On Jan. 12, 2010, one of the most devastating earthquakes in recorded history leveled the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. Those responsible for handling the catastrophe, including the Haitian government and the United Nations, were among the victims. FRONTLINE correspondent Martin Smith bears witness to the scale of the disaster and takes viewers on a searing and intimate journey into the camps, hospitals and broken neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince. Featuring never-before-seen footage of the moments after the earthquake and interviews with top officials from Port-au-Prince to Washington, The Quake ultimately asks, how will the world respond?
"Beyond immediate relief efforts lies a harder task," says FRONTLINE's Smith. "The world has to decide whether to simply patch up Haiti now or to take on the far more ambitious goal of building a functional Haitian state."
The Quake explores the recent history of aid efforts in Haiti and the prospects for real change, and draws on interviews with, among others, former President Bill Clinton, special envoy to Haiti; Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton; and Dr. Paul Farmer, deputy special envoy to Haiti and co-founder of Partners in Health.
Haiti has more NGOs per capita than any other country in the world. For years, foreign assistance bypassed the Haitian government, leaving it weak and vulnerable. The Quake examines how, this time, things might be done differently.
"This is an opportunity to rethink how aid works and how we, the most powerful country in this part of the world, can work with our oldest neighbor," says Dr. Paul Farmer. "So I think all that possibility is built into this tragedy."
Alexa Apr 9, 2010 21:40
I have seen the video "The Quak".It thought me and showed me that you are all in need of help, supplies,and amidit care.After seeing the video I decided that i will start savings acount for the people of hatiti.Your President did not spring into action as George Washington Bush did not to the city of New Orleans.WE are in deep prayer for you.Mike Sherman Apr 7, 2010 14:48
I can not wait to go back. This video is so moving--I have ordered itCATHY DAVIES Apr 5, 2010 12:37
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/jan/13/our-role-in-haitis-plight
This is the type of misinformation, disinformation, no information in the Western Mainstream Media that has dodged Haiti throughout its history and has allowed the western powers to maintain and enforced a system of apartheid towards the vast majority of the Haitian people without them ever being call on it. blabla Apr 5, 2010
00:50FRONTLINE's Editors Respond:
The role of the U.S. and western powers in Haiti's history is addressed in this report (see chapters 3 and 4 of the streamed video), and it is also covered in greater depth on this Web site. The section called The Way Forward, for example, deals with how for decades foreign aid has prevented the growth of a strong Haitian government and infrastructure, and why it is time to rethink the foreign aid model. And in their interviews, Haitian Ambassador to the U.S. Raymond Joseph and journalist Mark Danner offer background and commentary on U.S.-Haiti history.
And we'd like to note another critical review of FRONTLINE's report from The Haitian Blogger.
WAITIN FOR COMMENTS???
STEREO stereo Apr 4, 2010 21:32
Haiti needs the worlds Help!
Laura.Laura Cruz Apr 4, 2010 19:09
The first order of business in Haiti should be to address food security and the availability of cooking fuel. A suitable replacement for the Creole Pig would restore the prior informal economy and the US should dump charcoal into the country to eliminate the cutting down of trees for firewood. It would be a stop-gap measure until more suitable technology/fuel could be introduced that is affordable by the majority of the population. Pigs were also largely displaced by goats which are far more damaging to the envrionment than pigs because they kill trees by chewing the bark off. Peter Apr 4, 2010 17:49
I have been working with a team that has assembled some plans and basic information about earthbag building that is being offered to individuals and relief agencies online at www.earthbagstructures.com. Much of what is presented there has been fashioned to mirror the cultural distinctions unique to Haiti.Kelly Hart Apr 4, 2010 00:30
Haiti needs justice and deserves billions of dollars in reparations from France, US, and Canadian for responsibility of foreign interventions (example see: Ottawa Initiative on Haiti) that have denied basic democratic and human rights to the Haitian people. Haiti has not yet seen a day when Western countries weren't contriving to subvert and overthrow any elected official who would have challenged power held by the elite families and have seen the standard of living for the majority of Haitian move from grinding miserable poverty to a level of "dignified" poverty.
