The attached article gives an extremely honest look at the current conditions in Haiti:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/20/world/americas/20haiti.html?ref=world
Poor Sanitation in Haiti’s Camps Adds Disease Risk, by Simon Romero
Over winter break, the world was heartbroken by the events in Haiti, now, more than a month later, we are still struggling to help one of the world’s most impoverished countries deal with the destruction. I suspect this recovery will take years. To make matters worst, living conditions for the displaced are “pathetic” and authorities are having trouble managing human waste. Some speculate that a Cholera outbreak is inevitable, and in a country that already suffers from a shortage of doctors (yet a surplus of those in need of medical attention). Doctors are currently seeing a sudden spike in Typhoid and Shigellosis also caused by this accumulation of waste. Many foreign doctors have already left (despite Haiti’s desperate need for medical assistance) because they fear getting sick. “The problem has become impossible to overlook in many districts of Port-au-Prince, with the stench of decomposing bodies replaced by that of excrement.” The rainy season will only amplify these problems (with increased outbreaks of mosquito-borne Dengue and Malaria) and to make matters worse Haiti doesn’t have a single sewage treatment plant.
Haiti has nothing to give in return to those nations currently offering assistance. But it is only reasonable that nations (especially world powers) should help countries such as Haiti in their time of need. If for no other reason than for public relation's sake (as we discussed in class) the United States must help. However, do to lack of organization and the great extend of the destruction, nations offering assistance have only been able to make an insignificant dent in the seemingly endless destruction that hit Haiti.
While I agree that it is extremely important to get aid to Haiti, I think it is worthwhile to realize that Haiti was under dire conditions before the Earthquake, and that the fundamental lack of structure in Haiti is a huge reason why the aid that is being provided in Haiti is not getting to the people that need it.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, because Haiti has such a poor structure and impoverished people, I believe that the nations contributing, in particular Western world powers, will take this opportunity to impose their democratic and political ideals on Haiti. It will be interesting to see how this situation plays out, and to what extent Haiti will bend in order to continue to receive aid.
This is a good point gmarcon, Haiti was an extremely ill equipped nation when it came to dealing with an earthquake of this magnitude, their extreme poverty and lacking infrastructure exacerbated the tragic aftermath and that is exactly what this article illustrates. I point this out in my analysis when I explain how Haiti doesn't have a single sewage treatment plant. More so, they have very few hospitals and minimal medical supplies. Doctors didn't leave only because they feared getting ill, but also because there simply weren't the medical supplies necessary to make their presence worth-while. Good point!
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