A brief history of Haiti: how natural are “natural disasters”?

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.

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.

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?