I count at least three major setbacks Haiti has endured almost simultaneously. First, a barely functioning caretaker government following last month's assassination of its former president. Then Saturday's deadly 7.2 magnitude earthquake, followed in rapid succession by flooding and mudslides from yesterday's tropical storm Grace. This on top of an ongoing global pandemic, to say nothing of the fact that Haiti never fully recovered from an even deadlier earthquake that occurred 11 years ago.
What should we make of this, watching a impoverished nation writhe in multi-disaster agony? This, among many other things: Haitians can expect little to no assistance from their government as they struggle to recover. Therein lies the lesson for the rest of us. Yes, I may live in a wealthy country currently preparing to make available a third COVID vaccine dose when countries around the world are begging for their first jab. But that doesn't mean that there isn't a range of disaster scenarios that can, should they occur in sufficient quantity or intensity, catastrophically overwhelm even the richest, best-organized society's ability to respond.
Without getting into any of the religious, political, cultural or scientific mine fields that encompass the
why, suffice it to say I believe we are entering an era of unprecedented vulnerability. For sure do your own risk assessments and prep for what you personally feel is worth worrying about. But I think it wise to plan for at least some scenarios where you can expect no outside help for an indefinite period of time. That may mean becoming completely self-sufficient. It could mean the ability to go completely off grid. It could also mean establishing tight bonds with like-minded family, friends and neighbors for mutual assistance.
Quote... [T]he Haitian government, which has promised to centralize and coordinate the relief efforts, has been largely absent from the affected communities.
...
The new prime minister, Ariel Henry, toured the affected area the day after the earthquake, but he had little to offer the desperate residents apart from words of reassurance. Underlining Haiti's limited resources, Mr. Henry had to travel on an airplane lent by the air force of neighboring Dominican Republic.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/18/world/americas/haiti-quake-aid.html (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/18/world/americas/haiti-quake-aid.html)