How to Help Haiti By Jemima Pierre, Tanya Golash-Boza & Kevin Alexander Gray
Any expectation of corporate benevolence in the aftermath of the January 12 earthquake in Haiti quickly evaporated at the airport check-in. We were bringing in money and supplies, but we weren't part of an aid group recognized by Delta or American, so we were hit with additional baggage fees. At the suggestion of sympathetic airline employees, we evenly divided the supplies so that each bag was under fifty pounds. Nonetheless, four of us still had to hand over about $1,000 total for our additional baggage.
Haiti's Earthquake and Reconstruction Through the Eyes of Many
By Mark Schuller
First of all my sympathies to those in Chile who have lost their houses, their livelihoods, their family members, and their sense of stability. Last weekend's earthquake was unquestionably damaging. At 8.8 on the Richter scale, it was also almost a hundred times more powerful than January's quake in Haiti. Thankfully its epicenter was farther from large urban centers. Thankfully also Chile has slowly recovered from its violent coup d'état that ushered in a round of neoliberalism (In fact Chile was its first laboratory – U of Chicago economist Milton Friedman was the official economic advisor to dictator Augusto Pinochet just months after the coup). While Haiti fades from the headlines, the situation on the ground in Haiti remains urgent, as only a third of the survivors have their needs for a temporary dry shelter met.
HAITI: Experts Urge Sea Change in "Culture of Aid" By William Fisher
A delegation of human rights experts is preparing to visit Haiti to assess the human rights and aid situation in the earthquake-crippled nation and to urge the international community to follow a series of guidelines they have prepared to help donors' to "overcome the mistakes of the past."
Raising Up Another Haiti By Beverly Bell
As Haiti moves forward from the current point of devastation of its population, capital city and economy, what could a different nation look like? Who knows better than the Haitian majority? Why not ask them what they need and want?
Bill To Cancel Haiti's Debt Clears House Hurdle By Ryan Grim
A House subcommittee approved a measure on Thursday to press major international financial institutions to completely cancel all debts owed by Haiti, where a major earthquake devastated what little capacity Haiti had to pay the debts back.
Haitian Small Businesses Hurting: Is Aid To Blame? By Erica Liepmann
In the wake of the devastating earthquake that shook Haiti in January, international aid has been pouring into the island. Aid efforts organized by the United Nations, the U.S. and other countries have brought food, water and other supplies to earthquake survivors in need. While the nature of the disaster required that immediate response, now, almost two months later, the aid strategy hasn't changed. What cost does this type of aid have on Haitian business owners trying to get back on their feet after the earthquake?
Full Moon Over Haiti and Chile By Dady Chery
A remarkable aspect of the recent Haitian and Chilean earthquakes was the swift mobilization of military force to protect property instead of persons. In some long-ago world, maybe one of my imaginings, the well-muscled men in camouflage would have offered a hand instead of a gun. Watchers of New Orleans, Haiti, and Chile might well suspect that they are merely one disaster away from the full violence of their states.
Unnecessary Comparisons: Haiti and Chile By Martha St Jean
The two-month anniversary of the Haiti quake is fast approaching. The devastation is shocking. Hundreds of thousands are dead and wounded; over a million have been displaced. The tent cities and congested hospitals of Port-au-Prince are a reminder that Haiti's wounds are still fresh. Nevertheless, the transition to rebuilding has begun.
Relax the Caps for Haitian Visa Applicants By Jeffrey Kahn and Aaron Zelinsky
The two-month anniversary of the Haiti quake is fast approaching. The devastation is shocking. Hundreds of thousands are dead and wounded; over a million have been displaced. The tent cities and congested hospitals of Port-au-Prince are a reminder that Haiti's wounds are still fresh. Nevertheless, the transition to rebuilding has begun.
Mercenaries Circling Haiti By Bill Quigley
On March 9 and 10, there will be a Haiti conference in Miami for private military and security companies to showcase their services to governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) working in the earthquake devastated country.
