Haiti: A year in reports

Al Jazeera’s Sebastian Walker reported from Haiti for more than a year, witnessing the struggle of the island state to recover from the January 2010 earthquake, followed by tropical storms, political turmoil and a cholera epidemic.

Looking back at his reports from when he arrived in Haiti in January 2010, we follow his year in Haiti after the quake.

Haitians struggle to cope amid aftermath of earthquake                                               January 14, 2010

 

Barack Obama, the US president, gave a televised speech in response to Haiti’s catastrophic earthquake as victims spent their second day struggling with the destruction it left behind.

Thousands of Haitians are now left to survive without water, sanitation or electricity.

The Red Cross in Haiti fears that up to 50,000 people were killed in Tuesday’s earthquake, but Haitian officials say it could be twice that.

Despair in Haiti quake aftermath                                                                             January 15, 2010

In the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti, life has become a struggle for those who survived the disaster. Bodies still remain unburied by the side of the road, and supplies of food and water are scarce.

Aid has slowly started to arrive but, tired of waiting for relief, many residents are trying to leave the capital, Port-au-Prince.

Disputes emerge over Haiti aid control                                                                             January 17, 2010

 

Five days after the devastating earthquake struck Haiti, fear and misery is spreading across an already fragile nation.

After a relatively slow start, US forces appear to be taking the lead in organising international aid efforts on the ground. But there is a long way to go. Residents outside the capital complain they have been forgotten.

In rural towns and villages survivors have largely been left to fend for themselves.

 

Haiti earthquake – US aid mission                                                                                      January 19, 2010

 

Thousands of US troops have arrived on the island, trying to offer security and distribute what humanitarian aid there is, and the UN Security Council is expected to approve the deployment of 3,500 extra UN troops.

But critics say before more security forces arrive, it is medical equipment, nurses and doctors that need to be allowed access to the country if aid efforts can really begin to reach those most in need.

 

Cruise controversy in Haiti                                                                                      January 24, 2010

 

Cruise ships are bringing tourists to a private Haitian beach resort, which is less than 200km from the quake-hit capital, Port-au-Prince.

The scene of comfort and joy, on an island where thousands of people have died or are in dire need of food, water and medical aid, has provoked much controversy and concern.

However, many of the tourists and the cruise company have said that they are helping Haiti’s economy by spending money in the Caribbean island.

Faith factor in Haiti aid effort                                                                                             January 26, 2010

 

Before the January 12 earthquake devastated Haiti, numerous faith-based humanitarian organisations operated in the predominantly Catholic island.

And now groups like the Church of Scientology International, Operation Blessing and the American Jewish World Service, have expanded their presence by sending in teams of volunteers, donating food, medicines and equipment.

However, some Haitians, including Haiti’s head Voodoo priest, question the true motive behind these humanitarian acts.

Haiti leaders face public anger                                                                                        February 16, 2010

 

Almost five weeks after Haiti’s earthquake, the fallout from the disaster is spilling into the political arena.

Haitians angry at what they feel is the government’s mishandling of the crisis, are rallying for the return of the former president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Sarkozy pledges Haiti support                                                                                        February 17, 2010

 

France says it will give $400m of aid to Haiti over two years to help rebuild the quake-hit country.

President Nicolas Sarkozy announced the aid package during an historic visit to Port-au-Prince.

He is the first French head of state to visit Haiti, which won independence from France more than 200 years ago.

Haiti warns of political violence                                                                                       February 20, 2010

 

Jean-Max Bellerive, Haiti’s prime minister, says his government is in danger of collapsing, as gangs and political opponents capitalise on its inability to deal with the aftermath of the January 12 earthquake.

His comments come amid concern that armed gangs could try to take advantage of the situation to re-take control of areas now patrolled by UN peacekeepers.

But the presence of foreign soldiers is seen as an insult to many who remain deeply loyal to Jean-Bertrand Aristide, Haiti’s former president, whose second term ended when he was ousted in a coup in 2004.

Haiti reopens airport after quake                                                                                     February 20, 2010

 

The first commercial passenger flight since the earthquake hit Haiti on January 12 has arrived.

Although Haiti’s airport was damaged in the quake, it remained operational with the help of the US military.

Haitian former rebel leader slams quake response                                                             February 26, 2010

 

Haiti’s most notorious former rebel leader has criticised the government’s response to the January 12 earthquake and has called on Rene Preval, the Haitian president, to resign.

In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, fugitive rebel leader Guy Philippe says the Haitian government failed to adequately deal with the aftermath of the devastating quake.

