Out of the Rubble: The Anniversary of the 2010 Haitian Earthquake
Former Prime Minister of Haiti, Founder of LSL World Initiative
Over half a decade has passed since the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and while relief has come in many forms from all corners of the globe, the country still suffers the effects of the tragedy that occurred that year on January 12th. With a magnitude of 7.0, the earthquake killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions from their homes. An already impoverished country, Haiti was one of the last places in the world capable to handle a natural disaster of this degree and yet, here we stand -- proudly. A nation that continues to struggle is also a nation that continues to persevere.
Before the earthquake, Haiti was already in a precarious socio-economic state, with well over half of the population at or below the poverty level (86 percent of people in the capital of Port-au-Prince were living in slum-like conditions) and living on less than U.S. $2 per day. This natural disaster only brought with it more struggles, more pain -- like kicking a man while he's down. To say it has been difficult to come back from this is an understatement.
On January 13th, 2010 -- the day after Haiti changed forever -- the world came together for our country, not only to grieve, but to help. Although these relief efforts have been extensive and will always be considered as a testament of global solidarity with the people of Haiti, the country continues to grapple with many obstacles. While the aftershocks of the earthquake are long gone, they can still be felt in the form of poverty and economic insecurity. Although much progress has been made by relocating the majority of families who had become homeless, some have yet to recover from this psychological and socio-economic trauma.
It's difficult enough for affluent countries like the United States to go through natural disasters such as tornadoes in the Midwest and hurricanes on the East Coast, but it's nearly impossible for emerging and developing countries with fragile infrastructures to fully recover. If these vulnerable countries could develop sustainable, socio-economic systems that address socio-economic challenges, they would be better able to withstand the devastating aftermath of tragedies like the one suffered in Haiti.
I have dedicated my my life's work to the socio-economic empowerment of Haiti -- and of all emerging and developing countries. It has become clear to me that struggling countries must find alternative sources of financing or fall short of achieving social and economic progress. We need to help the governments of countries like Haiti to achieve their goals by thinking outside the box of traditional foreign aid. We need to help them to identify new revenue sources through innovative financing for development: non-traditional mechanisms to raise funds for aid through projects such as micro-contributions and public-private partnerships. Using these mechanisms, governments can then allocate funds according to their priorities and needs, such as clean water, housing, education and health services. This way, if disaster strikes, they would be better apt to withstand such shock, and any aid received would have a greater impact. Recovery would be within their reach.
This is only one solution to a much bigger problem, but it is just that -- a solution. As a global community, we must ensure that vulnerable countries will be better equipped to climb out of the rubble -- whether that rubble is in the form of the aftermath of a natural disaster, war, disease or economic crisis -- faster and better than ever. As citizens of the world, we must come together to ensure that what happened to my country, the way it happened, never occurs again. We just need to start.
Haiti candidate needs major changes to participate in runoff
Jan. 7, 2016 9:27 PM EST
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — A spokesman for Haitian presidential contender Jude Celestin said Thursday that the second-place candidate will only participate in an upcoming runoff if sweeping changes recommended by a special commission are adopted to improve voting.
Campaign spokesman Gerald Germain said Celestin has been urging Haiti's outgoing president to ensure that the commission's recommendations are put in place before the two-candidate presidential runoff. They include major changes to the electoral machinery, with investigations and possible resignations of those accused of corruption, and political dialogue to achieve consensus about the next round.
"Only when the recommendations are implemented would Mr. Celestin take part," Germain said in a phone interview.
While Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council has pledged to improve transparency for the final round, review commission spokesman Rosny Desroches said he has seen very little progress to solve electoral tensions since the special panel's recommendations were released Sunday.
For instance, he noted that President Michel Martelly this week issued a decree making Jan. 24 the new date for the postponed runoff without first holding a political dialogue with those involved in the electoral impasse, a key recommendation.
"There is apparently no will to hold even a minimal dialogue," Desroches said.
The United Nations, the U.S. government and representatives of other nations making up the "Core Group" that monitors Haiti have urged state institutions and political actors to "take all steps necessary to ensure a peaceful transfer of power to a newly elected president" by the Feb. 7 constitutional deadline.
