Haiti

The earthquake that struck 16 miles outside Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on January 12, caused catastrophic destruction and death tolls that have been estimated as high as 200,000. Its aftermath could be a case study in the harms of income inequality. Haiti, the poorest country in the Western hemisphere and 149th of 182 nations in terms of Human Development Index, was utterly unprepared for a natural disaster like this one and as such the results were devastating. Haiti's construction standards are low; it doesn't have building codes, and engineers have warned for years that most Haitian homes and other buildings do not have the structural integrity to withstand an earthquake in the tectonically-active Caribbean. Haiti was also unprepared for the first wave of aid that arrived in the aftermath; the first few planes containing emergency supplies were trapped at the only major airport, as there was insufficient fuel to get them off the ground, preventing other shipments from arriving. Again, this is directly attributable to Haiti's poverty. The question is, to what is Haiti's poverty attributable? While some of the more general research I do will provide answers to that question, for the time being I will be doing research on Haiti in particular, since this tragedy has so effectively demonstrated the true cost of income disparity. Expect further updates on this topic on both the information that develops and the background circumstances that led up to the nation's paralysis in the face of disaster.

In the meantime, please make a donation online to the earthquake relief fund managed by Yele Haiti, the foundation run by Haitian-American musician Wyclef Jean, or attend one of USM's bake sales next week, all proceeds of which go towards relief for the Haitian people.