Haitian lives still to save

[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/01/24/t1.worldvision.haiti.tents.jpg caption="Right now, as more than a million people scrape by under tents, tarps, and bed sheets, Haiti's rainy season is about to begin." width=300 height=169]

George Rupp and Charles MacCormack
For The Huffington Post

The vision of suited diplomats and officials meeting in a conference hall doesn't exactly send tingles up the spine. But decisions made at the March 31 international donors' conference on Haiti in New York could literally mean the difference between life and death for the people of Haiti.

As media attention fades from the aftermath of the devastating January 12 earthquake, survival still hangs very much in the balance for many of the millions of Haitians affected. Right now, as more than a million people scrape by under tents, tarps, and bed sheets, Haiti's rainy season is about to begin. Within a couple months, hurricane season will follow - and some weather experts predict it will be a particularly harsh one.

As leaders of major international aid agencies on the ground in Haiti, we call upon international leaders to act boldly in New York. The donors' conference is the best hope to establish the leadership and resources needed to meet Haiti's urgent needs, while tackling the even more complex challenge of getting the devastated nation on track to manage and secure its own development.

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