Haiti battles growing crime wave                                                                                          March 17, 2010

 

Survivors of January’s massive earthquake in Haiti are facing a growing tide of violent crime, especially in the tent cities that shelter the tens of thousands made homeless by the disaster.

Violent crime was a problem in Haiti even before January’s earthquake, but since then Haitian officials say there has been an increase in shootings and sexual assaults.

In some neighbourhoods residents have formed special brigades to try and ensure security.

Profiting from Hatiti’s disaster?                                                                                              March 22, 2010

 

Millions of dollars from around the world are pouring into Haiti to provide basic aid for the earthquake-devastated nation. Millions of dollars in foreign investments are also flowing into the country to help it rebuild and shape its future.

However, many Haitians see the expansion of foreign companies as a way to take advantage of the widespread poverty plaguing the country, where the unemployment rate is up to 80 per cent.

The exploitation concerns come as former US presidents Bill Clinton and George Bush prepare to visit the Caribbean nation on Monday to discuss long-term recovery efforts with Haitian officials.

And a part of their plans will be to discuss the expansion of clothing industries in the country – in which workers earn less than $4 a day – one of the lowest wages in the world.

Tough going for Haiti amputees as they rebuild lives                                                             March 29, 2010

 

An estimated 4,000 people in Haiti had an arm or leg amputated after being trapped in the rubble following January’s massive earthquake.

Al Jazeera’s Sebastian Walker reports from the capital Port-au-Prince on a whole generation of new amputees who will be needing months, or even years, of rehabilitation as they battle to rebuild their lives.

Haiti farmers sceptical of UN aid                                                                                        March 29, 2010

 

Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, is calling on the international community to “create a new Haiti” out of the wreckage left by January’s devastating earthquake.

Representatives of more than 100 countries are due to gather for an international donors’ conference at the United Nations on Wednesday, where they will shift the focus from humanitarian efforts to long-term recovery and developmental goals.

One of the key objectives is to reform and rejuvenate Haiti’s agricultural system to allow farmers to increase food production and cut imports of rice, sugar and poultry.

However, in Haiti’s agricultural bread basket, some farmers are worried that they will not get the help they need to expand food production and feed their country.

Haitians sceptical of foreign aid                                                                                           March 31, 2010

 

The divide between aid workers and quake victims is increasing in Port-au-Prince.

Storms threaten Haiti survivors                                                                                            April 12, 2010

 

Three months after the Haiti earthquake there are concerns that the approaching hurricane season could bring another humanitarian disaster to Haiti.

The coming storms will put many of Haiti’s estimated one million homeless at risk, unless safe shelter for them can be found. But as Al Jazeera’s Sebastian Walker reports, some say those in charge are not moving fast enough.

Colourful bus rides in Haiti                                                                                                    April 18, 2010

 

More than three months after Haiti’s devastating earthquake, getting around the country remains a tough challenge.

Only three per cent of Haitians own cars, so one of the only alternatives to walking is to ride on cheap buses known as “tap taps”.

Images ranging from US rappers to Jesus Christ are hand-painted on these vibrant and colourful buses, which are decorated to attract more customers.

Haitian “tap tap” drivers say the colourful buses are also a way to escape daily realities in the struggling country.

Haiti to evict ‘squatters’                                                                                                        April 20, 2010

 

With around 10,000 international groups who all say they are doing what they can to help rebuild the country following January’s deadly 7.0 magnitude earthquake, Haiti has become known by some as the “Republic of NGOs”.

More than a million Haitians were left homeless, and efforts to relocate many of them have proved challenging. Now the government – which itself suffered heavy losses – is beginning to evict what some are calling squatters. But many say they have nowhere to go.

Anger in Haiti over aid levels                                                                                                April 28, 2010

 

More than three months after the Haitian earthquake, the UN says it has now reached nearly all of the one-and-a-half million displaced people living in emergency shelters.

But some say those figures are misleading and do not reflect the realities on the ground. And many Haitians remain angry over their squalid living conditions.

Haitians struggle for shelter                                                                                       May 16, 2010

 

As the rain pours down on the victims of January’s earthquake, some of those who lost their homes have still not received materials to build temporary shelters from aid agencies.

Instead they have been forced to buy a few tarpaulin sheets or tents on the black market.

Quake art aids Haiti recovery                                                                                                  June 7, 2010

 

Nearly six months after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, the Caribbean nation is beginning to show signs of a cultural comeback.

Artists are creating what is being called “earthquake art”, drawn from their experiences of surviving the disaster that killed more than 200,000 people.

Haiti’s vulnerable youth face exploitation                                                                             June 15, 2010

 

For the fifth year in a row Haiti has been singled out as a special case in a US government report on human-trafficking. Even before January’s devastating earthquake, poverty made its people vulnerable to traffickers. But with hundreds of thousands of Haitians still homeless, more are at risk.