I reject the general claims made in this documentary that Haitians are weak, corrupt, and unworthy of handling their own affairs. I instead assert that former US presidents Clinton and Bush are criminals, should be indicted on numerous charges, and definitely not be allowed to serve as special envoys to Haiti. Aristide should be allowed to return to his country and Haitians should be given the opportunity to rule their own affairs without foreign intervention for a change.nothing nitwit Apr 2, 2010 20:21
Dorothy Pearce Apr 2, 2010 16:04
Another aspect is while the international community was responding to a natural humanitarian disaster, in most of African nation, the response is about responding to political and man made crisis. How can we in Africa explain about the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Rwandan genocide, the Kenyan post election violence and the synonymous macabre of violence in Somalia that takes new dimension every time. I think the Haiti crisis was a wake up call to African nations to get their acts together, by being responsible as human beings and take charge of their affairs. International community should be left to respond to natural disaster like Tsunami, earthquakes etc and not man-made political crisis that plague Africa.
It is a high time for the International community to start responding to African man-made crisis by carrot and stick. Move in for the sake of the innocent civilians but ensure engineers behind the crisis face the full wrath as a result of their consequences.Frank Apr 2, 2010 06:21
$ 75,506.20 , that means we bought 96 full boxes, and had a share in another 14 boxes. Or 1,100 people will have a chance to start over in a dry place. Here's out site :
The TM Fish Camp
http://tmfishcamp.blogspot.com/
We are looking to do a more long term effort in Haiti, nothing big, just sustainable.
Our donation page -
http://www.justgiving.com/Colorado-BobColorado Bob Apr 1, 2010 15:14
I have seen a lot of fires against the haitian Government about their response in the Crisis. The Haitian Government has nothing in its hands and nothing in their pockets and yet with a lot of responsibilities and no means but about 4,000 police officers for the whole country. Have anyone asked what was the UN doing with so much more ressources, about 9,000 troops and 2,000 civilians? I am encouraged by so much money the international community is pleadging for the rebuilding of Haiti. I am also confident that Prime Minister Bellerive and President Clinton will do great things, but we have heard many more pledges and many more promises... We'll see. Mwen se St Antoine, m'ap chita gade. Jean Lans Apr 1, 2010 14:17
Marie G. BastienMarie G. Bastien Apr 1, 2010 13:31
Regarding immediate housing needs - move people out of the damaged areas into these small communities North of Port that had no damage (ie: the road from Pont Sonde to Mirebelais is dotted wiht many small towns and has a lot of open land - stay out of the irrigated farmland). Place them in tents, under tarps, whatever, for this rainy season. Use churches and schools as shelters for them when hurricanes threaten. Our small village of Verrettes has over 20 churches and I'm sure all would agree to take people in for the short term as long as the burden of feeding them was not on their shoulders.
Put these refuges to work building prefab 2 room homes of wood and tin, that are designed to be hurricane and quake proof. Next winter when the rains end start relocating the people back to Port, taking their new homes with them. Have them build on their original homesite. Provide food and a small amount of money for the work.
There should be one or two home designs that are approved by all NGO's and the plans made available on line, on the street corner, etc. tominhaiti Apr 1, 2010 08:49
It’s funny when people like (Jan) who never visit or learn about Haiti history think they are expert on a country based on the lies the media constantly feeding them.
The media is missing a valuable opportunity to explain why Haiti is so poor. Once again, Americans are receiving a hefty dose of misinformation. They are learning that Haiti is simply a poor country where bad things happen all the time. Always blaming the Haitians by making them look like savages or portray their government as week and ineffective. The media does nothing but reinforce bias and racism toward other countries. They have always been irresponsible and bias when it comes to Haiti and their irresponsibility has contributed to Haiti's misery. The focus on poverty, with the repeated tagline "the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere" and references to crime and unrest, make it hard for viewers to imagine any other aspect of life in Haiti.
