An article recently appeared in the New York Times entitled “What Haiti Needs Right Now”. This article discusses the graveness of the consequences of the earthquake, especially the monetary effort needed to put in in order to improve reconstruct Haiti. An estimated 800 million has already gone to Haitian government so that it may provide at least some relief for its citizens, and now it is said by the U.N that “this is only half of the 1.5 billion which Haiti needs in order to get through the next year.” I remember hearing something similar on the ten o’clock news, and was simply baffled by the number which the Haitian government requested in aid. The problem is, as the article puts, the possible corruption and that funds may stray from the use they were intended for. The majority of Haiti’s citizens are African-Americans, and Haiti was always considered an underdeveloped country. Sadly the rates of corruption in similar countries do seem to be higher. Incidents where the government would deny its citizens aid are known also in underdeveloped African nations. I remember watching a documentary on how various humanitarian efforts were made to provide food and clothing to poorer countries in Africa, and to those people who are really struggling to survive. I can’t recall exactly the name of the film, but know it had to do with the G8. What was most shocking, is that the people were filmed receiving all these donated goods distributed to them through military-style officials, but once they thought the cameras were turned off, we can see those things being snatched away! This is horrible! In Haiti’s case- aid must be provided if the nation is to recover, since this natural disaster delivered a final blast to the already struggling economy (and this term does not compare to the struggling economy in the U.S- it’s far worse). It is just unfortunate that there is the possibility that the citizens of Haiti, who as racial minorities have endured a lot of hardship in the past, may have a chance of not fully receiving the necessary assistance for their survival in this rough time.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/17/opinion/17sat1.html?ref=opinion
