Haiti: A Neighbour in Need

Photo: UN Photo/Logan Abassi

Perhaps down the road, after years of rebuilding, the people of Haiti may see this event as the beginning of the rebirth of the Western Hemisphere's poorest state. Long considered the textbook case of a failed state, Haiti now has an opportunity to start over with a clean slate. After decades of dictators, rampant state corruption, and shoddy public planning, Haiti has one of the lowest standards of living in the world. This terrible disaster could be the catalyst for real change in the lives of Haitians.

What Needs to be Done

With all of the foreign aid that came in after the earthquake, Haitian officials now have a chance to turn things around and make Haiti prosperous once more. In the early to mid-19^th century, Haiti was the most developed land in the Caribbean, and its farmlands and textile mills exported goods all over the globe. More recently, Haiti has not been able to feed its own population and has had to rely on foreign aid to avoid catastrophe.

In the wake of the recent earthquake, significant contributions have come from the following national governments, not including sub-national governments, NGOs or private donations (as of Feb.17, 2010, all in US$)[1]:

European Union - $474 million

United States - $466.9 million

Canada - $130.7 million

Japan - $70.7 million

Saudi Arabia - $50 million

Brazil - $16.8 million

Australia - $13.4 million

South Korea - $10 million

China - $8 million

Italy - Forgave $55.7 million loan

Cuba - 30 field hospitals

Senegal - Free land for Haitian refugees

The problems in housing and transportation can be solved if the money is spent properly. The best start would be re-building Port-au-Prince altogether by creating proper roads and buildings that can withstand earthquakes. The vast shantytowns, bastions of danger and crime that have sprung up and steadily grown in the city's suburbs, should be bulldozed, and proper urban planning should take place. Proper city streets and blocks should be planned out with modern utilities serving public housing instead of the mess of infrastructure created by neglectful governments in the past.

Political instability has likely been the largest factor in Haiti's struggles as a nation. After years of broken promises, dictators, and military coups, the effect can be seen in Haiti's demographics[2]:

• Yearly GDP is less than US $1,300 per person (lowest in the Western Hemisphere)
• Life expectancy is 61 years
• Infant mortality is 60 deaths per 1,000 live births
• Literacy is 53%
• Inflation is 15.5%

Lack of education is also a problem, as only 15% of Haitian teachers are qualified by Canadian standards. A large percentage of children do not go to school at all. The hopelessness of the situation is such that many Haitians with the means to do so leave the country for places like France, the United States, Canada and African countries.

What Canada Can Do

"The best thing Canada can do is assist the Haitian people to rebuild, to 'make it right'."

-- Peter Goldring, "Rebuild Haiti and Make it Right"

Photo: US Army/Fred W. Baker III

There have been rumblings in the media recently about Canada taking the lead in international relief efforts for Haiti. Given the cultural and linguistic connections with Canadian francophone communities, and the fact that Canada's mission in Afghanistan is scheduled to end after 2011, Canada seems to be a natural choice to lead the efforts, as we have the resources available to help rebuild the country. It is doubtful that Haiti will need as strong of a military presence as Afghanistan, but the Canadian Forces' experience in overseeing the construction of roads, bridges, schools, and hospitals is valuable.

Canada could create job-training programs for Haitians and help them get work experience in Canada. The most obvious need would be in education, through training Haitian teachers at Canadian schools. The next priority would be opening up Canadian colleges and universities to Haitian students whose schools were destroyed in the earthquake. This way, Canada could help train the next generation of Haitian professionals: scientists, doctors, engineers, architects, bankers, civil servants, etc., who would succeed where their predecessors could not in helping the country make economic progress.

[1] As tracked by the Manchester Guardian.

[2] Source: CIA World Fact Book.

Related:

Miss Smartypants advised a reader to give some of their newfound money to charity.

Kevin Johns found out that Jesse Cook was influenced by Haitian music.

Michelle Crozier talked about what it takes to survive trauma

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

Write comment

Email Name		Title Comment smaller | bigger
		I have read and agree to the Terms of Usage. Write the displayed characters Add Comment