It is a myth Haiti is not an overcrowded country. Haiti, with 27,560 sq km of land mass, is 3rd largest nation in the Caribbean. Haiti is big Country for the Caribbean La Selle massif rises 2700 meters above sea level Port-au-Prince (almost 9000 feet) Compares to 14,300 ft Mt. Evans above "mile-high' Denver (~ 9000 ft)
Haiti has Low population density compared to her crowded neighbors. Large rural areas are virtually unpopulated. The majority of the Haitians live in the urban areas. "Haitian Outback' Neither barren nor lifeless as hysterical news media stories claim!
They claimed that Haiti has no resources. the truth: Important natural resources are largely undeveloped: Haiti is rich in oil, natural gas, gold, limestone, bauxite, copper, sisal, uranium
There is evidence that the US found oil in Haiti decades ago and due to the geopolitical circumstances and big business interests of that era made the decision to keep Haitian oil in reserve for when Middle Eastern oil had dried up. There is also good evidence that these very same big US oil companies and their inter-related monopolies of engineering and defense contractors made plans, decades ago, to use Haiti's deep water ports either for oil refineries or to develop oil tank farm sites or depots where crude oil could be stored and later transferred to small tankers to serve U.S. and Caribbean ports.
Here is the reason Port- au –Prince is overcrowded:
Thirty years ago Haiti has a thriving agriculture industry & imported no rice. Today Haiti imports nearly all its rice. Though Haiti was the sugar growing capital of the Caribbean, it now imports sugar as well. Why? The U.S. and the U.S. dominated world financial institutions – the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank – forced Haiti to open its markets to the world. Then the U.S. dumped millions of tons of U.S. subsidized rice and sugar into Haiti – undercutting their farmers and ruining Haitian agriculture. By ruining Haitian agriculture, the U.S. has forced Haiti into becoming the third largest world market for U.S. rice. Local Haitian farmers, unable to compete with these prices, leave their farms and move to the city to try to find work. So to whatever extent the earthquake was made worse by the overcrowding.
In 2002, Bush stopped hundreds of millions of dollars in domestic loans to Haiti & also persuaded the international community to follow suit. These loans were to be used for, among other public projects like education, roads. These are the same roads which relief teams were having so much trouble navigating now!
The US government bear a very heavy responsibility for their country's foreign policy in this hemisphere. It has been established for almost two centuries during which only Haitians licensed by Washington have been allowed to rule.
The basic problem is that the American public are utterly oblivious or indifferent to the evil that their governments do, abroad, in their name. (And they are not that bothered about what it does at home either.)
Anybody who truly wants to help Haiti, should not go to Haiti with handouts, but go to Washington with questions and demands for better, more humane representation of the US citizenry abroad. Ask Washington to stop its abuse in Haiti, its bullying, its endless IMF/World Bank debts, financial colonialism and neoliberal, privatization programs that maintain and sustains Haiti's containment in poverty. JamieP Apr 1, 2010 00:47
One last observation. Upon landing, we looked for the Immigration office. The sign was hung - upside down - in a window.
If those two experiences are any indication of how our two governments operate, it might be a good idea to turn Haiti over to the N.G.O.'s, who, God bless them, DO care about what's happening to Haiti's people. JMF Mar 31, 2010 23:03
Why is it, be it cosmic law or some other divine or natural reason - the most beautiful places and creatures on earth can conspire with nature or custom; an absolute paradise to be the amongst the most deadly and poisonous on earth?Christopher Carnovale Mar 31, 2010 21:58
I particularly liked the part about the reasons why the Haitian government is ineffectual. Yes, as we have all heard, the Haitian government is corrupt and incompetent. But there are various reasons for the governments inability to provide basic services to its peopel. A big part of that is that the government has been replaced with aid. The way aid is delivered needs to change. It needs to more directed at results, accountability and helping the local people to help themselves out of poverty. Paul Farmer is a revelation. His model is the way forward, not throwing money at the problem and hoping something sticks.Debbie E Mar 31, 2010 21:20
Even after much research I'm not sure which organizations are doing the most good for the Haitian people. Could someone PLEASE let me know. Are there any organziations that are planning on building houses? What will happen when the rains start? I feel so powerless in all of this. I'm a broke student, but I have the pleasure of going to a food pantry, but these people have no where to go.
