In the first hours after the disaster of January 12, I already crossed the Dominicans border Jimani-Malpasse with several doctors who did not ask any question but to be present and find the first hospital in Port-au-Prince to be useful. Then there are added American volunteers, French, Colombian, Slovak, Cuban, Russian, Venezuelan, Chinese, Indian, who made the trip to the airport from the Dominican Republic to be in Haiti. These international volunteers must represent over 90% of professional effort in relief. They work and live in difficult and precarious. They sleep in tents in the street, in vehicles in a country they do not know and eat canned meals and other such. They experience the risk of several aftershocks next to the victims. I was equally happy to visit a few hospitals and meet several young rescuers and other volunteers from Haiti to the United States living under the same conditions.
However, I expect that the “international Haitian community”, an expression of my friend Jacky Lumarque, Rector of the University Quisqueya, is present in greater numbers. It is, of course, fortunately, but too weak to make a difference and influence future decisions. I therefore make this appeal to note how the emergency and reconstruction in Haiti likely to be without the Haitians. Not because foreigners want to exclude Haitians, but because the Haitian elites, particularly those from abroad, are not visible in this huge international effort of solidarity.
The participation of the vast reservoir of human resources of the Haitian foreign relief is far too low and it is extremely worrying for reconstruction in Haiti. 80% of qualified human resources are outside the country and more than ever the country can manage without this human capital expatriate. I remain convinced, for example, a greater presence of this international Haitian community, through its organizations and its leaders, would immediately make progress in better management and coordination of international assistance . It would be a shame to miss this great moment of leadership.
I greet all the compatriots in Haiti and abroad, professionals or not the emergency that gave everything they could as volunteers to transport the wounded, helping others under those slabs of concrete , clearing the streets, picking up the dead, organize families in the affected areas, distribute food and water. Take for example the University Quisqueya. Although devastated, she has mobilized its remaining space and staff present in Port-au-Prince to hold on its two campuses (which has again been completely destroyed) two care units. This mainly with the help of foreign doctors (American and Slovak) and a strong involvement of its students. I also think college Universe Ouanaminthe, which prompted doctors, teachers, parents, a truck to distribute food aid in Port-au-Prince and participate in the relief effort. I see some restaurants in Port-au-Prince turn into soup kitchen for children at certain times. Some individuals offer the courtyard of their house to welcome neighbors momentarily neighborhood. The most touching is to meet the Haitians and the Haitian on these public spaces transformed into a camp for homeless people, talk and share with the victims. When we lost everything, a word of comfort is as much or more than thousands of water bottles.
I am pleased that all these efforts of my compatriots continue even with their limited resources. Nothing can replace or substitute for it, because it is nearby. Once again, condolences to the entire Haitian families. Haiti will rise again, I am convinced, if we organize themselves accordingly and if the international community that Haiti has so many ideas and resources invested, effectively. This also implies and urgent measures (eg dual nationality) for that beyond the emergency, this investment can be sustained. It is necessary to “re-build” parallel this Haitian family dislocated from inside and outside, divided by all sorts of divisions to give the sense of a common future. This is the sense that all this effort of solidarity towards Haitians Haitians, even if weak and disorganized is hopeful and is encouraged.
As for economic reconstruction, it will be a slow task, difficult, frustrating, where few resources are present at the beginning are still active. Soon the cameras around the world will go away. This will be the turn of Haitians, regardless of where they live, to fulfill their destiny with the passing and the sense of responsibility to live up to this tragedy. Only then will the decisive support of the “international community” will be effective.
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