Before the earthquake struck on 12 January Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince had inadequate infrastructure and was one of the poorest cities in the world. This has made providing emergency assistance all the more difficult. There is no lack of will on the part of the emergency community, but getting the supplies to the country and then safely distributed is proving frustratingly slow. In the meantime, the population of the capital is turning to increasingly desperate measures to survive. There have been growing reports of lootings and shootings around the capital.
It is arguably a case of "damned if you do, damned if you don't" for U.S. president Barack Obama as he weighs how to respond to the disaster. He has announced massive aid efforts for Haiti, but already concerns are being voiced domestically over whether this is affordable, and internationally over the underlying U.S. motivations. Had the United States held back, it would have faced accusations of callousness and excessive diplomatic and military focus on the fight against terrorism. The country was accused under George W. Bush of neglecting Latin America at the expense of other priorities. There is concern that once the world's media has moved on from Port-au-Prince U.S. efforts will quickly die away. Critics also argue that the initial commitment of US$100 million in aid, and 10,000 troops, is very modest next to the huge military operations in South Asia and the Middle East. Previous U.S. commitment to Haiti has been patchy, with close attention paid only in the wake of political crises or hurricanes.
From the excessive commitment perspective, there will be suspicion that the United States is largely acting out of self-interest. There are thousands of American citizens and a variety of business interests in Haiti, and there is also an influential Haitian population back home pushing for strong involvement. An even more chaotic Haiti—which is only 700 miles from Miami and the U.S. state of Florida—could moreover swell refugee numbers. The United States has a long history of close involvement in the country and it is undoubtedly keen to maintain influence there. The United States sent some 20,000 troops to Haiti in 1994 to restore Aristide to power, and was involved in his ousting in 2004, although the verdict on that intervention with hindsight is mixed at best. In other countries, such as Brazil, there is some concern that the United States is trying to limit their regional influence.
To his credit, Obama has acknowledged the diplomatic sensitivity of the situation and has emphasised the humanitarian efforts and played down any talk of political control. He points out that only the United States has the logistical resources to respond adequately to the crisis. In the longer term he has echoed Bill Clinton's assurances that the United States is determined to learn from past mistakes.
It remains difficult to obtain a proper picture of the situation on the ground in Haiti. News reports vary widely in tone—some focusing on lawlessness and mass looting, while others report that the situation is remarkably calm given the desperate circumstances. The situation is undeniably desperate, however, and it is vital that aid reaches the population much more effectively in the coming days. Only by achieving this, and providing adequate security, can the situation start to stabilise and longer-term recovery strategies be put in place. What is particularly frustrating about the situation is that prior to the earthquake there were rising hopes for an economic revival in Haiti. Tourism and garment manufacturing were seen as the most promising sectors, and while these have not necessarily been destroyed by the earthquake, investor confidence and the required operational infrastructure have been set back badly. There are reports that some of the garment manufacturers who had only recently set up business in Haiti have already relocated production elsewhere. Confidence will only recover if adequate security and stability is re-established. As the United States has stressed, it is vital that the Haitian government gets back on its feet rapidly and contains the instability that was already feared in the run-up to the February elections.
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28/03/2009| |
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