The media has to play a bigger role of keeping the current images of Haiti impressed in the public's eyes. Otherwise the world will forget...again. I believe the purpose of living is to help other people.
Are we still human? ord2world@hotmail.com Rebecca G. Mar 31, 2010 19:39
They show us Port-au-Prince, but where are the other cities and the great hospitals? Why do they give so much money to a corrupt government, ask nothing in return?
I invite you to read my article HAITI: POLITICAL EUTHANAGIA, published on September, shortly after visiting my country. http://artunivers.org.over-blog.com/article-36436893.html
I am the author of Le Guide de la réforme haïtienne, book on a general reform.
Rony Blain Mar 31, 2010 18:58
The international community must end indirect aid to Haiti.
Foreign Aid/loans should go to Haiti directly to build its infrastructure, not the churches and the NGO false charity industry imposed on Haiti. They must support and respect Haitian sovereignty, not boost NGO profits and power in Haiti.
They must support community organizing, community policing, transparency and participatory democracy.
Haiti's largest political party can’t continue to be banned from participating in elections as has happened in Haiti ever since the 2004 Bush Regime change and UN/US/Canada/France occupation began.
Respect Haitian human rights and dignity. Stop criminalizing the poor in Haiti.
NGOs like charities and international aid groups are extremely powerful in Haiti - they too must respect the human dignity and human rights of all people.
Relief, rebuilding and redevelopment should be designed by Haitians and their collaborators, not USAID, the UN or the “international community.”
Reform USAID policy, international agencies and the over 10,000 NGOs over Haiti. Their grip must be loosened if a new paradigm is to be installed for the people of Haiti that promotes Haitian self-reliance not Haitian dependency
USAID has a history of mistreating the Haitian majority, feeding dependency, starving democracy, promoting the neoliberal death plan that contains-Haiti-in-poverty and creating and financing the anti-democratic sector that excludes, impoverishes and terrorize Haiti's majority.
End free trade, began fair trade.
Support domestic food production, indigenous Haiti manufacturing and job creation. Stop IFIs policies that limit social spending, require that Haiti remove tariffs on food and other imports, privatize public enterprises, exempt foreign investors from taxes on their profits. Support grassroots, indigenous Haiti capacity building organizations.Sammie Mar 31, 2010 16:04
I just finished reading Mountains beyond Mountains by Kidder. Kidder was interviewed on the Rachel Maddow show right after the quake. I was glad to see Partners in Health personnel given a lot of chances to speak on last night's Frontline. Kidder talks about Graham Green's The Commedianne, so I borrowed that from my local library and am reading that too. We Americans have certainly been kept in the dark about the history of an Island so close to the continental united States. Could it be from embarrassment of the government?
As Captain Bruce Braithwaite states, we probably won't see much change in Haiti with the corrupt government allowed to be in office and the Tontons Macoute still very much in control.
Thank you Paul Farmer and Partners in Health for all you do and try to do.Lorraine Mar 31, 2010 10:59
what the people of Haiti had to go through. It was definitely heartbreaking and calls for us to
continue to act and not put Haiti behind us because it is not in the headline every week. As one who studies hurricanes I am very much afraid for the people of Haiti this summer and in the years to come. The people do not have enough protection from tropical storm or hurricane force winds or heavy rain. I don't know where the government can move so many people if there is a TC threat. We should be putting the best minds, especially those from Haiti, and elsewhere around the world on this problem now. We have 61 days before the start of the hurricane season and the clock is ticking. The people of Haiti deserve our best global efforts along with our prayers. Greg Jenkins Mar 31, 2010 08:54
The modern history of Haiti was inadequately explained and explored, the economics and business of Haiti were almost tossed aside altogether. A few important basic facts about the disastrous 'disaster relief' were put forward and illustrated, but not really analyzed nor covered in depth.