Haiti: The Clock Is Set to Zero By Beverly Bell
We have to take advantage of this catastrophe and say, "The clock is set at zero." We have to build another Haiti that doesn't have anything to do with the Haiti we had before. A Haiti that is sovereign politically and that has food sovereignty. It has to begin by building agriculture.
The Western origins of Hati's 'curse' By Adele Webb
Haiti is a country that has seen unfathomable suffering, and has been at the epicenter of natural disasters in recent years. The poverty and powerlessness that is so widespread (even before the earthquake, three-quarters of Haitian people lived in poverty) left the people defenseless against the horrific events of 12 January. It's no wonder people are asking whether this nation is cursed.
Haiti: A New U.S. Occupation Disguised as Disaster Relief? By Arun Gupta
Official denials aside, the United States has embarked on a new military occupation of Haiti thinly cloaked as disaster relief. But what is the purpose of an occupation, the fourth in the past 100 years? The official response, from the Pentagon to the United Nations, was that more U.S. and UN troops were needed to provide "security and stability" to bring in aid. Leaving aside what is really meant by security and stability, the rapid military response was actually a major reason why aid was delayed. One week after the January 12 earthquake, Doctors Without Borders said 5 of its cargo flights carrying 85 tons of medical and relief supplies had been turned away from the Port-au-Prince airport, which was under U.S. military control.
Haiti's wounded long to heal By Scott Weinstein
For Elisa Zlami, the burden of her fractured leg just got heavier, literally. The day before, Marc, an ortho-tech at the General Hospital in Port-au-Prince, came immediately to her tent, "Post Op 3," after I asked him to "do something" about Elisa's old split cast that was causing her pain. Haiti's earthquake snapped her shin bone in two, and left an open wound that has finally healed.
Aid beyond Port-au-Prince By Judith De Los Santos
Huddled around the lantern's glow in the middle of the night, a group of teens rap lyrics to the beat of the tambora. The light reflects on their faces as they sing about the Haiti that is to come, a stark contrast to the rest of Haiti that remains dark.
A Future for Agriculture, A Future for Haiti By Beverly Bell "We plant but we can't produce or market. We plant but we have no food to eat. We want agriculture to improve so our country can live and so we peasants can live, too."
- Rilo Petit-homme, peasant organizer from St. Marc, Haiti
Key Year for Haitian Agriculture
Sowing season begins in Haiti with the arrival of March and 60 percent of the national food production generates from it. This is a key year for the country.
HAITI: Earthquake Epicentre Copes with Aftermath
Marie Saintus sat regally on a wicker chair in the narrow alley by her makeshift home at the Anacaona Stadium, in the middle of this once bucolic city, as she teased her neighbours.
Haitian Peasant Groups Offer Humanitarian Aid By Beverly Bell "Yon sèl dwèt pa manje kalalou," says Christroi Petit-homme, a member of a peasant farmer organization. You can't eat gumbo with one finger. Peasant groups throughout rural Haiti form the fingers of the hand, reaching out with humanitarian aid for those left bereft after the earthquake.
» Denis the Menace
Bill Clinton and Denis O'Brien said a couple of strange things while suggesting to the would-be masters of the universe gathered recently in Davos, that they should be investing big time in Haiti.
UPDATES: February 28, 2010
Cuba - Brazil and Haiti Sign Cooperation Agreements
Several cooperation agreements between Brazil and Haiti were signed in this capital, in the presence of the presidents of both nations, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva and Rene Preval, respectively. The documents, signed by ministers of the two countries, address the Brazilian complementation in this territory on the basis of scientific and technical cooperation in the fields of water resorces, agriculture and education.
Haiti: not just a natural disaster By Bill Mason
Haiti is one of the poorest country in the world, after years of imperialist exploitation and brutal dictatorships. Chronic underdevelopment laid the groundwork for the catastrophic death toll of some 200,000 people in the earthquake on January 12.
Why Chile's Stronger Earthquake Won't Be As Deadly As Haiti's
By Jeneen Interlandi
Yes, the quake that struck the coast of Chile this morning was about one hundred times stronger than the quake that devastated Port-Au-Prince in early January. But initial reports put the death toll in the very low three digits—120 as I'm writing this. And while that number is certain to climb in the hours and days ahead, no one is expecting the calamitous destruction and loss of life that we've seen in Haiti, where 230,000 are already dead. How can that be?