Haitians seek say in rebuilding                                                                                            June 17, 2010

 

Bill Clinton, the UN special envoy to Haiti, has been holding talks with international donors and Haitian leaders on how to spend billions of dollars in aid to help the country recover from its devastating January earthquake.

They say they are hopeful of rebuilding a stronger Haiti, but some Haitians say they feel left out of the process.

Haiti’s quake victims fear rape                                                                                              July 10, 2010

 

When a powerful earthquake devastated Haiti, aid workers poured into the country, along with pledges of security and billions of dollars in aid.

But six months on conditions for the victims have improved little, and in some cases it has become worse.

Haitians fight for better homes                                                                                              July 11, 2010

 

It has been almost six months since Haiti’s deadly earthquake displaced hundreds of thousands of people and forced them into makeshift camps.

With the Caribbean hurricane season looming, the need for more permanent homes is becoming increasingly acute, with many residents growing impatient and fighting for better living conditions.

Haiti’s orphans still in crisis                                                                                                  July 11, 2010

 

Six months after Haiti’s devastating earthquake, many of those affected say they are seeing little benefit from the money pledged for reconstruction.

The international community donated up to $10bn, but only a fraction of that money has been spent.

Haiti’s capital still in ruins                                                                                                    July 13, 2010

 

Six months after a massive earthquake struck Haiti, much of the capital remains in ruins.

Despite promises of help from around the world, one and a half million people are still homeless.

Slow progress in Haiti quake reconstruction                                                                            July 21, 2010

 

It has been six months since Haiti was hit by a massive earthquake, prompting an international response which saw billions of dollars pledged for aid and rebuilding.

The Interim Haiti Recovery Commission (IHRC) was established more than three months ago as the oversight body to ensure aid money is spent effectively, but reconstruction work has yet to start.

So far, the only project the IHRC has approved is a $31m request in June, leaving Haitians wondering what is taking it so long to get the job done.

Haitians rally for Wyclef Jean’s presidential candidacy                                                      August 21, 2010

 

The final list of approved candidates for Haiti’s presidential election set for November has been announced on Saturay, but Wyclef Jean, the hip-hop artist, has been denied eligibility.

Jean has been criticised for a lack of political experience and a vague platform. He says he accepts the decision of the electoral council and is urging his supporters to do the same. But many Haitians have marched through the streets in protest over Jean’s disqualification.

‘Gingerbread houses’ help Haiti rebuild                                                                             August 23, 2010

 

Despite the billions of dollars worth of damage caused by the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti in January, many of the capital’s oldest buildings are still standing.

Almost all of Port-au-Prince’s “Gingerbread houses” – elaborate wooden buildings, many more than a century old – managed to survive the quake.

The buildings were constructed during a time of prosperity in the country and feature an architectural style which fuses European colonial influence with traditional Haitian designs.

Now architects and engineers are using its structural design as an example of how the country should be rebuilt.

Quake-ravaged Haiti braces for storm disaster                                                               September 4, 2010

 

Haiti may soon find itself in the path of a storm taking shape in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, as it moves further into its own rainy season.

Weather forecasters say that Tropical Storm Gaston could become a hurricane and threaten the island by next week.

Haitian officials say a direct hit from a major storm could have catastrophic consequences for the population, thousands of whom are still living in makeshift tents after January’s earthquake.

Election security in Haiti                                                                                                  October 11, 2010

 

As Haiti’s presidential elections approach, riot police are being given extra training because of security concerns. But not everyone agrees that is the right tactic.

Haiti struggles to contain cholera                                                                                    October 22, 2010

 

A cholera outbreak in Haiti has killed scores of people in just two days.

The main hospital in the town of Saint Marc has been overwhelmed, with about 1,400 people trying to get treatment for severe diarrhoea, vomiting and dehydration.

Cholera confirmed in Haiti’s capital                                                                                    October 23, 2010

 

A cholera outbreak in Haiti that has already killed more than 200 people in the countryside has now made it to Port-au-Prince, the country’s capital.

More than one million people living in makeshift camps are at risk, with much of Port-au-Prince still in ruins following January’s huge earthquake.

Sebastian Walker met one woman who is waiting to hear if she has the disease.

Haiti battles cholera outbreak                                                                                          October 24, 2010

 

Cholera has killed hundreds of people in Haiti and more cases are reported every day.

Containing the spread of the disease is difficult in the poverty-stricken country where very many people have limited access to drinking water.