The interviewees offered little really concrete information. None of the several successful leaders of tiny poor-but-healthy Caribbean / Central American nations were interviewed for their wisdom.
No detailed analysis was provided of the aid efforts before or after the quake, and some major scandals were ignored (American Red Cross withholding blood, Larry Jones' 'Feed the Children' not actually feeding Haitian children with the millions they solicited ostensibly for that purpose, Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort scheduled to arrive after most critically ill would die, U.S. military and Florida government feuding over whether to airlift critically wounded Haitians to Florida hospitals, a complete lack of effective national U.S. operating protocol for dealing with such a catastrophe right next door, etc.).
In short, a whole raft of Katrina-esque fiascoes were swept aside with a few summary comments about the lack of adequate response, and some gory video.
This episode of Frontline seemed to be chiefly a vehicle for its star reporter to ask 'tough' questions of high-profile people on national TV. It was more 'journalistic' grandstanding, rather than serious in-depth analytical reporting -- and far less valuable than it could and should have been, especially about such a life-and-death issue.
I'm very disappointed at how little new info or perspective I learned from this episode -- quite unlike most other Frontline programs.
RH Mar 31, 2010 06:02
Study, analyze and discuss Haiti not only in first-world terms, but from the perspective of 'successful' third-world ('developing') nations.
Frankly, saying the U.S. and France know how to fix Haiti, is like saying millionaires understand how to rehabilitate the homeless.
People closer to Haitians' experience need to be the leaders in the nation's renovation -- people who understand how to have a viable tiny Caribbean coastal/island nation.
The Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Costa Rica, Belize -- and even American colony Puerto Rico -- have a far clearer grasp of the issue than Washington or Paris. Nicaragua, Chile and Peru know more about rising from the rubble of devastating earthquakes. Frankly, Cuba and Venezuela, despite their obvious ulterior motives, probably know more than most American leaders about how to effectively help Haiti rise from the ashes of desperation.
The absence of foreign views on American media coverage of this issue (even on PBS Frontline) is a major shaping influence on the defects in dialoge and decision-making on this issue.
RH Mar 31, 2010 05:44
I just finished watching the Frontline documentary on Haiti. I was heartened that the documentary gave as much airtime to Partners in Health as it did. From what I can tell, Partners in Health is one of the best NGO's in Haiti, employing Haitian nurses and doctors to provide the highest quality health care possible under extremely difficult circumstances. The network of hopsitals and clinics that are run by Partners in Health could in the future serve as the foundation of a public health care system for Haiti.
I was dissapointed that the documentary did not explain the reasons why aid was so slow in reaching the Haitian people. During the first 24 hours after the Quake, the US government took control of the Port-Au Prince airport, deciding what flights could and could not land. While millitary planes containing US soldiers were allowed to land (some 10,000 US soldiers arrived in Haiti during the first week after the quake), flights containing vital aid from other countries were turned back and forced to land instead in the Dominican Republic.
Then once the US soldiers were on the ground in Prot-Au Prince, they were used in the first few days not to distribute aid, but rather to establish order. Only once the US millitary decided that there was sufficient order did the US millitary begin to distribute aid to the Haitian people. The US millitary also did not rely on the Haitian people to help distribute aid. The US millitary did everything in their power to keep the Haitian people disempowered during the aid distribution process.
The US millitary also established green zones and red zones in Port-Au Prince, as the US millitary did in Baghdad after the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Only the airport, the downtown area near the presidential palace, and the small wealthy section of Port-Au Prince were designated as green zones. The rest of Port-Au Prince was designated as a vast red zone, and the US millitary made the decision not to distribute aid to these areas during the first weeks following the coup (though I believe some of these areas have now received some aid, albeit far from what is needed).
It must also be noted that while the US government has spent in the vicinity of US $1 billion dollars on aid to Haiti since the earthquake, much of this money has been spent on the US millitary presence. This millitary presence was ostensibly to establish order, yet there was not a significant problem with violence in