The distinction between these two kinds of crises is useful in understanding what types of humanitarian and political responses are appropriate to different kinds of emergencies; but it can also lead to an oversimplification of how natural disasters are presented and understood.

The 7.0 earthquake that rocked Haiti on January 12th was a geological phenomena that would have caused damage in any country.  But oversimplifying the events as a “natural disaster” alone conceals the complex political, social, demographic and economic conditions that contributed to the magnitude of destruction.

The human choices that contributed to this catastrophe are an essential part of how this story came to unfold in Haiti. In the onslaught of media coverage about  the earthquake, it is worth questioning how “natural” the disaster really is.

Photo Credit: BBC 2004

The reality that Haiti is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere has been regularly highlighted by journalists and aid workers, but what does this fact actually mean? The truth is that the structural inequalities in Haiti run far deeper than the foundations of it’s fallen buildings.

Two centuries ago, Haiti became the worlds first independent black republic following a rebellion that ended a brutal period of Spanish and French colonization and enslavement. A legacy of poverty, exploitation and political instability has continued to plague Haiti, and the consequences have been compounded by recurring natural disasters such as the 2008 hurricane, the 2004 and 2007 tropical storms and the 2004 floods which together have killed thousands.

Photo Credit: BBC 2004

Like most developing countries, there is an enormous gap between the rich and the poor in Haiti. Approximately half of country’s wealth is controlled by 1% of the french speaking population, while 80% of the Creole speaking population lives below the poverty line.

Over half of the population lives in conditions of abject poverty. A recent article in the Globe and Mail quotes pre-quake surveys showing that just over half of inhabitants had variable access to electricity, and only 1 in 5 residents had access to piped water in downtown Port-au-Prince.

Haiti’s political history is equally grim.  The country endured a brutal dictatorship under Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier and his son, Jean-Claude, or “Baby Doc” whose oppressive 29-year “kleptocracy”  killed thousands. American occupation, rebellion, UN intervention, and continuous military and foreign-backed “regime change” (most notably of democratically elected Jean-Bertrand Artiside), round out the recent political history of the country.

The economy has not fared much better. Haiti’s agricultural and manufacturing sectors have been adversely affected by corruption, mass deforestation, trade embargoes and unequal incorporation into global trade networks. Add on the imposition of neo-liberal economic reforms, debt repayments and weak or non-existent social security programs and you’re left with a series of seriously unfortunate human-induced events and a long list of responsible parties.  However just because Haiti has a history filled with political and economic challenges not not mean that the country is destined to remain fragile and poor.

Photo Credit: BBC 2004

It is easier to think of the crisis in Haiti as a result of an uncontrollable force of nature, but a closer look at the situation indicates that there is much more to the story. It is certainly simpler to talk about “rebuilding” Haiti back better- but how far will the Haitian government and the international community go to tackle the structural problems at the roots of this crisis to ensure that the outpouring of foreign aid  and assistance amount to more than a short-term band-aid solution?

Humanitarian values have long been associated with notions of solidarity and the impetus to save strangers and ameliorate their suffering. In crises such as natural disasters or complex emergencies, the motivation of humanitarian workers on the ground and those watching safely from home is often to “witness authentically the reality of humanity” and provide some type of support, be it medical, monetary or through other means. But when does “witnessing” trespass into voyeurism and violate the dignity of  those that we are seeking to help? Does image upon image of piled dead bodies actually increase our comprehension of the tragedy as it unfolds?

Photo: Globe and Mail

Does it do a disservice to the individual lives that were lost by displaying them in such an anonymous and desperate state?

Photo: Globe and Mail

Does it intrude on and exploit private moments of mourning?

Photo: Carel Pedre

Or as an earlier post argued- would failing to show such images be a censorship of the truth?

In 1997, Michael Ignatieff wrote the following about the media and the coverage of humanitarian catastrophes:

“On the one hand, television has contributed to the breakdown of the barriers of citizenship, religion, race, and geography that once divided our moral space into those we were responsible for and those who were beyond our ken. On the other hand, it makes us voyeurs of the suffering of others, tourists amid their landscapes of anguish. It brings us face-to-face with their fate, while obscuring the distances–social, economic, moral–that lie between us.”

The role of the media in human catastrophe’s has expanded as we gain 24 hour access to news and images on our TVs, computers and mobile phones. At times, the media’s role can be controversial and the position as a “documenter” of tragedy is not an enviable one. However the responsibility to consider the interests of the victims lies not only with those covering the story, but is an obligation that extends to us at home. It is important to familiarize ourselves with the context of Haiti beyond the earthquake and to ensure that when the next “big story” or disaster happens, our gaze and efforts are not averted from the developments unfolding there.

A recent article on the UK’s Guardian News website highlights the almost unfathomable statements made by a minority of individuals hoping to turn the crisis in Haiti into a political, religious, or publicity pay-day. Right-wing American radio host and so-called  “shock jock” Rush Limbaugh is alleged to have warned listeners against making donations to relief efforts in Haiti and is quoted as having made the following comments: “This [the earthquake] will play right into Obama’s hands…he’s humanitarian, compassionate. They’ll use this to burnish their, shall we say, credibility with the black community – both light-skinned and dark-skinned black community in this country. This is made to order for them.”

Shocking? Maybe. Ignorant? Yes.

