Earthquake in Haiti last January left thousands of people homeless - again

On January 24th an earthquake hit the southwest of Haiti. The government does not seam to be helping, leaving for external organizations to do their job.

The country has always been vulnerable and fragile, where natural and human-induced hazards are a large possibility. It is shown to be the poorest country in Latin America and the Caribbean, with nearly 77% of people surviving off less than 2 euros per day. The country has always needed some aid, but now more than ever, they need their government to step up and take action. At least 60% of the population is unemployed, leaving the country very vulnerable to violence and criminality.

This earthquake in January was the second in six months and the latest of many to affect Haiti. It was one of the strongest, reaching a magnitude of 7.2. Able to completely destroy houses and even cities. The dysfunctional and poor government has not been helpful, they have offered no support for those who have lost homes and have been affected.

External Non-Governmental Organizations, however, have been attempting to improve this situation. Haiti is the largest recipient of EU humanitarian aid in Latin America and the Caribbean. They send money to the areas the country lacks, such as food crisis and housing.

Only in 2020, the UN lent 10 million euros for Haiti to stay abroad during the Covid-19 pandemic and launched two humanitarian aid bridges to encourage the people.

Some professionals argue that giving aid to a country with a dysfunctional country such as Haiti will cause more damage than anything else. By simply handing over help and keeping the country afloat, the government doesn't have to do much for the citizens… they get food, and they get housing, what else could a government offer other than jobs. A corrupt government such as in Haiti will take this opportunity to exploit and steal while remaining in power. This would lead to the country never developing and relying completely on external help.

On the other hand, it can be argued that we cannot simply ignore the people simply due to the government being unstable. Humanitarians express their beliefs that they deserve basic human rights, as anyone else, and are not to be blamed for their government’s lack of abilities, therefore this aid should not be stopped. If this were to suddenly stop, many people would be put in danger, left at risk of starvation and violence could have an enormous outbreak.

These are all questions and doubts seen in many other countries that also need external help to care for their citizens. There does not seem to be sway in any direction from any organizations, so the question remains. Should we be sending money to aid other countries?

by Ana Luiza Vianna

Works Cited

"Foreign Aid Has Done Little To Help Haiti". The Economist, 2022, https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2022/02/05/foreign-aid-has-done-little-to-help-haiti. Accessed 7 Oct 2022.

"Haiti Earthquake "Strange," Strongest In 200 Years". Science, 2022, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/100113-haiti-earthquake-red-cross. Accessed 7 Oct 2022.

“Civil Protection Humanitarian Aid – Haiti”. European Commissions, 2022, https://civil-protection-humanitarian-aid.ec.europa.eu/where/latin-america-and-caribbean/haiti_en#introduction. Accessed 7 Oct 2022.