Kris Broughton
+ FollowHaiti is Still Hurting
Months after the news crews descended on Haiti, the country continues its slow climb from beneath the rubble of the horrific earthquake that leveled its capital. Are the promises we made being kept? Is the Haitian government functioning? How much progress has been made on the arduous clean-up effort that is necessary before any serious rebuilding projects can begin?
Attention has waned just as Sens. Kerry and Bob Corker, R-Tenn., have proposed increasing U.S. aid to Haiti to $3.5 billion over the next five years. When hearing about the proposal, Americans seem concerned, and skeptical, about significant aid to Haiti.
“We’ve been there for a hundred years,” said 63-year-old James White from Maryland. “After the quake, it was tragic, but our response was fine. Now it’s time to be out of there.”
Stephanie Cole, a 47-year-old nurse visiting D.C. from Fresno, Calif., said, “There’s so much going on. How do you decide where to give? There’s Haiti, Chile, now we’re giving to Greece through the IMF. But what are we doing here? That’s the question I guess. Do we take care of the world, or not?”
Steven Kull, director of the Center on Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland, says these types of questions are not unusual for Americans to be asking. His center studies public opinion on issues such as foreign aid.
Essay: Despite Strong Talk, Interest in Haiti Is Waning AOL News
I get an email two or three times a month from Emily Troutman, one of my internet buddies, and the author of the excerpt above, who has been in Haiti for some time. Emily is a photographer from Baltimore whose work has catapulted her to national prominence recently as a U.N. Citizen Ambassador. She also writes a column for America Online that describes her experiences on the ground in Haiti these past few months. I’m bringing this all up because as wound up as I was about the media portrayal of Haiti and its citizens in the aftermath of the massive earthquake that leveled Port-au-Prince, the nation’s capital, the reality is, I have put the plight of Haiti’s hundreds of thousands of dispossessed citizens on the proverbial back burner, the same way a lot of other people have.
Billions of dollars in aid have been pledged by governments around the world to help Haiti begin to rebuild. Every major politician and celebrity, and many minor ones, have made a pilgrimage to the island nation. Non-Governmental Organizations – NGO’s- have sprouted like wildflowers across the metropolitan area. The country’s president has gone from hero to zero right on schedule. And of course, the obligatory scandals involving volunteers or activists whose motives are sometimes less than honorable have come and gone.
And now, not even six months later, the words “Gulf Coast” have replaced “Haiti earthquake”, even though Haiti is still hurting.
Which is why I should be thankful to have a friend like Emily, whose emails and articles keep the pilot light lit under that back burner I’ve sat Haiti on in my mind.
More on Politic365
One Response to Haiti is Still Hurting
Leave a Reply
Featured
Connect
Washington Informer
Advertisement
