Is there a double standard for Haiti hurricane assistance & support?
It was last week Tuesday October 4, 2016 that powerful category 4 Hurricane Matthew lashed a portion of Haiti and as of today the death toll is over 1000, some 350,000 people reported homeless, millions in damages and still hundreds missing and unaccounted for.
No attention to Haiti
However, compared to other regional and international disasters in the past year there seems to be little or no outpouring of support for Haiti. Many believe it is because Haiti is a poor and black country with 90% people of colour.
Take for example, when terrorists attacked Paris, France in November of last year most Caribbean Governments sent communique of condolences to the French Government for the loss of lives. Social Network was active with colour changes on Facebook and showing sincere sympathies for the victims.
A few months ago when a mad man killed several at a night club in the USA again there was outpouring of sympathy from the media, the region and the international community on the tragic loss of lives.
Social network was again active with support for the innocent victims of the Florida gay night club attack.
The world gone AWOL on Haiti
However, with so many dead in Haiti after Hurricane Matthew there has not been a word from many Caribbean Governments, or the Government of the Virgin Islands headed by Premier Dr The Honourable D. Orlando Smith, an At Large Member.
After many natural disasters in the region, in places like St Vincent and the Grenadines, St Lucia and Dominica, over the past two years most Caribbean governments, the private sector and non-profits organisations, including in the Virgin Islands, have rushed to offer financial and other support.
However, there is a deafening silence from these same Governments and that of the Dr Smith led Administration.
There have been some non-profit organisations in the region, such as the Rotary Clubs and the Red Cross, who have reached out along with some private individuals, including track superstar Usain St Leo Bolt who reportedly donated $10M.
The United Nations has its people and agencies on the ground in Haiti to coordinate humanitarian aid and the United States Government has offered help but no way close to the magnitude of financial and social support for other countries following recent natural or man-made disasters around the world, especially in developed countries.
Rotary & 'Gadiethz' respond
Meanwhile, the Rotary Family of the VI has announced it is launching a major fundraising event to help Hurricane Victims in Haiti.
The first event to raise funds will take place on Wednesday, October 12, 2016. Rotarians, Rotaractors and Interactors will be seen all over Road Town as part of the "Rotary Bucket Brigade". On Virgin Gorda, the Rotaractors and Interactors will be out with buckets to collect donations from 3:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M.
“Between 7:00 P.M. and 9:00 P.M. please tune in to JTV Channel 55, transmitting from the fundraising headquarters at Maria's by the Sea, simultaneously broadcasted on ZBVI 780AM. Please call in your pledges at any of the following telephone numbers: 494 7354, 494 9565, 494 8759 & 494 6368. Cash, cheques, Visa and Master Card will be gratefully accepted,” a press release from Astrid C. Wenzke of the Rotary PR Team stated.
And radio personality and host of the popular morning ride show Paul ‘Gadiethz’ Peart has been doing his part in trying to trump up support for Haiti.
He has so far partnered with Tutu Park Mall, Rotary East and Radio One in St Thomas, USVI to fill a 40 foot container of items for Haiti as a start.
“When I saw the death toll in Haiti it was a mind boggling situation and I just wanted to get some assistance going there.”
Mr Peart also lamented that the international media has not been giving the coverage, hype and sympathy as when some 130 persons were killed and hundreds wounded in mass shootings and bombings in France on Friday November 13, 2015.
He said also that persons may be skeptical to reach out to Haiti with news that even though billions of dollars were raised as relief aid for Haiti in the past, there hasn’t been much to show for it.
According to recent reports, the American Red Cross raised more than half a billion dollars to bring relief to Haiti after the devastating 2010 earthquake there, but it grossly overstated what the money bought.
Although the organisation claimed to have provided housing to more than 130,000 people, it actually only built six permanent homes, according to a report by ProPublica and NPR.
Much of the Red Cross’s failure stems from passing on the money to other groups with more expertise in building projects, which resulted in less of the funds reaching those in need, ProPublica found.
And Hurricane Matthew, according to WND journalist Jerome R. Corsi, has reopened the debate over whether Secretary of State Hillary R. Clinton and the Clinton Foundation provided true disaster relief for the people of Haiti after the 2010 earthquake or mostly enriched themselves at the expense of the suffering Haitian people.
But according to Mr Peart, “there is a confusion and a hesitation among some of the Caribbean countries towards helping Haiti but we have to put aside our fears and just do it because these are human beings that are going through a situation that, God forbid, could be used as an example for the rest of us.”
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24 Responses to “Is there a double standard for Haiti hurricane assistance & support?”
The comparison with the shooting incidents does not bare scrutiny and is used only to create furore. Percentages of people by race donating time or expertise or money or commenting on social media are not available and nor should they be.
And query why your "church" is vocal about tithes and about sexuality but silent on domestic violence and what it has done in hurricane, disease or poverty stricken areas.
Haiti has been one for some time. no one says anything. happens right here in BVI too, silence when something
should be said or done. deliberate.
you would find so much bad press about Haiti and Dominicans hating each other, but u don't see this in the national press. a third world country that has a lil more than Haiti send Help! yet I have heard all kind of talk how them racist cus they decided to deport the great number of illegal Haitian that over flow to DR after earth quake. once again first to offer help and last to leave, like after the earthquake