Our leaders are pledging to help Haiti rebuild. But there's one thing that could make enormous difference in the long-term: canceling Haiti's crushing debt.

Even before the earthquake, Haiti was weighed down by over $891 million in foreign debt. If these debts aren't canceled, Haiti will be sending tens of millions to the United States and other international lenders even as it struggles to rebuild.

Time is of the essence: leaders are meeting soon to decide on the amount of aid they'll give Haiti. And though the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said they will "work to cancel the debt," we need to put pressure on them to make sure they follow through immediately. The Haitian people can't wait.

Please sign our petition to the IMF Board of Directors:

"Haiti needs all of its scarce resources to help its people rebuild their lives – they should not be saddled with debt that will simply deepen poverty for generations. We call on you to ensure that earthquake aid to Haiti comes as grants, not loans, and to fulfill your promise to convert the $100 million IMF loan to a grant. We applaud your announcement that you will work to cancel Haiti's debt, but we urge you to follow through without delay and actually cancel the debt."