News – Page 88 – Haitian Island Ministries

On this second anniversary of the Haiti earthquake, this essay by Haitian blogger Ilio Durandis provides a useful perspective on Haiti’s recovery. It is reprinted here with his permission:

Now comes time for remembrance. What history will surely describe as the darkest day in Haitian history, in terms of lives lost and unfulfilled dreams, the destruction on Jan. 12, 2010 is something that no other generation should ever have to go through again.

The colossal earthquake that shook Haiti, which left behind a river of blood, an ocean of tears, a city turned into a necropolis and instantly paralyzed a whole nation, could never be forgotten. Its lessons should be engraved in the soul of every survivor, children of this land, and witnesses the world over. As humans, we are indeed very vulnerable. Not only to the malfeasance of our fellow brothers and sisters, but most certainly to the naked and powerful force of nature, especially when we neglect and abuse the latter.

It took less than 45 seconds for Haiti to lose 2.5 percent of its population, among them teachers, students, heads of household, future leaders, people who were not so famous, but yet played a vital role in giving hope to some unknown individuals. The loss on that day is still immeasurable. No statistics can do justice to the people afflicted by this tragedy.

Happy New Year, everyone!

The New Year began in Haiti like so many before it, with uncertainty. In a post on Reuters-Alertnet, Anastasia Moloney of Trust.Org says, “Almost two years after a massive earthquake hit the Haitian capital, Port Au Prince, reconstruction has barely started, with many aid agencies still focused on basic humanitarian needs and containing a cholera epidemic.” How very true that statement is.

To date (and this changes each day) there have been over 7,000 people die from a sickness that just over a year ago was never even considered in this country. And over 500,000 have been sick with it. Containing this killer is a top priority for anyone working there, not to mention the dangers of contracting it yourself.

The reasons why things are not moving any more quickly are as many as they are varied, including the cholera outbreak and political uncertainty. There are no clear titles to many pieces of land. Many records were lost and there are sometimes four or five people who will claim ownership to a piece of land. The American Red Cross refuses to build houses unless titles are clear, and who can blame them for that?

According to published reports, around half the estimated 10 million cubic meters (1 cubic meter equals 35.3 cubic feet) of rubble left by the earthquake has been cleared. One of the delays in clearing it is the lack of dump sites in and around the capital. This scarcity alone is hindering the reconstruction efforts.