Why is Haiti unable to handle its humanitarian crisis?
Haiti’s prime minister is under mounting pressure as little help reaches survivors of a powerful earthquake.
It is a nation that has long suffered from natural disasters and political turmoil. Haiti is once again devastated – by a powerful earthquake.
The tragedy has been accelerated by a tropical storm on top of the pandemic. At least 2,000 people have been killed, many are displaced and hospitals are overwhelmed.
That is while the country is yet to elect a new president after the assassination of Jovenel Moise last month.
Aid is trickling in slowly and agencies are struggling to get food and urgent medical care to those in need.
So, is Haiti only overwhelmed by the humanitarian crisis? Or are there underlying problems?
Presenter: Sami Zeidan
Guests:
Eugenia Charles – Executive director of Fondasyon Mapou, an organisation delivering aid in Haiti
Joseph Harold Pierre – Academic and political consultant on Haiti and Latin America
Jake Johnston – Senior research associate at Center for Economic and Policy Research