With people around the world remembering the one year anniversary of the Haiti earthquake this week, there have been some great articles written that discuss the rebuilding efforts and the challenges that surround it.
Here's a great article on the "spiritual temperature" of the nation:
I am in Haiti with Pastor James MacDonald and Churches Helping Churches on the one year anniversary of the quake. We are hosting a church service in front of what remains of the Capitol for at least 50,000 people according to radio reports. The city remains in ruins and hundreds of thousands of people remain homeless. Most Americans cannot fathom the degree of poverty and complete lack of infrastructure and resources. On top of that, the average person has only a 3rd grade education.
Over a million people in and around Port Au Prince are living in tents, many of them simply made out of old tarps. Haiti literally needs everything and a government that can plan long term as this is not a short fix. The talk on the street among the people is a mounting sense of frustration with the lack of government, but it is not yet turning angry or violent. Amidst of this, the sweetness of the people is amazing. With next to no functioning government military or police force there is peace and kindness among the vast majority of people despite the fact their is garbage everywhere, piles of building rubble remain, virtually nothing is getting rebuilt, and they are bathing with buckets of water in tent cities.
The spiritual response in Haiti has been incredible. The pastors are reporting that more people are becoming Christians, attending church, praying etc than ever before. Because people are so displaced getting accurate data is impossible but many credible leaders say Haiti is experiencing a revival. Many church buildings were destroyed so congregations are meeting outside and organizations like ours are building new structures to meet in. The streets are filled with people carrying Bibles, singing songs to Jesus, and in the tent cities covering the parks a night impoverished homeless people gather to spend the night singing worship songs filling the air with a sweetness and joy that one would not expect."
Here's one from the BBC:
"One year on from the earthquake that devastated Haiti, the massive aid effort has yet to bring stability to the country as cholera, rape and despair take hold.
Some $11bn (£7bn) worth of aid has been pledged to the country over the next 10 years, but much of that money has yet to arrive following concerns about government corruption and ongoing riots after November's disputed election.
In the centre of Port-au-Prince, the presidential palace still lies in ruins.You can read the whole article here.
What was a large, green open space just beyond the palace grounds is nothing but a sea of tents.
After all this time, the piles of rocks, wood and mangled metal that were once homes and offices still line the streets.
Mountains of it fester between the homes that were spared, like rotten teeth.
For many, the blame lies firmly at the door of the estimated 4,000 international aid agencies operating in the country.
Some argue aid agencies are giving incentive to people staying in camps "Nobody knows what they are doing, nobody knows who is sending here, nobody knows how much money they have, nobody knows in what field they are intervening," says Haitian sociologist and university lecturer Daniel Supplice.
"They are all over the place."
He also blames the Haitian government for doing little or nothing to speed Haiti's recovery, but his special ire is reserved for the 12,000 UN peace keeping - or stabilisation - troops, which cost more than $600m a year..."
Here's another perspective from the ONE Campaign:
As we look back over the last year in Haiti, we must acknowledge the critical role water and sanitation has played in the country historically and in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that struck one year ago.
Before the earthquake, 45 percent of the population lacked access to safe water, and a staggering 83 percent of the population lacked access to sanitation. The consequences of not having access to safe water and basic sanitation are enormous for the Haitian population. Even before the earthquake, diarrhea — which can result from consumption of contaminated water — killed one in five Haitian children each year.
The earthquake exacerbated the problems of an already weak infrastructure and highlighted the need for serious investments in the water and sanitation infrastructure in order to achieve health and economic gains. It is estimated that the earthquake caused $235 million in damages to water and sanitation facilities, and 437 settlements currently lack adequate sanitation. Even more disturbing, a severe and deadly cholera outbreak — which started in October and continues to plague the country today — has led to 171,304 cases and claimed the lives of 3,651 Haitians.I will be there March 11-20, 2011.
Although numerous challenges persist, there are many groups working hard every day in Haiti to bring clean water and sanitation to communities. While the task at hand is enormous, it’s encouraging to see the work that is being done across Haiti, including the installation of family latrines, promotion of hygiene practices and repair of water infrastructure systems. InterAction’s Haiti Aid Map provides an overview of all water and sanitation projects in the country and a description of each.
