Reaching relief to Haitians
Sunday, 17 January 2010
Last Tuesday’s 7.0 Richter earthquake hitting Haiti, known as the most impoverished nation in the western hemisphere, flattened much of its capital Port au Prince, killing and maiming thousands and leaving around 300,000 more without shelter. Although international efforts to reach rescue and relief teams to the most affected areas have been reasonably quick, the logistical nightmare was such that only a trickle could get through by the fifth day. Reports say huge amounts of badly needed supplies were clogging the international airport but appropriate lifting equipment was nowhere in sight, either to transport the relief materials or to shift the rubble to save lives and prevent disease. The stench of death filled the air as despairing and angry survivors tried to locate their near and dear with their bare hands. Some looting for provisions, followed by gunshots, was also reported, which was not really unexpected, given the terrible plight of the survivors.
Even in normal times, this beleagured country of some nine million people, is ill-equipped to deal with ordinary disasters like tropical storms, flooding and the like. Now the ‘apocalyptic’ earthquake, feared to have affected some three million people, has compounded its miseries manifold. Friday’s rough aerial assessment was that some areas have suffered 50 per cent destruction, including poor areas as well as pockets of relative wealth. Even the Presidential palace came down like a pack of cards, leaving the shaken president miraculously unharmed. While an earthquake of such magnitude is strong enough to wreck the kind of disaster it has, those who are aware of the graft-ridden socio-political system see a clear link between corruption and the ‘easy’ destruction of concrete structures. Builders must surely have compromised on construction materials, a condemnable practice well known in Bangladesh as well. Should a similar calamity strike the capital in this country the post-quake scenario would not be any better.
Haiti’s most serious ‘normal’ problem, it may be mentioned, is the deep-seated socio-economic divide, the huge wealth gap between the Creole-speaking black majority and the French-speaking minority, about one per cent of whom own nearly half the national wealth. The poor and powerless, obviously are the most affected in this instance also. The United Nations has been most pro-active and has already mobilized the minimum basic nutrition to feed a substantial number for a few months. But the emergency is far too huge and frustration and anger is bound to increase. Given the enormity of the problem at hand the Cuban government’s authorization to fly in medical evacuation flights from the US naval station at Guantanomo Bay to Miami, Florida, through Cuban airspace, cutting at least three hours of flight time on a round trip, is certainly the right thing to do. The US President Barack Obama has lost no time with an impressive humanitarian move, But those who know how US ‘interests’ over the years have been instrumental in making a bad situation worse for the Caribbean nation, find it rather ironical that former Presidents George W Bush and Bill Clinton should be put in charge of raising funds for Haitians. According to one food security analyst, who likened the recent global mobilization of massive relief for Haiti as ‘disaster capitalism’, the US is to be blamed for pauperizing the people of this country. During the Reagan era, Haitian farmers who used to grow their own food, and were fairly food secure, were driven out by unfair competition with highly subsidized American farmers. Today it is monoculture for multinational companies that Haitian farms produce. All countries that are vulnerable to big power influences of one kind or the other ought to beware of such traps. Be that as it may, it is hoped the people of Haiti can be helped to get back on their feet fast enough and reconstruction and rehabilitation benefits the neediest and in the most transparent and accountable manner.
Even in normal times, this beleagured country of some nine million people, is ill-equipped to deal with ordinary disasters like tropical storms, flooding and the like. Now the ‘apocalyptic’ earthquake, feared to have affected some three million people, has compounded its miseries manifold. Friday’s rough aerial assessment was that some areas have suffered 50 per cent destruction, including poor areas as well as pockets of relative wealth. Even the Presidential palace came down like a pack of cards, leaving the shaken president miraculously unharmed. While an earthquake of such magnitude is strong enough to wreck the kind of disaster it has, those who are aware of the graft-ridden socio-political system see a clear link between corruption and the ‘easy’ destruction of concrete structures. Builders must surely have compromised on construction materials, a condemnable practice well known in Bangladesh as well. Should a similar calamity strike the capital in this country the post-quake scenario would not be any better.
Haiti’s most serious ‘normal’ problem, it may be mentioned, is the deep-seated socio-economic divide, the huge wealth gap between the Creole-speaking black majority and the French-speaking minority, about one per cent of whom own nearly half the national wealth. The poor and powerless, obviously are the most affected in this instance also. The United Nations has been most pro-active and has already mobilized the minimum basic nutrition to feed a substantial number for a few months. But the emergency is far too huge and frustration and anger is bound to increase. Given the enormity of the problem at hand the Cuban government’s authorization to fly in medical evacuation flights from the US naval station at Guantanomo Bay to Miami, Florida, through Cuban airspace, cutting at least three hours of flight time on a round trip, is certainly the right thing to do. The US President Barack Obama has lost no time with an impressive humanitarian move, But those who know how US ‘interests’ over the years have been instrumental in making a bad situation worse for the Caribbean nation, find it rather ironical that former Presidents George W Bush and Bill Clinton should be put in charge of raising funds for Haitians. According to one food security analyst, who likened the recent global mobilization of massive relief for Haiti as ‘disaster capitalism’, the US is to be blamed for pauperizing the people of this country. During the Reagan era, Haitian farmers who used to grow their own food, and were fairly food secure, were driven out by unfair competition with highly subsidized American farmers. Today it is monoculture for multinational companies that Haitian farms produce. All countries that are vulnerable to big power influences of one kind or the other ought to beware of such traps. Be that as it may, it is hoped the people of Haiti can be helped to get back on their feet fast enough and reconstruction and rehabilitation benefits the neediest and in the most transparent and accountable manner.