The U.S. Human Rights Network extends its sympathies to all the victims of hurricane Katrina. In particular, the Network expresses its concern over the extreme vulnerability to the disaster of poor, mostly minority, residents in the affected areas. Such vulnerablity was, in large part, a consequence of an abject failure to protect the full range of human rights of those residents, in particular their economic and social rights. Those most affected were made vulnerable due to the systemic poverty in the region and had inadequate acccess to transportation or other alternatives for shelter in the face of the disaster. This was compounded by the authorities failure to even take into account the conditions of the poor and design a relief plan that would adequatly protect life and human dignity for all. The U.S. Human Rights Network also urges that the human rights of those internally displaced by the disaster be fully respected as required by the U.N. Guiding Principals on Internal Displacement. Humanitarian assitance must be given without discrimination of any kind and internally displaced people must be assured of their right to security and life, family reunifcation, medical services, essential food and potable water, basic shelter and housing, education, apropriate clothing, and essential medical services and sanitation. Additionally, authorities must, where possible, ensure that internally displaced persons are able to voluntarily, in safety and with dignity, return to their homes or places of habitual residence, or to resettle voluntarily in another part of the country. Finally, we urge authorities to respect the fundamental right to participation of victims in the decision-making processes and design of relief and resettlement efforts. The US Human Rights Network is made up of organizations and individuals working to bring the United States into compliance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other internationally recognized human rights instruments by applying the standards and principles within those instruments to domestic and foreign policy priorities.