Sebastian Walker reports from the rural Artibonite region, where the outbreak started.

UN investigates cholera spread in Haiti                                                                            October 27, 2010

 

The Nepalese UN mission in Haiti could be the source of the deadly cholera outbreak there.

Haiti storm threatens quake camps                                                                                  November 4, 2010

 

Haiti is bracing for Tropical Storm Tomas, which threatens many fragile and crowded earthquake survivors’ camps in the poor Caribbean country.

Authorities have told more than a million Haitians to leave flimsy tent camps, where they have been sheltering since January’s earthquake.

The strengthening storm was expected to drench the island on Friday, which would most likely worsen a deadly cholera outbreak in the country.

Jean-Max Bellerive, Haiti’s prime minister, has told Al Jazeera that the government is doing all it can to provide aid and better shelter to the most vulnerable, but said it simply does not have the resources to help all of them.

Haiti quake survivors face Hurricane Tomas aftermath                                                      November 6, 2010

 

Hurricane Tomas has swept through Haiti but spared the island from widespread destruction as the hurricane-force winds feared by many never came.

Many people displaced by January’s devastating earthquake, and who still live in squalor in tented camps, now have to contend with flooding, deadly landslides and the risk of water-borne diseases.

Cholera spreads to Haiti’s capital                                                                                    November 9, 2010

 

The deadly Cholera outbreak in Haiti has spread to the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince, with scores of cases confirmed and numerous suspected deaths reported.

The water-borne disease, which thrives in unsanitary conditions, has already killed more than 580 people who had been forced to live in overcrowded camps throughout the country following a devastating January earthquake.

Sebastian Walker reports from Port-au-Prince, were he met some of the medics trying to fight the outbreak.

Protests over Haiti poll turn violent                                                                                  December 2, 2010

 

Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, has seen the fourth consecutive day of protests over Sunday’s presidential electons.

Several thousand demonstrators marched demanding a re-run, and accusing the current president of trying to rig the vote in favour of his candidate.

Haiti’s political turmoil hampers fight against cholera                                                        December 3, 2010

 

Political turmoil in Haiti is hampering the country’s fight against a cholera outbreak that has killed thousands since October.

A November 28 presidential election has been marred by widespread allegations of fraud that threatens to put the country in a state of deadlock.

Meanwhile, the UN secretary-general has appealed for more international aid help to combat Haiti’s cholera outbreak and says the disease could affect more than 600,000 Haitians over the next six months.

More poll protests in Haiti                                                                                              December 5, 2010

 

Protesters demand the annulment of Haiti’s election results.

Haiti gains reputation as ‘a republic of NGOs’                                                                     January 12, 2011

 

Even before the earthquake, Haiti’s government was not fully functioning and Haitians relied on non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for many services, including healthcare, education and humanitarian aid.

But many in the NGO community and outside of it say they are critical of the unchecked power this community can wield despite the good work.

A report from Oxfam, one of the major NGOs working in Haiti, admitted that international groups often exclude the state from their plans and should do more to work with the government.

Former exiled president returns to Haiti                                                                            January 17, 2011

 

Jean-Claude Duvalier, the exiled former president of Haiti, has returned to the Caribbean nation he once ruled with an iron fist.

Better known as Baby Doc, Duvalier was thrown out by a popular revolt in 1986 and it is feared that his surprise return could further destabilise a country already in turmoil.

Former Haitian leader ‘Baby Doc’ questioned                                                                     January 18, 2011

 

Prosecutors in Haiti have filed charges of corruption against Jean-Claude Duvalier, the former Haitian president.

The man known as Baby Doc who returned to Haiti on Sunday, has made no comment about the charges or his surprise homecoming.

Aristide returns to Haiti                                                                                                      March  18, 2011

 

Haiti’s crucial presidential vote is near but preparations for the poll may be overshadowed by the return of a popular ex-president.

Thousands of supporters turned out to welcome Jean-Bertrand Aristide who was in South Africa for seven years.

Cases of fraud reported in Haiti vote                                                                                   March  20, 2011

 

After the chaos and fraud of Haiti’s first round presidential vote led to weeks of political crisis, officials had promised it would be different this time.

Al Jazeera’s Sebastian Walker reports from the capital, Port-au-Prince, on whether officials were able to live up to their pledges for Sunday’s presidential runoff.

Martelly to take over battered Haiti                                                                                           April 6, 2011

 

Haiti’s defeated presidential candidate Mirlande Manigat says thousands of her supporters’ ballots were stolen.

Manigat accused the electoral council of falsifying the results. She now has just over a week to lodge a legal objection.

The preliminary tally from the elections shows a landslide win for Michel Martelly.