Scenes of Devastion in Haiti

This week one story has dominated the news cycle - the horrible devastation of Haiti as the result of an earthquake. Right now, aid workers and citizens are beginning the long road to recovery with the help of international aid and military personnel. However, the plight of Haiti didn't begin here and recovery efforts will be hampered, to an even greater degree than in Indonesia, by the poverty and history of civil conflict that has made the country the poorest in Latin America. The question of how Haiti will move forward from here is a pressing one - the short answer is not without a huge outpouring of foreign assistance that will be maintained for years to come.

Why should the outside world care though? Haiti has had a messy past few decades and the US, UN and neighbouring countries have all intervened in governmental affairs. The latest incident was in 2004 when the US moved to oust the democratically elected dictator Aristide. Since then, the UN and Brazil have set up missions and peacekeeping forces, slowly beginning to stabilize the crushingly poor state. Haiti's poverty stems from several factors including a long history of unstable governance, poor infrastructure, desertification, heavy deforestation (which has meant erosion and flooding), and high levels of corruption.

At this point though, the need to aid millions without homes, proper sanitation or food is dire and the international community is right to act immediately and without reservation. Beyond obliging a sense of common humanity, leaving millions of people in such a state is a massive security risk. We are already seeing reports of violence surrounding aid drops, looting, massive exodus' into neighbouring states, and fears regarding escaped criminals. However, these concerns will soon be compounded if aid resources are not distributed efficiently, shelter is not built quickly and jobs not created. Aid agencies are already working under the assumption they will be completely supporting some Haitians for up to three years but even that's a daunting figure when considering the amount of work that will be needed to stabilize such an impoverished nation. Leaving it alone will lead to a failed state with rampant crime, corruption, poverty and ever growing populations of displace persons and refugees.

Interestingly, Canada is now considering fast-tracking some refugee claims from the country. Haitians already have a huge diaspora with some 100000 estimated to be in Canada, 600000 in the US and 800000 in the Dominican Republic. These numbers are unsurprising given the conditions in the country and the support of this community will be beneficial to a country brought to its knees so soon after achieving just a small measure of progress.

From the point of view of the UN, the Haitian earthquake has been personally devastating. The UN headquarters in Port-Au-Prince have been flattened and there are 46 UN workers dead with over 300 missing. In one good news story yesterday, a Danish UN worker was pulled from the ruined headquarters and is in stable condition. Hundreds of aid workers, including many from Canada, are now unlikely to be found alive. The high death rates of foreign nationals reflect the sheer amount of aid work that was going on before the earthquake and is a terrible reminder for many organizations, families and communities of the risks their members undertake on these missions.

Let us all hope that the current outpouring of support for the country will be enough to put it on the road to recovery and sustain it for the next several years as people rebuild their shattered lives. Let us also hope we will see improved coordination of the massive long term aid effort, even as thousands of troops from Canada, the US, and neighbouring states, land in Haiti. Disaster relief on this scale has rarely been seen.

Articles of interest on Haiti from:
- The Globe and Mail (Pictures, Articles, World Aid)
- The Economist (Why the World Must Respond)
- The Wall Street Journal (More Peacekeepers going to Haiti)