Yele Haiti's Wyclef Jean Urges Strong Call to Action as Six-Month Anniversary of Earthquake Approaches

A Nation Still Grieves as Wyclef Pushes for Progress Fast

NEW YORK, July 8, 2010 - It was just six months ago that the devastating Jan. 12 earthquake struck
Haiti and five-year-old NGO Yele Haiti moved the work of repairing and
restoring the nation from that disaster to the top of its agenda. Wyclef
Jean, founder of Yele Haiti, in a series of national opinion pieces
coinciding with the anniversary, is making strong calls to action to those
who can help as the conditions in Haiti worsen. Jean is asking the Interim
Haiti Recovery Commission to release US$150 million of pledged funds in the
next 90 days to carry out coherent public safety and security plans
addressing current violence, kidnappings, abductions, rapes and sexual abuse
rampant in the most vulnerable communities. He is also asking the commission
to release an additional US$150 million for rubble removal.

"I'm a warrior and can't stand by quietly while promises aren't kept. I
won't ever surrender," said Jean. "We've seen the situation, and we've been
listening to others on the ground. It's still bleak. Rubble and collapsed
buildings are everywhere." Also, in the next 120 days Jean would like to see
the commission's leaders, the United Nations and former Presidents Bush and
Clinton commit themselves to collecting the billions of dollars pledged by
the international community to the Haitian relief effort, making sure those
promises are converted into actual cash, to ensure Haiti's infrastructure is
rebuilt and the country is on track for a new destiny.

Yele Haiti is working on long-term goals that will require hands-on
effort for years to come. The organization's initiatives, such as sustainable
housing, schools, health clinics and agricultural communities, are well under
way and will allow Haitians to one day flourish independently. Yele Haiti
also continues to provide vital support to Haitians with daily supplies of
water and food to communities hit the hardest by the earthquake. Working
alongside community leaders in 34 tent camps across the country, Yele Haiti
understands the immediate needs of the people better than any other
organization on the ground.

Other new programs of Yele Haiti include:

Yele Vert. Yele Haiti partnered with Timberland this year to launch a
tree-planting program called Yele Vert. The first 100,000 trees have been
planted with the help of local farmers. (The country currently has less than
2 percent tree cover.) This month, the program will expand to six nurseries
that will grow 1 million trees a year. Yele and Timberland are also supplying
farmers with seed, fertilizer, tools and training to improve their crop
yields.

Yele Corps. This program was created to help provide jobs to nearly 1,000
people each day for months to come. The program not only employs local people
but also provides them with the vocational training they need for a better
future. The Corps participate in clean-up projects throughout the country and
serve on teams that distribute aid and materials provided by Yele.

Housing. In addition to the distribution of tents and tarps mentioned
above, Yele Haiti completed construction of two model temporary 12-by-12
wood-frame houses, which can be seen at its headquarters in La Plaine. The
organization is committed to building the first 100 units in the
Croix-des-Bouquets area.

Yele Clinic. Yele Haiti is building a medical clinic that will provide
primary and multi-specialty health care, with a central triage process to
quickly direct incoming patients according to need. The clinic will provide a
family practice program, including pediatrics, gynecology/obstetrics
(pregnancy, childbirth and postnatal care) and infectious-disease care, along
with minor surgery and physical therapy/rehabilitation. In addition,
psychological counseling will be provided. Construction of the clinic began
in April in two geodesic domes (each 44 feet in diameter) installed at Yele
headquarters in La Plaine.

ABOUT YELE HAITI

In 2005, Grammy Award-winning musician, humanitarian and good will
ambassador to Haiti Wyclef Jean founded Yele Haiti. It is a grassroots
movement that has built global awareness for Haiti while helping to sustain
the country through its short-term emergency relief efforts and long-term
programs in education, job creation, environment preservation, sports and the
arts. Yele Haiti is a U.S.-based nonprofit charitable organization with
tax-exempt 501(c)3 status. For more information, please visit
www.yele.org.

    Contact:
    Cindy Tanenbaum
    Euro RSCG Worldwide PR
    +1-917-538-1259
    cindy.tanenbaum@gmail.com

    Christina Gibson
    Euro RSCG Worldwide PR
    +1-212-367-6818
    Christina.gibson@eurorscg.com

Cindy Tanenbaum, +1-917-538-1259, cindy.tanenbaum at gmail.com, Christina Gibson, +1-212-367-6818, Christina.gibson at eurorscg.com, both of Euro RSCG Worldwide PR