Haiti

Hello Everyone,

It's unfortunate that my first blog is about something so sad.  Such a sad catastrophe for such a sad country, which lies in the middle ofthe hurricane belt and subject to severe stormsfrom June to October; occasional flooding and earthquakes; periodicdroughts.  According to CIA facts,  the native Taino Amerindians - who inhabited the island of Hispaniolawhen it was discovered by COLUMBUS in 1492 - were virtually annihilatedby Spanish settlers within 25 years. In the early 17th century, theFrench established a presence on Hispaniola. In 1697, Spain ceded tothe French the western third of the island, which later became Haiti.The French colony, based on forestry and sugar-related industries,became one of the wealthiest in the Caribbean but only through theheavy importation of African slaves and considerable environmentaldegradation. In the late 18th century, Haiti's nearly half millionslaves revolted under Toussaint L'OUVERTURE. After a prolongedstruggle, Haiti became the first black republic to declare independencein 1804. The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti has beenplagued by political violence for most of its history. After an armedrebellion led to the forced resignation and exile of PresidentJean-Bertrand ARISTIDE in February 2004, an interim government tookoffice to organize new elections under the auspices of the UnitedNations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH).  Continued violenceand technical delays prompted repeated postponements, but Haiti finallydid inaugurate a democratically elected president and parliament in Mayof 2006.

Population was reported to be 9,035,536.  The major infectious diseases are:  food or water borne, which causes bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever.  Vector-borne diseases causes dengue fever and malaria, while water contact disease causes leptospirosis.  Haiti also ranks as the 38th country in the world that suffer many deaths from HIV/AIDS. 

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with 80% of thepopulation living under the poverty line and 54% in abject poverty.Two-thirds of all Haitians depend on the agricultural sector, mainlysmall-scale subsistence farming, and remain vulnerable to damage fromfrequent natural disasters, exacerbated by the country's widespreaddeforestation. While the economy has recovered in recent years,registering positive growth since 2005, four tropical storms in 2008severely damaged the transportation infrastructure and agriculturalsector. US economic engagement under the Haitian HemisphericOpportunity through Partnership Encouragement (HOPE) Act, passed inDecember 2006, has boosted apparel exports and investment by providingtariff-free access to the US. HOPE II, passed in October 2008, hasfurther improved the export environment for the apparel sector byextending preferences to 2018; the apparel sector accounts fortwo-thirds of Haitian exports and nearly one-tenth of GDP. Remittancesare the primary source of foreign exchange, equaling nearly a quarterof GDP and more than twice the earnings from exports. Haiti suffersfrom high inflation, a lack of investment because of insecurity andlimited infrastructure, and a severe trade deficit. In 2005, Haiti paidits arrears to the World Bank, paving the way for reengagement with theBank. Haiti is expected to receive debt forgiveness for about $525million of its debt through the Highly-Indebted Poor Country (HIPC)initiative by mid-2009. The government relies on formal internationaleconomic assistance for fiscal sustainability.  And then this...  2 powerful earthquakes within a week. 

We need to come together as a nation to offer as much charity to these people.  And I pray for everyone there, the Haitians, the rescuers, the survivors, the dead.  And especially the children...  this is a pain I feel in my gut, heart, and soul. 

Enough for now...  my heart aches just writing this.

Love,

Me