Death and Devastation in Haiti: Again Hurricanes of History and Nature

Summary

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For most Americans, the state of Haiti and the life-conditions of its people are not high on the list of morally considerable and politically significant subjects, even though the U.S. has tied itself to Haitian history thru its own long history of embargoes, invasions, interventions, political isolation and coups. Indeed, a great part of Haiti's problems stem from its forced "relationship" with the U.S. Thus, even before the recent hurricanes of nature, die hurricanes of history and society, the savage, destructive and devastating realities of oppression, injustice, domination and wars of various and vicious kinds, had already left Haiti damaged and vulnerable, unable to readily confront and successfully cope with the hurricanes that arise from the sea and wreak havoc over the land. Note how even before the arrival of the storms, human rights advocates and groups had charged the U.S. with withholding money approved by the Inter-American Development Bank to repair and rebuild some of Haiti's water and sanitation systems and to provide clean drinking water to Haiti in order to compel Haiti's compliance with its wishes concerning the politics and economy of the country. Not only is this a violation of principles of nonintervention in the affairs of member states, it is again an immoral and inhuman act against the people of Haiti.

Much of the city was under water and an estimated 80% (240,000) of its residents were displaced. [...] hospitals, schools and other vital institutions were destroyed; crop fields were flooded and eroded, forecasting an increased problem of food adequacy and security in the future.

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Death and Devastation in Haiti: Again Hurricanes of History and Nature

The devastation is almost unimaginable, but in some ways reminiscent of Katrina, and yet so different from the damage done by Ike in Galveston. This is so not only because of the human casualties and general cost, but also because of the structured inadequacy of aid and a government without adequate capacity to intervene, to rescue th...

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