by Kym Luttermoser
16. January 2012
It has been two years since a 7.0 magnitude earthquake leveled large areas of Haiti, including much of the capital, Port-au-Prince. Since that time, despite billions of dollars of international donations and aid, there has been little headway made in recovery and reconstruction efforts. Many people complain that the government is at fault. The new president, former Carnival singer “Sweet Micky” Michel Martelly, was sworn in in May, promising to bring change to the country. Things are starting off slow, however. Fighting a parliament filled with his political opponents, it took him five months just to get a prime minister appointed.
The government in Haiti is certainly not known for its strength or integrity. This may be why, out of the billions of dollars of donations and aid that Haiti has received, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), private contractors and other non-state service providers have received 99 percent of that aid. Even before the earthquake NGOs provided much of Haiti’s healthcare and education. The strength of these NGOs has created what an article in The Huffington Post entitled “Is Haiti Doomed to Be the Republic of NGOs?” calls an “…alternative infrastructure for the provision of social services, creating little incentive for the government to build its capacity to deliver services.”
In a statement released marking the 2 year anniversary of the earthquake, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) special envoy to Haiti, Michaëlle Jean said, “The absence of laws and regulations to standardize construction works, for want of a provident government willing to use its authority to enforce standards, this is what made nearly 300,000 people dead.” It also seems to be playing a role in the slow pace of clean-up and reconstruction. The Huffington Post article proposes that the Haitian government (and the NGOs that are committed to supporting it) focus on core aspects of government including security, core infrastructure and legal and regulatory reforms. These are key areas that would greatly improve the chances of the country achieving a sustained recovery and perhaps less future dependence on NGOs.
I recall there being much talk immediately following the earthquake that this was a chance for Haiti to really rebuild itself, and its infrastructure, from the ground up. Two years later and it, unfortunately, is not looking promising. I know these things are not simple tasks, and that they take time. I hope that we can look back in two more years and say, “What a great job Haiti has done rebuilding itself!”
