Last week in New York, donors were asked to provide $11.5 billion to help Haiti recover from the devastating earthquake which hit on January 12th. Given the huge generosity of governments & individuals to date (the U.S. government has already provided more than $700 million in assistance — a number that continues to rise) — some might ask: why should we give more?
To these people, I have two answers: first, more is getting done than you may think; and second, more needs to be done than you can possibly imagine.
I’ve been Haiti for several very intense weeks now, and compared even to the other emergencies I’ve worked in (Afghanistan, Darfur & Gaza most recently) it is very plain that even with its charming idiosyncracies, Haiti is an extremely challenging place to work. The situation here was disastrous before this disaster ever occurred; the people of Haiti have been exploited and impoverished for the better part of 200 years.
What do you get when you combine that dreadful reality with a powerful earthquake in the country's overcrowded, under-resourced urban core? Logistical chaos. Relief efforts may not have been perfect – despite the genuine efforts of many agencies to coordinate aid effectively to reach the most stricken, it is clear that some have slipped through the cracks - but the obstacles such as a collapsed port, the serious loss of scarce qualified human resources, collapsed centres of government and response, a scattered population still suffering the effects of shock — have been extreme.
Still, great strides have been made. The United Nations and international aid groups are providing more than 1.2 million people in Port-au-Prince with clean water each day. Food is being distributed in massive quantities; the World Food Program estimates it has reached more than 4 million people since Jan. 12. The Haitian government announced that schools will reopen this week.
The donors who met in New York are grappling with how to help Haiti use this very tragic but pivotal moment in history to become something better — a viable state with a viable economy. I would encourage these donors to read the analysis of the quake's impact prepared by the Haitian government, the U.N. and other international organizations, and prepare to act boldly. Haitians know what they need, and I hope we will keep the faith and listen to them, working with them to build a future Haiti they can take pride in being a part of and we can take pride in helping into existence.
Large swaths of the population seek out a subsistence living in the country's vast, informal economy, selling anything they can get their hands on. But almost every Haitian would abandon that hand-to-mouth existence for a real job with a future. They need skills training, jobs and private-sector investment. Their children need education. All of them need affordable healthcare.
Today, Haiti must resurrect a middle economy that was lost many years ago. This would offer hundreds of thousands of decent-paying jobs — transforming a largely unskilled work force stuck at the bottom of the economic pyramid into a skilled work force. But Haitians need international assistance to make this possible. Industries such as clothing production, agriculture and tourism could be nurtured in both the provinces and Port au Prince so that Haitians can participate formally in a growing, vibrant grass-roots economy.
Perhaps the most difficult proposal to donors will be to bolster the Haitian government. Throughout Haitian governance during the last 50 years, many things have gone very wrong. But no country can make meaningful progress without well-resourced and functional government institutions. Next year sees a general election in Haiti, and the recovery effort looks likely to be a significant issue for debate, with competing visions from all sides of the political spectrum. Whoever the people of Haiti choose to lead them forward, it is important that foreign donors maintain faith and not seek to impose their own vision on Haiti. They should only stipulate that continued aid for recovery is dependent on a truly democratic and transparent election process, and on recovery plans delivering benefits accessibly to all Haitians, urban & rural, skilled & unskilled.
Haiti faces huge obstacles and a troubled history, but that should not make the international community shy away. If mold-breaking change is ever going to happen in Haiti, it will happen now, with all of us — Haitians, donors, the business sector, aid groups — focused on the end game of building the future that Haitians envision for themselves and deserve.
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