Post Haiti Earthquake Relief
DON’T FORGET TO WRITE YOUR COVER NOTE BRO
Katie Norris
Final Paper, Fall 2012
Labor and the Global Market
4/27/2012
The Most Interesting Title in the World
In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in January of 2010, Haiti (already among the poorest nations in the western hemisphere) was left significantly more vulnerable and impoverished than ever before. With the partial or complete destruction of over 100,000 places of work came the loss of approximately 90,000 Haitian jobs,1 the regeneration of which continues to present significant challenges to the national government. This unemployment contributes not only to immediate hunger and homelessness, but also to a flight of industry and closing of businesses, worsening the unemployment and poverty problems in the long run. An emphasis on medical assistance, debris removal, and restoration of infrastructure has sidelined economic and social recovery.2 International NGOs have rapidly scaled up their operations in Haiti, including the importing of a significant number of foreign doctors and laborers. While this is assistance is necessary in the short term, sufficient consideration is not being given to the sustainability of newly built response structures. Power still rests in the hands of the international community, and the top-down administration of relief work is not responding effectively to the needs of the general population (particularly women and children). Haitian workers are being largely excluding from leadership or high-responsibility positions within NGO operations, contributing to a lack of organizational accountability. Since the earthquake, decision-making power within the structure of international relief agencies working in Haiti has been almost exclusively limited to foreigners, and large international NGOs have generally elected not to work in collaboration with long-standing grassroots organizations. This ignores the directives and opinions of the existing local
Katie Norris
Final Paper, Fall 2012
Labor and the Global Market
4/27/2012
The Most Interesting Title in the World
In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in January of 2010, Haiti (already among the poorest nations in the western hemisphere) was left significantly more vulnerable and impoverished than ever before. With the partial or complete destruction of over 100,000 places of work came the loss of approximately 90,000 Haitian jobs,1 the regeneration of which continues to present significant challenges to the national government. This unemployment contributes not only to immediate hunger and homelessness, but also to a flight of industry and closing of businesses, worsening the unemployment and poverty problems in the long run. An emphasis on medical assistance, debris removal, and restoration of infrastructure has sidelined economic and social recovery.2 International NGOs have rapidly scaled up their operations in Haiti, including the importing of a significant number of foreign doctors and laborers. While this is assistance is necessary in the short term, sufficient consideration is not being given to the sustainability of newly built response structures. Power still rests in the hands of the international community, and the top-down administration of relief work is not responding effectively to the needs of the general population (particularly women and children). Haitian workers are being largely excluding from leadership or high-responsibility positions within NGO operations, contributing to a lack of organizational accountability. Since the earthquake, decision-making power within the structure of international relief agencies working in Haiti has been almost exclusively limited to foreigners, and large international NGOs have generally elected not to work in collaboration with long-standing grassroots organizations. This ignores the directives and opinions of the existing local
Cited: 1. Schlein, Lisa. "ILO: Haiti 's Children Vulnerable to Labor Abuse." VOA News 7 Mar. 2010. Print. 2. Padgett, Andrew, and Tonia Warnecke. "Diamonds in the Rubble: The Women of Haiti - Institutions, Gender Equity and Human Development in Haiti." Journal of Economic Issues 45.3 (2011): 527-51. Print. 3. Schuller, Mark. "Shattered and Scattered: Haiti 's Quake Through the Lens of Human Rights." NACLA Report on the Americas 43.4 (2010): 20-27. Print. 4. Ellingwood, Ken. "Uncovering Jobs a Major Challenge Since Haiti Earthquake." The Los Angeles Times 12 Aug. 2010. Print. 5. Shamsie, Yasmine. "Time for a "High-Road" Approach to EPZ Development in Haiti." Conflict Prevention and Peace Forum Social Science Research Council, 2010. Print. 6. Gupta, Jhumka, and Alpna Agrawal. "Chronic Aftershocks of an Earthquake on the Well-Being of Children in Haiti: Violence, Psychosocial Health, and Slavery."Canadian Medical Association Journal 182.18 (2010): 1997-999. Print. 7. Romano, Lois. "Steady Supply of Medical Services Begins to Pressure Haiti 's Doctors."The Washington Post 25 Mar. 2010: A12. Print. 8. Auerbach, P. S., R. L. Norris, A. S. Menon, I. P. Brown, and S. Kuah. "Civil-Military Collaboration in the Initial Medical Response to the Earthquake in Haiti." The New England Journal of Medicine 362.10 (2010): 32. Print. 9. McKersie, Robert C. “Snapshots of Haiti: A Physician’s Relief Work in a Country in Crisis.” Annals of Family Medicine 8.6 (2010): 556-58. Print. 10. Schuller, Mark. "Trauma and Solidarity in the New Haiti." NACLA Report on the Americas 43.2 (2010): 4-5. Print.