One year after a 7.0 earthquake reduce Haiti's capital to rubble, killing 222,000 and leaving 1.5 million residents homeless, the country continues to suffer.
The latest assault on the Haitians is a cholera epidemic spreading through the compromised population. According to Doctors without Borders, the cholera epidemic has sent 171,300 in search of treatment and killed 3,600 as of Jan. 1.
In addition to cholera, the million residents still living in tent cities are at risk of tuberculosis. Throughout Port-au-Prince, tents designed for two are housing groups as large as 10. Even those slightly more fortunate often live in tents no larger than 10 by 10 meters. Close quarters and unsanitary living conditions foster the spread of disease.
Tuberculosis was a problem in Haiti even before the earthquake. Haiti's TB rate is the highest in the western hemisphere at 312 cases per 100,000 residents. About 2.2 percent of Haiti's population is HIV positive, contributing to the high TB rate.
Haiti's infrastructure was virtually destroyed by the earthquake. The presidential palace was destroyed, as was the UN Headquarters, the airport main control tower, Petionville Hospital and the prison, among many other structures.
When the earthquake struck a year ago, the international community rose to the occasion with open wallets and plane loads of volunteers. Private individuals and organizations pledged $1.2 billion in aid, the U.S. government $1.1 billion, Canada $139 million, and the European Commission $100 million. Even small, poor and war-ravaged countries contributed. Kenya pledged $1,987, Madagascar $5,000, and Afghanistan $200,000.
The International Rescue Committee was one of the many organizations to help manage the emergency. IRC directly supports 100,000 Haitians in 30 different camps. Its cash-for-work program employs 2,000 Haitians to rebuild infrastructure with IRC provided resources and tools.
The Red Cross network was among the first to arrive on the scene after the earthquake struck and has maintained a consistent presence since. Red Cross has made transitional housing available for 150,000 and aided 220,000 with cash grants, micro-loans and small business investments. Red Cross also provides clean drinking water, latrines, emergency shelter and community based health services.
The past year has seen reports of struggles to get supplies delivered and red tape standing in the way of building. But throughout the frustrations, successes continued to bring hope to Haiti. Musician Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti collection effort broke charitable one-day donation records, one $5 texted donation at a time last January.
The Medical Director of the Prosthetics Outreach Foundation, Robert Veith, traveled to the Dominican Republic shortly after the earthquake to perform surgeries on Haitian patients. Typical of the selfless volunteers, Veith worked long hours, performing 10 to 15 procedures per day and often sleeping at the hospital. Upon hearing of the conditions he'd be facing, Veith used his own funds to purchase an autoclave before heading to Haiti.
At a U.S. State Dept. briefing marking the one-year anniversary of the Haiti earthquake, Cheryl Mills, counselor to Secretary Clinton, told reporters that the process of rebuilding is expected to take three to five years.
Julie Schindall, a OXFAM spokesperson, noted in an AFP interview that only a fraction of the $5.3 billion in international aid pledged to Haiti is being used toward reconstruction. Rebuilding efforts have also been hampered by Haiti's governmental inadequacies. Schindall said the Haitian government is not exerting necessary leadership in undertaking major construction projects.
The presidency is one more organization in chaos since the earthquake, one of many reasons leadership in the country is lacking. The political uncertainty worsened in November when a dispute arose as to the identity of the legitimate run-off candidates in the first of Haiti's two-round presidential elections. The Organization of American States convened an international panel of experts to determine who won. The panel recommended that Michel Martelly and Mirlande Manigot be certified for a January runoff.
President René Préval's government must decide whether to accept the recommendation and schedule the run-off election before Préval's term expires Feb. 7. There is tension surrounding the presidential elections, with political observers expressing fear of unrest, risking more instability for the vulnerable country as it struggles to regain its footing.
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