Haiti's Earthquake Nightmare Made Worse by Poverty: Why Is Haiti so Poor?
Posted: Thursday, January 14, 2010
by Mogama
http://www.mogama.info
The 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit Haiti on Tuesday, January 12 was the worst the island nation has seen in 200 years. There is no official death toll yet, but estimates range from 50,000 to 100,000, or worse. The only good news so far is that relief has started pouring in from nations and organizations. Also, Christian organizations like Compassion International and Samaritan's Purse are already on the ground in Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital. As many churches will do, our church intends to send relief for our Haitian neighbors.
While the international community responds to this heart-wrenching loss of lives, some pundits are using the tragedy to explore the reasons why the destruction was so massive. The short answer is Haiti's widespread poverty. From 2008 estimates, 80 percent of Haitians live below the poverty level; 54 percent live in abject poverty. Because Haiti is so poor, buildings and other infrastructure fall below the standard needed to withstand a major earthquake.
Not only did abject poverty magnify the devastation of the earthquake, poverty also makes it pathetically more difficult for Haitians to recover survivors who may lie beneath the rubble. Most Haitians have to use bare hands to dig through the debris in search of loved ones. They do not have basic equipment that would be common place in a more developed society facing a similar disaster. And delivering relief and equipment to needed areas will be slowed by the lack of reliable roads and airstrips.
In a natural disaster like this, a nation typically starts mobilizing its resources while it appeals for help. But due to poverty, the government of Haiti is almost 100 dependent on foreign assistance to help its own earthquake victims. So nearly all aids for rescue, recovery and reconstruction will have to come from elsewhere.
If poverty is the reason for the high impact of the earthquake, then people want to know why Haiti remains one of the poorest nations in the world, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere? Conjectures abound as to why Haiti totes the poverty trophy.
The racial explanation: 95 percent of Haitians are black, and blacks are not capable of governing a nation to prosperity. Some draw a link from Haiti to American states with black governors, or cities with black mayors. Why not throw in teams with black coaches? Besides the ridiculously racist stench of this thinking, it fails to acknowledge successful nations like Ghana and the Bahamas, which are run by Africans.
The religious explanation: Currently echoed by televangelist Pat Robertson, this view says Haitians made a "deal with the devil" in their struggle for independence from France. The freedom fighters essentially pledged the nation to serve Satan if he helped them gain independence. Until Haitians denounce this pact, the spell of poverty cannot be broken. Pat Robertson did not invent this thinking. In fact, a prominent Haitian Christian leader appeared on TBN few years ago and publicly spelled out the details of Haiti's deal with the devil. This spiritual leader, who tied the devilish treaty to Haitian Voodoo religion, asked for and received prayers that same night to break Satan's stranglehold on Haiti. Obviously those prayers failed to prevent the 7.0 earthquake, considered by the religionists as the latest manifestation of Satan's curse on Haiti.
The ecological explanation: Experts say Haiti is the most deforested nation in the Western Hemisphere. Loose soil with very little root system can suffer catastrophic impact from a natural disaster like an earthquake.
The political explanation: Perhaps the most sensible reason for Haiti's poverty is the absence of a stable regime for any length of time. Haiti has been plagued by political and military turmoil. This discourages economic growth coupled with quality education that can develop the country's human resources and empower the people to climb out of the abyss of poverty. With a stable and trustworthy government, Haiti could attract investors and develop a tourism industry that is common to Caribbean nations like Jamaica, the Bahamas, Aruba, the Dominican Republic, et al.
Contrast the Dominican Republic that is located on Hispaniola, the same island that Haiti occupies. The two nations are like night and day, but the difference is that the Dominican Republic has a reliable government. GDP for Dominicans is $44.716 billion, with a per capita of $4,952, compared to Haiti's GDP of $11.570 billion and a per capita of $1,317. That's about 25% of the Dominicans.
Let's hope that one good permanent outcome of Haiti's earthquake will be for the country to work with concerned nations to build a stable government for a vibrant economy that will maximize Haitians' potential and talent.
