The news from Haiti makes my heart sink. The earthquake is an unprecedented natural disaster, but the suffering is also the results of decades of human disaster. Haiti’s ability to help the third of its population that are affected is limited by its poverty and lack of infrastructure. As the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, it was dependent on foreign aid before the earthquake, and now it is dependent on foreign aid to respond to the earthquake.
The reasons for Haiti’s poverty are complex, but many of them are not innocent. Foreign involvement on the island has not only been about providing aid. The American military has occupied the country twice, and has been accused of aiding paramilitaries there more than once. The only period during which there was substantial foreign investment was during the reign of the Duvalier family, who acted as dictators, violating human rights of citizens and plundering the country for 30 years. In fact, when the last Duvalier was ousted and a democratically elected president came to power – that was when the US decided to slap sanctions on the impoverished country.
Some of this history can be found in the books by Paul Farmer, and a book profiling him by Tracy Kidder ‘Mountains Beyond Mountains.’ Paul Farmer is one of my personal heroes. He began working in Haiti decades ago, bringing quality health care to the poor. He founded the organizations Partners in Health, which provides HIV/AIDS, TB and other care to impoverished communities around the world. He also speaks and writes prolifically about structural violence, human rights and social justice. He is not afraid of a little controversy. As someone who has spent a lot of time researching health policy, HIV/AIDS and international responses, I have remained convinced that Partners in Health does it best.
Partners in Health is now accepting donations in order to continue to help the people in Haiti recover from the most recent disaster. They are not just flying in because they know that is where the aid dollars will be pouring. They have been there for decades and will be there for decades. They will continue to do their best to provide the best care to those in need – and I will lift my heart by contributing to their efforts.