The Bloody Legacy of U.S. Intervention in Haiti By Will Soto
Following modern history's only successful slave revolution, the U.S. government refused to recognize Haiti upon its 1804 declaration of independence. This reflects the intense hostility of the U.S. (and the other big powers) to the Haitian Revolution and the mortal fear of its revolt spreading to slaves in the U.S and throughout the Americas. the United States did not recognize Haiti's independence until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War.
Haiti: "Post Disaster Needs Assessment" Whose Needs? Whose Assessment? By Beverly Bell
The Haitian government has been largely silent since the January 12 earthquake. Publicly, that is. Who knows what officials are saying behind closed doors to international governments and other donors? Citizens don't. They have heard from President René Préval about his personal losses from the quake - his shirts, his palace - but about little else, least of all about the substance of governmental plans for reconstruction.
Why Haiti is called a "predatory democracy" By Al Calloway Says
It is a well-documented historical fact that France and western Europe, the Vatican and the United States, used every conceivable means to destroy the new black republic of Haiti after it achieved its independence in 1804. The devices of this destruction included a global economic embargo, blockades and a demand from France for reparations to compensate for the loss of slaves, its plantation slave system and the wealth produced by the Trans-Atlantic African Slave Trade, which was a holocaust.
Could Haiti become the cornerstone for uniting the human family?
The world is still focused on Haiti which remains centre stage almost six weeks after being pulverized by a 7.0 earthquake. International response so far has been favourable, with humanitarian activities going on amidst the rubble, and Haiti relief concerts and fund-raising programmes being coordinated across the globe. But despite the moving images that we have been constantly bombarded with, I somehow get the impression that many people still cannot fathom the true depth of destruction, the agony and the life-threatening conditions under which these people now exist. The pictures do not and cannot convey the reality of their existence, even though they have served to popularize their poverty, as noted by one writer. It is not until you get there on the ground, that you can see and feel the suffering and hazards, and come to grips with what they are up against.
Brazil calls for cancellation of Haiti's debt
Visiting Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva Thursday called all creditor countries and agencies to write off Haiti's external debt so that the Caribbean country can apply for new loans to finance the reconstruction after the Jan. 12 devastating earthquake.
A New Haiti: Presented by Haitian Government, But Cooked Up by the 2004 Coup Cabal
The three musketeers, US, France, and Canada are settling in for the long haul, but there is one job that must be taken care of immediately before the true pillage of the country can commence– they have to get those Aristide-supporting Haitians out of Port-au-Prince, one way or another.
Killing Them Not So Softly: Aid Officials Want Haitians to Wait Out Rainy Season in Their Earthquake Damaged Homes
Last week aid officials and aid organization decided that tents are too expensive for homeless earthquake victims and recommended distribution of tarps instead — one tarp is to be distributed to each of an estimated 250,000 families. When this decision was announced, Haitians strongly objected because they know, with the rainy season, that tarps will do nothing to protect them from disease resulting from a lack of sanitation.
Removing the Veil: 'Taking Haiti' powerful look into U.S. occupation of nation By Omari J. Ho-Sang
The United States reigned in like a strategic step-parent to an unassuming, vulnerable and parentless child. The name was American paternalism and the game was and still is to this day, empire building or imperialism. Renda illustrates an interesting point on America's relationship with Haiti, the most interesting being it's unhealthy and parasitic nature. It was a sick father/child relationship that rendered the Haitian people blind in their own homes.
Securing Haiti By Andrew Crosby and Ajay Parasram Soldiers vs doctors in post-earthquake Haiti
Within hours of Haiti's devastating earthquake, Cuban doctors, Chinese search and rescue teams, and Venezuelan medical professionals were on the ground. When the US military took control of Port-au-Prince Airport, however, they prioritized landing soldiers instead of humanitarian supplies, according to humanitarian organizations like Medecins sans Frontières (MSF), and Amnesty International. The militarization of disaster relief has led to harsh condemnation of what critics call an American-led occupation of Haiti.