Not only did abject poverty magnify the devastation of the earthquake, poverty also makes it pathetically more difficult for Haitians to recover survivors who may lie beneath the rubble. Most Haitians have to use bare hands to dig through the debris in search of loved ones. They do not have basic equipment that would be common place in a more developed society facing a similar disaster. And delivering relief and equipment to needed areas will be slowed by the lack of reliable roads and airstrips.
In a natural disaster like this, a nation typically starts mobilizing its resources while it appeals for help. But due to poverty, the government of Haiti is almost 100 dependent on foreign assistance to help its own earthquake victims. So nearly all aids for rescue, recovery and reconstruction will have to come from elsewhere.
If poverty is the reason for the high impact of the earthquake, then people want to know why Haiti remains one of the poorest nations in the world, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere? Conjectures abound as to why Haiti totes the poverty trophy.
The racial explanation: 95 percent of Haitians are black, and blacks are not capable of governing a nation to prosperity. Some draw a link from Haiti to American states with black governors, or cities with black mayors. Why not throw in teams with black coaches? Besides the ridiculously racist stench of this thinking, it fails to acknowledge successful nations like Ghana and the Bahamas, which are run by Africans.
The religious explanation: Currently echoed by televangelist Pat Robertson, this view says Haitians made a "deal with the devil" in their struggle for independence from France. The freedom fighters essentially pledged the nation to serve Satan if he helped them gain independence. Until Haitians denounce this pact, the spell of poverty cannot be broken. Pat Robertson did not invent this thinking. In fact, a prominent Haitian Christian leader appeared on TBN few years ago and publicly spelled out the details of Haiti's deal with the devil. This spiritual leader, who tied the devilish treaty to Haitian Voodoo religion, asked for and received prayers that same night to break Satan's stranglehold on Haiti. Obviously those prayers failed to prevent the 7.0 earthquake, considered by the religionists as the latest manifestation of Satan's curse on Haiti.
The ecological explanation: Experts say Haiti is the most deforested nation in the Western Hemisphere. Loose soil with very little root system can suffer catastrophic impact from a natural disaster like an earthquake.
The political explanation: Perhaps the most sensible reason for Haiti's poverty is the absence of a stable regime for any length of time. Haiti has been plagued by political and military turmoil. This discourages economic growth coupled with quality education that can develop the country's human resources and empower the people to climb out of the abyss of poverty. With a stable and trustworthy government, Haiti could attract investors and develop a tourism industry that is common to Caribbean nations like Jamaica, the Bahamas, Aruba, the Dominican Republic, et al.
Contrast the Dominican Republic that is located on Hispaniola, the same island that Haiti occupies. The two nations are like night and day, but the difference is that the Dominican Republic has a reliable government. GDP for Dominicans is $44.716 billion, with a per capita of $4,952, compared to Haiti's GDP of $11.570 billion and a per capita of $1,317. That's about 25% of the Dominicans.
Let's hope that one good permanent outcome of Haiti's earthquake will be for the country to work with concerned nations to build a stable government for a vibrant economy that will maximize Haitians' potential and talent.
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Top-level comments on this article: (8 total)In the end its a catastrophe of mind blowing proportions and they surely need our help and prayers!Please log in to respond to this comment.Indeed, suffering Haitians truly need what we can give. Thanks much for your comment. ~mogama~Please log in to respond to this comment.
This certainly provides a lot of food for thought ~ I am glad I stopped by to read your article before a breakaway. It's hard to rid oneself of the hollow feeling in the pit of the stomach over all this tragedy. Blessings! SuzyPlease log in to respond to this comment.Thank you, Suzy, for your comment. ~mogama~Please log in to respond to this comment.
