Haiti: When luck runs out completely
by Nussaïbah Raja - January 20th, 2010
One week ago, the foundations of a whole country crumbled. For scientists, it was just a mere matter of plate tectonics, the usual mischief of the earth crust which simply cannot stay in one place, but for Haitians, it was the base of their whole existence that shook, sending ripples towards the unknown future of the Haitian generations to come, which some have already lost their rights to witness. The death toll increasing as we speak, one can only pray and hope for a miracle.
Figure 1. Map of Haiti (USGS, 2010)
Tuesday, 12th of January 2010, at 09:53:10 p.m. GMT: while the world were still enjoying the new decade, Haiti was celebrating its complete annihilation when it experienced an earthquake of magnitude 7.0 Mw on the MMS scale followed by aftershocks of magnitudes ranging from 5.0 M¬w to 5.9 Mw (USGS, 2010). While the total effects of the earthquake, becoming clearer with the days passing (The Economist, 2010), are still being evaluated, one thing is certain: nothing is going to be the same again. The most affected regions remain the capital, Port-au-Prince and its surroundings, south-west of which the epicenter of the earthquake is found (USGS, 2010); most of the infrastructure in the city have been “flattened” (The Economist, 2010) along with landmark buildings such as the Presidential Palace and the National Assembly building, but more importantly, thousands of lives have already been lost and new bodies are being still being discovered.
Figure 2. Damage experience by Haiti (UNAVCO, 2010)
The earthquake, a result of the motion of the Caribbean and North American plates, occurred in the plates’ boundary region, more specifically, in the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden fault zone (EPGFZ) located in southern Haiti (USGS, 2010), which accommodates nearly half of the motion of the above mentioned plates. The EPGFZ is believed to be the likely source of several violent earthquakes that have taken place in the past, however, such a high magnitude one had not been felt in the region since the 8.1 Mw¬ earthquake of 1946 which had been accompanied by destructive tsunamis as well (WHOI, 2005). Fortunately, this one had been far too inland to trigger any tsunamis (BBC, 2010) in the Caribbean region. Nevertheless, the tremors felt were powerful enough to be sensed “throughout Haiti and the Dominican Republic, in Turks and Caicos Islands, southeastern Cuba, eastern Jamaica, in parts of Puerto Rico and the Bahamas, and as far as Tampa, Florida and Caracas, Venezuela” (USGS, 2010, n/p).
Figure 3. Earthquake Location. Major Tectonic Boundaries: Subduction Zones -purple, Ridges -red and Transform Faults -green (USGS, 2010)
Haiti, branded as a failed state by the Economist (2009), was in no means prepared for this catastrophic event, though seismologists had ‘mentioned’ that the EPGFZ made the area vulnerable to earthquakes of low frequencies but of high magnitudes (Economist, 2010). The country, cursed by both its geographical and historical fate, is always being ravaged by tropical storms with the 2008 ones having left the country in a pitiful state and from which it was still recovering (Economist, 2010), had perhaps no other option than to wait for the countdown to reach zero. Haiti, a former French colony, has undergone very little progress since the wars in the early 19th century to drive the French away. It has remained an agrarian based economy which, in our ‘globalised’ world today, is found at the very bottom of the hierarchy. In addition, its political instability and the increasing crime rates have also help to lead the country towards self-destruction (BBC, 2009).
More than ever, Haiti seeks for international help. There is no definite death count yet, but “Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive said 100,000 would seem a minimum” (BBC, 2010, n/p). Still, saving lives remains the priority and the ‘disorder’ caused by the prisoners, escaped from the main prison now destroyed, is not helping. UN troops have been sent in to maintain law and order in the country and so have the Médecins Sans Frontières for the medical assistance needed. Other foundations and organizations are donating millions of dollars to come to the aid of Haitians who desperately need it (Economist, 2010). However, as a clearer picture of the aftermath of the earthquake can now be seen, it would seem that it is not over yet. Today the 20th of January 2010 at 11:03:44 a.m. GMT, a mere eight days after the major disaster, the country experienced an aftershock of 5.9 Mw (USGS, 2010). The effects of this aftershock are yet to be known.
It is not the earthquake that killed the people, it’s the crumbling buildings. Yes, they were not prepared to face this catastrophe, and they did go through a streak of bad luck with the hurricanes before. Maybe now they will have the opportunity to start afresh and reconstruct their nation.
Natural disasters have severe impacts no matter where they strike. But when such a devastating event hits a region already burdened by extreme poverty, a broken economy and a failing government, the implications become magnified intensely and in the tragic case of Haiti, threaten to break the fragile order of both society and the economy, once and for all.
The least developed nation in the western hemisphere, Haiti has always struggled to achieve the same success and prosperity that many other nations in the region have enjoyed. Besieged by years of endemic political corruption, military coups and an almost non-existent economy, Haiti statistically has a similar level of development to those of the most impoverished nations of sub-Saharan Africa. A lack of a strong educational system keeps Haitian citizens trapped in a society that had broken long before the earthquake destroyed all semblances of order.
Amidst the scenes of total devastation across the capital region, the enormity of the situation really hits home; Haiti has no base from which it can recover from this catastrophe on its own. The role played not just by foreign armies and international bodies in transporting supplies and managing the crumbling infrastructure, but also by the donations of countless individuals from across the world is vital in ensuring that, even after the main earthquake and its aftershocks have subsided, the human cost does not escalate even further and that those injured can seek shelter and medical treatment. Even the smallest amount donated will help to support Haiti in this, its darkest hour.
But as has happened so often in the past, there is a real danger that once the TV crews begin to leave, when the foreign aid and intervention comes trickles away, the country will be left alone once more; the chaos following the earthquake will become entrenched. Unlike previous regions to suffer from such disasters, the already struggling infrastructure may remain permanently disabled; the fragile apparatus of the state reduced to nothing more then rubble, never to be removed. Haiti is dependent upon foreign aid and has been for a significant amount of time.
In addition, however, to countries merely increasing their subsidies, there has to be a new foundation, both economically and politically in Haiti if the country is to develop and, hopefully one day, be able to stand on its own feet and join its neighbours as a strong and vibrant nation. But like so much of the world, real change is almost impossible to come by; politicians remain corrupt, economies remains stagnated, and countries still licking their wounds following the recession look unlikely to commit their already stretched resources into long term commitments to develop and support such nations. Change may eventually sweep Haiti though, out of the rubble, a shining phoenix may yet emerge. It is our role and responsibility to ensure that such a dream remains alive – in this world, no nation should be left behind.
Unlike someone who does not understand what he ‘reads’, I found this post full of information on how the earthquake happened, and a post on Haiti in general.
Something that no news station would telecast but still so crucial to understand what has happened.
Nus, you knew how and where to look for such accurate information and made this post so interesting. the true fact that Haiti happened to be a not so wealthy nation truly will have loads of difficulty and recently i heard on the news that the World bank has frozen the national debt for 5 years for Haiti. I recall watching ‘Quantum of Solace’ and saw the delabrated buildings, streets and poor people… it really made me realise that yes some countries still have a long way to go with regards to their economic situation.
I quite agree with Timi with regards to the comparason with some sub saharan countries. Yet continious Coups, civil unrest ,continious lack of health care and support from richer nations, nothing can be done.
Very informative post as usual, I love the referencing and wish you all the best and good continuation.
Keep Writing !!
Boomparwez