On Jan. 12, a massive earthquake centered in Haiti’s capital city, Port-Au-Prince, wrought monumental devastation and loss of life while bringing the country’s economic and political infrastructures to the brink of collapse. The earthquake registered 7.0 on the Richter scale. Built over a major fault line, Port-Au-Prince has always been geographically vulnerable to the possibility of earthquakes. But the country’s historically fragile economy has made for devastation beyond the predictions of any seismologist.
“Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere,” said Assistant Professor of Sociology and Anthropology María Amado. “It has been burdened by high external debt, burdened by the presence of dictatorial regimes that have been supported or ignored by the United States.”
The products of that poverty- unsound architecture and extreme congestion- have resulted in major loss of life. As of Jan. 25, ABC News reported an official death count of 150,000, with as many as two million displaced.
The presidential palace is also in ruins. Because of the nation’s lack of resources, Haiti has been largely dependent on foreign aid in the relief efforts following the earthquake.
Groups such as the United Nation’s Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) and the international group, Doctors Without Borders, have been vital in providing medical assistance where hospitals have been destroyed and supplies exhausted. The situation has necessitated cooperation between foreign aid groups in the efforts to rebuild Haiti.
President Obama responded to the disaster with plans to donate $100 million towards Haiti’s reconstruction. The United States sent 2,600 troops on the ground and 10,300 in offshore ships, according to the Washington Post. The U.S. military has been active in distributing supplies and searching for survivors. After the first 10 days of searching however, survivors were deemed unlikely.
But hope is not lost.
As rescue efforts end, the country is turning its focus to the millions of homeless Haitians who are erecting tent cities over the rubble. According to the Toronto Star, land is being cleared for the construction of refugee camps slated to develop into suburbs outside Port-Au-Prince within the next few years.
For some however, like Latin American history professor Alvis Dunn, there is a concern that the demolition of Port-Au-Prince has been received internationally as a chance to re-do a failed country.
“There are people who are seeing this earthquake as an opportunity. That God came along and bulldozed Haiti,” said Dunn. “That the earthquake has eased population pressures, demolished slums, and cut down on unemployment. I am wary of thinking that way. That is too much for me to stomach.”
For Amado, the proper response to Haiti’s earthquake is to acknowledge the country’s complex and troubled colonial history. Criticizing the media coverage of the disaster as one-dimensional, Amado wished to call attention to the steps Haitians themselves are initiating for their country’s recovery.
“Now that Haiti has attained this visibility, the media needs to put Haiti on the historical map,” she said. “We have to understand who Haitians are, as well as how they have been portrayed and victimized throughout history.”
Although Haiti needs money and manpower to rebuild, Amado suggests that only a holistic approach by both Haitians and international aid workers will effect positive change for the country’s future.