On Wednesday, U.S. State Department Counselor Thomas Shannon and the U.S. special coordinator for Haiti visited the country and met with a number of people, including the two presidential candidates slotted for the Jan. 24 runoff. It was unclear what, if anything, was accomplished. The pair departed Thursday.
In Washington, U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said the U.S. welcomed the presidential decree setting Jan. 24 as the runoff date and encouraged "all Haitians to participate peacefully and calmly in the vote." The U.S. has contributed over $30 million to this election cycle in Haiti.
On Thursday night, the Organization of American States put out a similar statement, saying its electoral observation mission welcomed the Jan. 24 runoff as a "step in the right direction."
If legitimate elections don't take place as scheduled Jan. 24, a transitional government might have to be formed in the impoverished country where elections are never easy and suspicions of manipulation and complicity by the Provisional Electoral Council and the government in power are chronic.
The Group of Eight opposition alliance, which is made up of Celestin and seven other presidential candidates, wants the members of the electoral council to resign over what it says is corruption and vote-rigging. It says a transitional government is needed to complete Haiti's electoral process in a fair and transparent way.
Celestin has called the official results putting him in second place behind government-backed candidate Jovenel Moise a "ridiculous farce" and refused to campaign for a Dec. 27 runoff that was postponed days before it was scheduled amid swirling allegations of "massive fraud." He has since demanded 30 days for campaigning before any runoff.
Echoing comments he made to Haiti's biggest newspaper recently, U.S. Ambassador Peter Mulrean told The Associated Press that there has been no evidence to back up the allegations of rampant electoral fraud.
"I have heard many accusations of massive fraud but I have not seen those making the accusations come forward with proof," he said.
HAITI ELECTIONS, SECOND ROUND
PORT-AU-PRINCE, (HAITI) – Jude Celestin, the presidential candidate for the LAPEH political party, will not participate in the second round of the presidential elections set by presidential order for January 24th, 2016, according to an article in the Miami Herald.
"January 24th, it is out of the question. President Martelly will have to have the election with a single candidate," declared Jude Célestin, to The Miami Herald.
While the temporary electoral Council (CEP) extended the period of the presidential election campaign from January 8th to January 22nd, Jude Célestin maintains his position not to participate in the second round of the elections.
Célestin places conditions upon his participation in the runoff of the presidential election. He wants the recommendations of the report of the Commission of Independent Electoral Evaluation to be followed. Among these recommendations, the Commission proposed a dialogue between all of the parties involved.
"None of the recommendations of the CEEI were taken into account," said Célestin, expressing his distrust in the credibility of the soiled electoral process, which according to him was plagued "with irregularities and frauds."
The presidential candidat,e whose party is the Alternative League for the Progress and the Haitian emancipation (LAPEH), made these statements "after two American special correspondents failed to convince him to make a commitment to run in the second round," according to RFI.
While Jude Célestin refuses to participate in the elections, his rival from the PHTK (the party in power), Jovenel Moïse, is pursuing his electoral campaign.
If the elections are held in these conditions, the political crisis could become inflamed, according to the political analyst Robert Fatton Jr. (Professor of Political Sciences and Associate Dean at the University of Virginia,) quoted the Miami Herald.
"It is impossible for the election of January 24th to be credible, the new president will suffer from a lack of legitimacy and the political crisis could become inflamed in the next months,” he said.
GB Group announces that it has concluded the sale of all of its interests in Distributeurs Nationaux
GB Group was a founding partner of the company when it acquired Royal Dutch Shell’s operations in Haiti in 2003. DINASA operates a retail network of gas stations under the NATIONAL brand and SODIGAZ, an affiliate that distributes liquefied petroleum gas throughout Haiti.
