AWARENESS
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Publications» Haiti, still a country on the brink. » Ten years on from the devastating earthquake that killed thousands of people and displaced millions, Haiti remains a country in turmoil...The natural disaster of a decade ago has been compounded by political unrest ever since, the recent assassination of the Haitian President Jovenel Moise once again focusing attention on a nation whose infrastructure and vital services never had the chance to recover. In what could only be described as a state of profound crisis, nearly all humanitarian aid organizations have made the difficult decision to leave Haiti against the backdrop of political and economic crisis, leaving health and other basic services on the brink of collapse. For many Haitians, daily life is precarious; there is a severe lack of the most basic medical services due to shortages of drugs, blood, fuel and qualified staff. Not to mention the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, issues such as out of control inflation, a lack of economic opportunities and violence erupting on the streets of Port Au Prince mean it is difficult to see a time when aid can once again be delivered. One organization still on the ground in Haiti is Medecin Sans Frontieres, running trauma hospitals, emergency centers and delivering treatment wherever they can to those unable to afford the extortionate costs of private healthcare. Their staff talks about the problems they face, delivering treatment in a country seemingly on the verge of chaos. Like the people they aim to help, many face real danger in reaching healthcare facilities or simply cannot due to a lack of fuel for travel, roadblocks and civil unrest. Despite these crippling conditions, MSF has been able to reopen a 50 bed trauma center in the Tabarre neighbourhood of the capital, Port Au Prince and is working hard to organise donations of medical equipment, materials, training local people and reopening other facilities closed due to looting, the risk of kidnappings, robberies and extortion. With large areas under the control of armed groups and territories shifting daily, many Haitians are trapped while many more are forced to flee when they are able, as many as 18,000 are currently displaced. Ten years ago, the spotlight was turned on the plight of the Haitian people in the wake of a devastating earthquake. Today, the people of Haiti and those trying to provide the essential services they need, in the most difficult of circumstances once again need the attention of the world to be focused on them and their plight. |