The Region...The Haitian catastrophe When will Haiti's travails end?
More than two hundred and thirty thousand people perished in the earthquake that erupted in Haiti at 16:53 h on Tuesday January 12. Haiti's worst in two hundred years, the earthquake had a 7.0 magnitude with its epicenter near to Léogâne, 25 km from the capital, Port-au-Prince. In the days following, 52 more aftershocks, each in excess of 4.5 magnitude, were recorded.
As New Leaders Emerge From the Camps in Haiti, Will Their Voices be Heard? By Coco McCabe
An estimated 230,000 lives lost; huge swaths of the capital destroyed; more than one million people homeless. Where in the sea of turmoil left by the January earthquake does Haiti begin to right itself? What are the first steps? Whenever I asked those questions during my recent field visit there, the answer was often a long sigh. So much in Haiti--its infrastructure, its educational system, its job markets--demanded attention before this disaster. Now the need is hyper acute. Where in the world do you start?
Collapsed House, No Number By Beverly Bell
"Collapsed house, no number" is an old expression that Haitians use to indicate that their flimsy homes of sticks and mud or shoddy concrete blocks have finally fallen apart. Today that expression could serve as the motto for the capital city of Port-au-Prince.
Haiti and the Aid Racket By Ashley Smith How NGOs are Profiting Off a Grave Situation
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that "more than 3 million people--one in every three Haitians--were severely affected by the earthquake, of whom 2 million need regular food aid. Over 1.1 million people are homeless, many of them still living under sheets and cardboard in makeshift camps. The government of Haiti estimates that at least 300,000 people were injured during the quake." So far, the relief effort has only managed to provide 270,000 people with basic shelters like tents. More than 1 million people still have little access to food and water and have to scrape by to find sustenance. Even worse, because the relief operation is so inefficient, Haitians report that some of the food spends so long at the airport that it is rotten by the time it gets to the hungry.
Haiti's long wait for assistance By Aljazeera
Since a deadly earthquake hit Haiti in January, hundreds of international aid agencies have flocked to provide relief. Nonetheless - much needed aid has failed to reach thousands of people. To solve the problem, the United Nations has been holding meetings between more than 300 relief groups in the country - aimed at improving delivery co-ordination efforts. And yet the UN's top relief co-ordinator has recently criticised his team in Haiti, saying it has been "disorganised and inefficient." Al Jazeera's Steve Chao reports from Port-au-Prince, where six weeks after the disaster, many Haitians say food and medical assistance are still in short supply.
Haiti As Seen Through Pan African Eyes By Tichaona Zindoga
Following the devastating earthquake that left over 200 000 people dead and destroyed almost everything in Haiti last month, the world was treated to eccentric Western hype about self-inflicted poverty, hopelessness and the heroism of foreign rescue efforts. The West, through its media, even justified the occupation of this second largest Caribbean Island, which they religiously touted as the "poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere".
Raising Up Another Haiti By Beverly Bell
As Haiti moves forward from the current point of devastation of its population, capitol city, and economy, what could a different nation look like? Who knows better than the Haitian majority? Why not ask them what they need and want? Their perspectives have been sorely lost from the post-earthquake plans of some of the world's strongest powers. Their analyses went unheard by the foreign ministers and financial institutions at the international donors meeting in Montreal on January 25. Their voices have been lost amidst the declarations of the International Monetary Fund, President Obama, and the leadership of the 32,500 troop-strong U.S. and U.N. military operation now underway.
Haiti: Let the Pontificating Begin By Stanley Lucas
The US State Department has put together several rebuilding scenarios and shared them with the Haitian Government. The French have a plan. The Canadians have a plan. The Haitian Diaspora are developing a plan. The World Bank, IMF and UN have plans. Economists are writing op-eds about what the plan should and should not include. Conferences and seminars are being convened to discuss myriad plans. Prominent development experts are advocating for a Marshall Plan and other are pointing out why that will not work. In short, there is a proliferation of pontification. Surely, there will be many areas of accord and many areas of discord. However, no one has addressed the central question the elephant in the room namely, who will decide which plan will go forward?