“We first want to express our gratitude to all the employees for their invaluable contribution and professionalism demonstrated over the years and wish them continued success in their careers and personal lives. We have been able to grow DINASA to be one of the most profitable companies in Haiti, and this transaction represents our desire and ability to capture the value of this growth. We are proud that our leadership was particularly critical at several key moments, such as the acquisition and integration of Texaco Haiti in 2009, and maintaining a steady supply and distribution of products after the disastrous earthquake of 2010. We also want to thank all our customers, suppliers and the financial institutions that have supported us throughout the years,” says Gilbert Bigio, GB Group Chairman.
During this time, GB Group has contributed management, industry expertise and international exposure allowing DINASA to become the largest distributor of petroleum products in Haiti.
The Group will continue to build upon its other energy assets in the Caribbean to remain one of the most important players in the region.
The Group also remains one of the largest investors in Haiti and continues to seek opportunities to promote companies that have a measurable social and environmental impact, while providing adequate returns for shareholders.
“Our Board and management teams are delighted to be at this crossroad; our strategy and vision remain brighter than ever and the Group is well positioned to capture future expansion," Mr. Bigio said.
GB Group is a leading, diversified group of industrial and trading companies in the Caribbean, with operations concentrated in Haiti, Dominican Republic, Jamaica and St. Maarten and offices in the United States. Comprised of 21 companies from seven different divisions including agriculture, construction, consumer goods, infrastructure, energy, logistics and trading, GB Group collaborates with more than 4,000 employees and embraces managers from more than 15 countries companywide. GB Group and its operating companies have strategic alliances and/or partnerships with some of the world's top business organizations. The company's current endeavors include the $200 million Lafito Global project, which includes Port Lafito, Haiti's first Panamax port. More information is available at gbgroup.com.
DR. LIONEL CARMANT AND HIS FIGHT AGAINST EPILEPSY IN HAITI
Written by: Jean Numa Goudou
Three times a year this neurologist leaves the comfort of the hospital Saint - Justine in Montreal to help people suffering from epilepsy in Haiti
With 4,000 patients just in Port-au-Prince, nearly 500 in Jacmel in the Southeast, and as many in Mirebalais in the center of the country, Dr. Lionel Carmant has helped more than 5,000 affected by "malkadi " (epilepsy) through good times and bad.
Epilepsy is a disease of the central nervous system, which causes the appearance of repeated convulsions. It demonstrates itself with paroxystic abnormal electric hyperactivity in the brain. It can cause the person to lose consciousness, to have complex hallucinations (visual, hearing, etc.) and/or other sorts of symptoms.
Carmant himself lived through similar episodes when he was 16 following a car accident in Haiti. He remained for a week in a coma. When he awoke, he decided to study medicine, specifically neurology.
Currently, he is a neurologist, and Professor of Neurosciences and Pediatrics at the CHU (TEACHING HOSPITAL) St. Justine in Montreal. With two other doctors, Solomon Moshé and Alix Elie, Dr. Carmant created the Private Hospital of Epilepsy of Port-au-Prince (CLIDEP).
The first year, the hospital received only 500 patients, only 100 of whom were able to pay. Thanks to the successes of the Port-au-Prince hospital, a private hospital of epilepsy has just opened in Mirebalais in the central (Plateau) in partnership with Partners In Health. Another one is operating in Jacmel at the Hospital Saint Michel thanks to the help of the Canadian Red Cross. Another private clinic project in Petit-Goave is underway with the support of the Foundation Marcel and Jean Coutu. Dr. Carmant dreams of having about ten private hospitals in various region to answer the need of the population.
In Haiti, one child out of 10 suffers from cerebral palsy and is affected by epileptic seizures. Nevertheless one or two neurologists only are available for a ratio of 10 million inhabitants.
The disease affects approximately 1 % of the world population. But in Haiti its prevalence is within 10 % of the population. According to the estimation of Dr. Carmant, nearly a million Haitians are affected by the disease.
"People know what it is,” said Dr. Carmant. “But due to a lack of means, they go to see herbalists,” said the neurologist.
Faced by the weak purchasing power of the majority of his patients, Dr. Carmant opts for very low consultation costs and uses annual fundraising galas in Montreal to be able to give free medicine to the patients. Those affected by this illness must take their medicine indefinitely in order to assure their well-being.