On the fourth anniversary of the earthquake in neighboring Haiti, today’s Diario Libre, Monday 13 January, focuses on key issues for long-term sustainability in Haiti and warns that forces within Haiti seem to be leaning towards exporting Haiti’s problems.
“It has been four years now since the devastating earthquake that destroyed many of the main cities in Haiti, including its capital. Despite the aid and the efforts of the people, Haiti has not yet gotten beyond clearing the rubble.
International aid has served to ensure that the Haitian people do not die of hunger and for one or two infrastructural works, but reconstruction is lacking in adequate planning, recovery is slower than expected and many families are still living in tents, too many families are still there.
The greatest danger, nonetheless, is the creation of a culture of survivors of international charity, who only see a solution of Haitian problems by exporting them to other nations.
Another major obstacle is the impossibility of reaching political agreements to meet the election calendar and give legitimacy to government.
We trust that the new energies of the Haitian private sector may be channeled to their objectives for collective good.”
Diario Libre reports that 146,000 Haitians still live in tents that should have lasted six months in 271 camps. In many cases, the latrines no longer work.
www.diariolibre.com/opinion/2014/01/13/i436791_hait-aos-despus.html
www.diariolibre.com/internacionales/2014/01/13/i436861_100-mil-siguen-refugios-por-sismo-hait.html