Erik Klingenberg: HOLIER THAN THOU HITLERS-A RESPONSE TO LIMBAUGH'S AND ROBERTSON'S FOLLYWell Ladies and Gentlemen...They've done it again. Rush Limbaugh has shown his usual ignorant racist attitude, this time criticizing President Obama's response towards the earthquake disater in Haiti. This man has no scruples, no feelings and no grip on any kind of reality. He advises his mentally challenged horde of worshippers not to contribute to relief for the victims of this disaster because he doesn't trust that the contributed funds will really reach those in need. Right Rush, the Red Cross is going to give all the money to President Obama (of course, he'll spend it on treats for the White House dog), the United Nations is going to funnel away the relief aid to the black market and the Mafia. Are you serious? Meanwhile he sits on his stinking fat ass and his dripping millions of dollars, behind the walls of his EIB Network (which,by the way, stands for the Excrement Ignorance Bull$%&*@$%& Network) and does nothing. Damn, even the ex Presidents Bush (father & son) and Clinton have gotten active in raising funds and aid for the stricken population of Haiti. But not old bumbling Rush.And just when you think that such idiocy couldn't possibly be topped, out comes that demented distributer of God's word and opinion, that bible-babbling Pat Robertson, with the brilliant assessment that blames the disaster on Haiti having "made a pact with the devil." He also thinks the earthquake could be a "blessing in disguise." My God, there are tons of people who believe this crap. And that is exactly what it is. PURE CRAP. It stinks so bad I can smell it all the way over here...At Thursday's White House press briefing, press secretary Robert Gibbs was asked to react to Robertson's reading of history. He didn't hesitate. He remarked, "It never ceases to amaze (that) in times of amazing human suffering somebody says something that could be so utterly stupid."About Limbaugh, Gibbs added "I don't know how anybody could sit where he does, having enjoyed the success that he has, and not feel some measure of sorrow for what has happened in Haiti. I think to use the power of your pulpit to try to convince those not to help their brothers and sisters is sad."Sad? It is downright pathetic. But what can one expect from such God loving, God fearing Right Wing Christian Americans. God is on their side. Yeah, right. But let me tell you Pat (and Rush), it might just be the Devil whispering in your ear.Yes, indeed. America, take a good long and critical look - what do Robertson and Limbaugh really look like, and should they have anyone take them seriously? Anyone with a sense of rightousness, justice, compassion and awareness will see these idiots for what they really are. Small minded, self-serving, egotistical, biased, racist fear mongers, or worse.WAKE UP AMERICA!! These men and the others (and there are many) like them are the Facists of the modern world. They are the HOLIER THAN THOU HITLERS who are determined to take your freedom and your rights away under the guise of their self-righteous egotistical world view. Beware, these people and such organizations as Fox News are the NEW AMERICAN GESTAPO. They will stop at nothing to obtain power.Rush, Pat, your own God will judge you someday. And just the other day he whispered in my ear that you guys are toast...Please log in to respond to this comment.I can see you are really upset... ~mogama~Please log in to respond to this comment.
I hate it when religious people say that a disaster was deserved. They said that about New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina too. As if anyone deserves such a tragedy!Please log in to respond to this comment.Yes, Lily, I agree with you..."religious people" can be very mean and callous. What's really said is that Pat Robertson doesn't even realize that Jesus Christ would have never responded to the suffering and deaths of Haitians by blaming their "pact with the devil". ~mogama~Please log in to respond to this comment.
I feel as though my insides have been ripped asunder and I can't watch the news about this event without wanting to rush down there to do something. This is the end-all of disasters that, hopefully, will enable Haiti to recover and prosper. They will need help, and I hope America will be on the front line of that help. Forget the cost and the weight we might have to carry for awhile: is it not worth it? Of course it is.Thanks for sharing this article, Mogama. Very well done.Please log in to respond to this comment.I feel the same way, Michael. I have never seen anything this horribly gut-wrenching in my entire, and I have seen a lot of suffering. ~mogama~Please log in to respond to this comment.
My former roommate from Youth With a Mission and her hubby run the YWAM base on Haiti and have for years - their e-mails after this tragedy are most incredible... Good article Mogama! MarijoPlease log in to respond to this comment.Thanks, Marijo, for commenting. May God bless your friends who have touched lives of Haitians in Jesus' name. ~mogama~Please log in to respond to this comment.
Another good article. May I spread the news?Please log in to respond to this comment.Thanks, Marcia, for reading. Yes, spread the news by sharing the link to the article. Or get SearchWarp's permission to copy and paste, since this article is posted as exclusive to SearchWarp. Thanks for your support. ~mogama~Please log in to respond to this comment.
why was haiti's government so bad im studying this but i can't find a discription anywherePlease log in to respond to this comment.I do wish you well on your research on Haiti. ~mogama~Please log in to respond to this comment.
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