In recent years the small Caribbean nation of Haiti, has become almost indistinguishably associated with its tragic earthquake of 2010. The earthquake, measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale, occurred on January 12, 2010, with its epicenter about 15 miles west of the country’s capital Port-au-Prince. The results were absolutely devastating. The quake decimated the population, killing 316,000, injuring 300,000, and leaving 1,000,000 homeless. It also destroyed much of the country’s infrastructure, damaging roads, airports, hospitals, residences, and commercial buildings. All together, damages are believed to have exceeded $14 billion.
Sanitation conditions after the initial disaster were, and have remained a major issue. After the earthquake, morgue facilities were overwhelmed. For weeks, dead bodies lay by the thousands in the streets. In many cases, unidentified mass graves were dug or bodies were simply burned. The earthquake is also believed to have led to the rampant cholera outbreak that began in October of 2010. Since this time, the ongoing epidemic has killed almost 8,000 Haitians and has caused the hospitalization of thousands more.
Almost immediately preceding the earthquake, there was an overwhelming humanitarian response to the disaster. With two months, over $3 billion had been given or pledged by countries and organizations. Haiti, itself, was flooded by thousands of non-profit organizations from around the globe. Yet despite the intention, these NGOs may have actually added to the countries woe. As journalist Linda Pullman highlights in her book What’s Wrong with Humanitarian Aid: The Crisis Caravan, misunderstanding and mismanagement on the part of aid organizations often contributes to the chaos. MU French professor and Haitian scholar Valerie Kaussen, asserts that this was the case in post earthquake Haiti. Of the billions of dollars in aid, she states that only an estimated $1.5 billion as actually gotten to relief projects on the ground. Kaussen, who was there at the time of the disaster and throughout the rebuilding process, feels that there was a complete lack of coordination and communication. Many of the organizations were completely unfamiliar with the area. They did not possess the tools or the knowledge to act effectively and correctly link resources with need.
Perhaps the biggest issue with reconstruction in Haiti was the lack of Haitian participation. While the various organizations attempted to set up a cluster system to organize and work with each other, the Haitian government was largely left out of the loop. Only a few executives were involved in the meetings. Even then, these proceedings were conducted primarily in English, while the official languages of Haiti are French and Creole. According to Kaussen, the presence of so many foreign NGOs undermines the government and the security of the state. This is a sentiment that Pullman also expresses in her book. She explains that the Tutsi regime in Rwanda was unique in its ability to maintain power over these organizations and remove those that they saw as unhelpful.
As it stands, Haiti is facing a major dilemma. Many of the non-profits that have been in Haiti over the past three years are beginning to pull out. As few of these charities worked with the government, there will be no one to continue the work. Furthermore, the removal of aid and foreign investment will likely throw the economy into even greater turmoil. But despite the grave state of things, Kaussen asserts that the Haitian people will pull through will their enduring sense of spirit.
Sources:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/09/AR2010020904447.html)
http://www.myhaitianfoundation.com/quake.htm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/12/haiti-earthquake-recovery-2013_n_2451267.html
http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2010-02-17/news/36856782_1_haiti-quake-haiti-funds-quake-damage
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