Limbaugh challenges the accusations against him, claiming that his words were misconstrued. He argues that he actually said that people should make their donations outside the government because American citizens have, and will continue to provide aid to Haiti through their taxes. He later goes on to agree with statements that Haiti suffers from “progress-resistant” cultural influences including religious practices such as voodoo. Additionally, he states that poverty is a product of culture and concludes that President Obama is involved in a plan to end individual charitable giving.  Limbaugh maintains that he did not tell people not to donate, but states that “I did say find some way to do it other than giving to Obama, cause I know he’s going to eliminate the charitable deduction. He wants to wipe out individual charitable giving. He wants the government to be the go- to person for all charities. That’s the only reason you wipe out the deduction for charitable contributions.”

Limbaugh is not alone in expressing such views. There are others like him mobilizing specific constituencies by polarizing the discussion on the disaster and using inflammatory and divisive language. It is well within one’s rights to practice freedom of speech and challenge the status quo through the articulation of alternative narratives. It is quite another thing to capitalize on the suffering of others for fame and fortune. Where do we draw the line?

On his tv show, the American televangelist Pat Robertson claimed that the earthquake, and decades of instability and poverty in Haiti are the result of a the little known “pact with the devil” that he claims Haitians made in an effort to end French rule. The Guardian also refers to a Haitian diplomat making claims that the earthquake was caused by “witchcraft.”

Perhaps what is most disturbing about such inflammatory statements is not the obvious lack of factual accuracy or the demonstration of a complete absence of understanding the issues (that both are paid to share with millions of listeners). Manipulating catastrophe into an opportunity for personal gain is not only morally dubious, but is an assault on our shared humanity.  Such denigrating  comments do nothing to ameliorate the suffering of Haiti’s people.

The most recent entry on the Reports page of Ushahidi (the website name means “testimony” in Swahili) alerts readers that armed and masked robbers have just invaded an area in Delmas, Haiti. The author of the post asks for someone to call the police. This entry is one of 649 reports that have been posted on the website since the earthquake struck Haiti five days ago, and the number continues to grow.

Ushahidi is a free “Crowd Sourcing Crisis Information” website that uses citizen generated reports to aggregate information in political and natural emergencies. The website was developed through a collaboration of citizen journalists who wanted to map incidents of  political violence, and later the peace efforts that followed the 2008 Kenyan elections.  Information on the website is updated in real time which can be used to provide updates, call for help and facilitate crisis response.

Inside Haiti, people are able to submit new reports online and via other social media tools such as SMS, Facebook, radio and phone. These reports specify the location and time of  incidents such as collapsed structures, missing persons and dead body collection among many others. There is also a column indicating whether reports have been verified. The website’s Crisis Map claims to be “the most comprehensive and up-to- date crisis map available to the humanitarian community.”

We’ve embedded the Ushahdi Crisis Map on our website, and will be contributing reports to it from the ground in the coming days.

The  Map is coded with reports of Emergency, Threat, Vital Lines, Response, Person News, All Categories or Other, and provides near-real-time information for survivors and aid workers.The map and reports sections are mobilizing users of the site around activities as diverse as a drive for “survival kit” supplies taking place in Washington, DC., to notifications of under-utilized aid corridors that might help expedite the efforts of humanitarian agencies.

The following report was just made on the website:

Need help urgently – We have only received 4 patients by airlift so far. We have a full-service hospital w/2 ORs, a trauma team and an orthopaedic team standing on the ground waiting for patients! They can land helicopters. we have an ambulance. I IMPLORE your help with this! IMMEDI…ATELY! Hopital Sacre Coeur in Milot, Haiti- 904-223-723- 904-451-0003

There is enormous potential for this site to provide urgent information to aid in relief and rescue operations. Emergencies and missing persons can be reported to Ushahidi from within Haiti by Text: 4636  (International:447624802524) on Digicel with your location and need, or through these means:

By sending an email to haiti@ushahidi.com
By sending a tweet with the hashtag/s #haiti or #haitiquake
Filling this form

You can check out updates to the map here on our site, or at Ushahidi.com.

CBC "Missing Persons" gallery

TORONTO – Just 72 hours after the Earthquake hit Haiti, the country’s Interior Minister released new estimates that the death toll from the disaster could reach 200,000. Despite the widespread devastation and chaos, efforts remain focused on rescuing victims trapped under collapsed buildings and coordinating and distributing relief. While humanitarian action on the ground is expanding, so too are efforts by Canadians and other nationals to find information about missing relatives and friends affected by the disaster.

Social media tools such as Twitter, Facebook and Google applications are being utilized in unprecedented ways, not only to share information on the situation in Haiti, but also to assist in rescuing and reconnecting victims with loved ones.

One woman in Montreal was able to aid in the rescue of a man trapped under the rubble of his house after seeing a Facebook status from victim’s neighbour in Haiti alerting people to the situation and providing the man’s name and location. The Montrealer immediately got in contact with the Red Cross, CBC and CNN, and it was later confirmed by the Red Cross that the man had been rescued.

"Have you seen my grandfather?" From Twitpic

Twitter users have also been participating in grass-roots efforts to locate loved ones. One user of the social networking site posted a photo of her Grandfather who had been visiting Haiti, with the caption “Have You Seen My Grandfather” in hopes that he might be recognized by rescue workers.

On the Google Crisis Response page, the search engine has developed a “person finder” application that allows people who are searching for someone, or who have information about someone to share photos and details.

CBC has seen its Missing Person photo gallery grow from 20 pictures of missing Canadians to over 150 in 24 hours. Families and friends are asked to provide any information that may assist in the search for loved ones.

As the potential for social networking sites to mobilize crisis response is being tested, we are reminded of our interconnectedness as both global citizens and members of the online community.