There is a real energy and vitality in the Haitian people. This, in tandem with a stable, functioning government and effective external support, is the real key to successful development
12 January 2012
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| Children inside their new GOAL-built shelter in Haiti |
More than 230,000 were killed in the disaster, and 1.5 million were left homeless, when the metropolitan area of the capital, Port-au-Prince, was reduced to rubble in a matter of minutes.
An outbreak of cholera, 10 months after the disaster, compounded further the misery, devastation and loss heaped upon the Haitian people. The cholera epidemic claimed close to another 7,000 lives.
Two years on, the world’s spotlight has shifted from Haiti, but many problems remain.
Soon after GOAL arrived, we distributed enough materials for 2,000 emergency shelters to families displaced from their homes. Later, as part of a €12 million US Government-funded response programme, we were able to provide 2,000 transitional shelters for another 10,000 people.
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| GOAL's Haiti Country Director, Derek Butler (centre) with two staff members at a new latrine built for children at a nearby school |
Despite this, and the equally worthwhile efforts of a number of other Irish NGOs, approximately 550,000 people are still living in temporary camps scattered across the capital, Port-au-Prince.
The scale of the Haiti disaster was massively exacerbated by very poor building standards used prior to the earthquake. In September 2010, another 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Christchurch, New Zealand. There were no fatalities. This indicates the degree to which poor building standards, bad siting, and the use of substandard materials contributes to the death and injury toll in an earthquake.
GOAL is now focused on helping some displaced communities rebuild their homes, with better construction methods and materials.
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| One of the many temporary camps still dotted around the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince |
Our motto is to support the Haitian people to ‘Build back Better’. We cannot help them to build western-style homes, but together we can provide basic homes that are safe and resistant to natural disasters, such as earthquakes and hurricanes.
Unfortunately, the Haitian people will have to live with the threat of cholera for at least a generation. The country has a very limited capacity to respond to future outbreaks.
GOAL is working to help communities find ways of keeping the disease at bay. However, funding for cholera response has almost disappeared, leaving Haiti very vulnerable to a secondary outbreak. The international community needs to remain focused on cholera, until long-term, sustainable solutions are put in place.
One of the potentially biggest problems facing Haiti is its weak government.
Following a long, controversial and protracted election process, a new government took office in October. Although the new regime has significant challenges to overcome, and a legacy of past political failures still haunts the country, the successful holding of an election is itself a positive step.
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| A GOAL national staff member hels to build one of our transitional shelters in Port-au-Prince |
Central also to the development of Haiti is support from the country’s elite. For Haiti to develop, those at the top of society need to believe that a better future can be delivered. If a stable and strong government is in place, the elite are far more likely to invest and actively participate in their country’s development.
While there is a lot to be concerned about in Haiti, there is also much that gives hope. Significant opportunities exist in the private sector, with markets for most products, and services currently underdeveloped.
Perhaps the biggest positive, however, is the Haitian people. In spite of many years of poor governance and economic abuse they remain stoic, proud and ready to grasp opportunity when provided. There is a real energy and vitality in the Haitian people. This, in tandem with a stable, functioning government and effective external support, is the real key to successful development.
In the meantime, with the continued support of the Irish people, GOAL will work to support Haiti’s most vulnerable.
- Derek Butler, Country Director for GOAL in Haiti.
For more information on GOAL's work in Haiti, please click here.