Poll: Haiti’s recent tragedy and devastation underscores longstanding vulnerabilities

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The impoverished nation of Haiti has recently reentered the news cycle and rarely is that followed by something positive. If it wasn’t enough that Haiti was already the poorest country in the western hemisphere Wednesday’s earthquake that rocked the capital of Port Au Prince has devastated infrastructure, taken the lives of thousands of citizens and left many more stranded without food or shelter.

No stranger to nature’s catastrophes Haiti endures periodic and often massively destructive hurricanes, but this recent earthquake tops them all in terms of devastation.

Citizens of the United States, amongst those of other countries, are proving sensitive once again to the needs of a people in peril. Donations have been pouring in but getting aid to the wounded and stranded has been a difficult task. Some polling meanwhile compliments of Gallup sheds light on the general vulnerabilities of Haitian citizens and how a tragedy such as this paralyzes a country already battered and frail.

In the past year when asked the question if there have been times when you did not have enough money to buy food for your family or provide adequate shelter 60% and 51% of Haitians responded a disturbing “yes”. By contrast island neighbors in the Dominican Republic claimed yes to those questions 55% and 22% of the time respectively. The average taken from all Caribbean and Central American nations through polling stretching across 2008 and 2009 was just 33% and 20%.

Haitians are also desperately lacking in widespread access to quality health care. In a densely populated country of over ten million citizens living in an area just slightly larger than the state of Massachusetts only 22% claim satisfaction with the availability of quality health care in their local area. Half of that (11%) believe healthcare to be accessible to anyone regardless of their economic situation, making the uproar over the healthcare debate in the United States seem fairly tame by comparison. More than half (52%) in the neighboring Dominican are both satisfied with their personal access and believe healthcare to be readily available to all citizens. The regional average meanwhile was 60% and 62% respectively.

Poor infrastructure across the country of the Haiti has been highlighted as family members and rescuers literally continue to dig for survivors. A collapsing hospital was one of the first confirmed reports of the massive devastation and while earth quakes measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale can destroy even solidly constructed civilizations it seems Haiti’s shoddy infrastructure is a contributing factor to the toll of victims. Haitian views on their important facilities including roads and schools were lacking in terms of both safety and quality long before the recent earthquake. Just 31% were satisfied with the roads and highways that tied their country together and only 35% claimed satisfaction with schools and educational systems in the area they live. The median average for all Caribbean and Central American nations was again a far higher 52% and 71% respectively.

Lastly Gallup analyzed social support throughout Haiti and the rest of the region.

In the wake of a disaster, friendships and family ties become lifelines, serving
as conduits for material as well as emotional support. Social support is
generally strong among Latin American societies, which tend to emphasize the
importance of extended family relations…However even here Haitians are less
well-equipped than residents of any other country in Central America and the
Caribbean. – Gallup.com / Steve Crabtree

Strong family ties throughout the region are reflected even in Haiti with 64% of residents claiming to have friends and relatives they can count on in times of trouble and need. Still that percentage is far lower than what has been recorded in the Dominican Republic (87%) and the region as a whole (84%).

After years of exploitation the Haitian Revolution of 1793 while bringing independence to the island nation never allowed it to truly break free of foreign occupation and dependency. The United States, once and occupier themselves, remains the country’s largest trade destination and official American aid to Haiti has been significant if sporadic through the years. As a special envoy to Haiti former President Bill Clinton emphasized the need for increased foreign aid to the nation just last year. It will be interesting to see what path President Obama chooses to take on dealing with Haiti’s struggles in the long term as his own country continues to suffer through a prolonged economic recession. The more immediate concern is saving lives and assisting a country crippled once again by the latest in a series of devastating natural, social and political events.

AP PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS / GERALD HERBERT