Haiti’s humanitarian crisis: an earthquake, a storm, and damage exacerbated by underlying issues
The island nation will require more than just foreign aid to recover and prevent another catastrophe
A month has passed since Haiti was struck by a devastating magnitude 7.2 earthquake on 14th August 2021. Tropical storm Grace followed in its wake, hindering rescue and recovery efforts. Needless to say, Haiti suffered immense damage as a result.
There have been 2,248 deaths and 12,763 serious injuries. 83,770 homes have suffered varying degrees of damage while 53,815 have been completely destroyed. More than 60 health facilities and 1,060 school buildings have been damaged or destroyed in affected areas. Economic losses are estimated to be at least USD 1.5 billion, about 10 % of the country’s GDP.
The above numbers are overwhelming, a clear indicator of a humanitarian crisis where thousands of Haitians have lost their livelihoods and been unable to meet their basic needs of shelter, healthcare, food, clean water and sanitation. But an even more disheartening number is 11. That is the number of years between Haiti’s last major earthquake and this one — years in which Haiti should have prepared to better tackle natural disasters.
What went wrong eleven years ago?
The 2010 quake killed more than 200,000 people, and a chief factor contributing to this heavy death toll was the country’s lack of preparation in terms of building safety, infrastructure and emergency planning. Bill Clinton, the US president who oversaw Haiti’s recovery, claimed that he wanted to fix those underlying weaknesses and help Haiti “build back better”.
The destruction caused by the latest earthquake has demonstrated the failure to achieve those promises. The 3.6 billion dollars of aid donated to Haiti back in 2010 made no significant difference in the long term — the country and its people remained just as poor and ill-equipped to handle natural disasters. To make matters worse, in the last 11 years, corruption has spiralled out of control, armed gangs have begun ruling the streets, and political turmoil has intensified, culminating in the assassination of Haitian president Jovenel Moïse in July 2021.
What are the obstacles to Haiti’s recovery this time around?
Last month’s earthquake inspired a global response once again, with NGOs operating in Haiti reporting an immediate outpouring of funding. While this is good news to start with, the problems begin here as well. An immediate concern is regarding aid delivery: gangs continue to patrol major transport routes, international freight carriers have raised costs, and snags related to Brexit and COVID-19 are causing lengthy air and shipping delays. These factors, coupled with access issues due to transport infrastructure having been damaged by the earthquake and the storm, are the reason why 54% of those who require humanitarian assistance still haven’t received it.
Another worry is whether the funding will continue in the longer term, the recovery phase during which Haiti needs to be rebuilt such that it is more resilient in the face of natural disasters. Funding is also needed for major investments that make the country self-sustainable and less reliant on foreign aid. The quake has struck when the world is grappling with a cacophony of crises — a famine in Ethiopia, long-term conflicts in the Middle East, and the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan causing desperate Afghans to flee — all in the backdrop of COVID-19. The competing demand for humanitarian funding will probably slow down and reduce the funding for Haiti’s recovery phase.
An additional key concern about recovery is where the aid money goes and how it is utilised. If there is anything to be learnt from the international community’s botched attempt at helping Haiti following the 2010 earthquake, it is that there needs to be greater transparency and accountability in the recovery process. It needs to be ensured that aid funds are not flowing into the private coffers of corrupt politicians or spent inefficiently, but rather used to the maximum benefit of those affected.
Furthermore, the island nation needs political stability in the coming years in order to ensure the continuity of recovery and development projects as well as a reduction of gang violence. Only with stability, good governance and future planning can Haiti achieve improved living standards for its citizens and withstand future climate catastrophes, which are only going to occur more frequently as per the IPCC report released earlier this year.
