veteran Joe Beasley is calling for a US$30 billion restitution payment by France to help Haiti rebuild after the devastating January 12th earthquake, and the end of what Beasley refers to as an unofficial blockade of Haiti.

Beasley, 73, was part of a six-person delegation that travelled to Haiti just over a week after the 7.0-magnitude quake devastated the capital, Port-au-Prince.

"It's absolutely worse than anything I've ever seen before or been able to imagine in my mind," Beasley told IPS.

"One third of Port-au-Prince was destroyed," added delegation member Bruce McMillian. "There's homelessness and hunger everywhere. The US$30 billion could really put Haiti on path to being a prosperous, modern nation.

McMillian says the money should go to a special fund the government has established to receive foreign aid with the promise of complete transparency.

"We believe the NGOs in Haiti are just as much of the problem as they are the solution," he said. "According to certain officials in Haiti, only 20 percent of the aid sent to Haiti works its way down so it's actually reaching the people."

"It's our belief the Haitian people should control their own fate and destiny," he added.

Beasley and others say they are working to educate the US public about the situation in Haiti, particularly the political context that led to Haiti's extreme poverty.

"I think there are so many preconceived notions about Haiti that are negative and that need to be clarified," he noted. "I think this earthquake has provided us an opportunity to not only talk about the disaster, but to tell the truth about Haiti, the historical reality around Haiti and why it happened to be the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere." (Adapted from IPS)