Poverty In Haiti

Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the world, with over half of the population living in extreme poverty, is in desperate need of help (“Poverty in Haiti: Aid, Earthquakes, and Imperialism”). The level of poverty in Haiti is so high that it stands out from the other countries in Latin America. Because of extreme poverty, children are often separated from their families and end up living in orphanages. Many Haitians live on the streets without money or resources needed to overcome poverty (“Top 5 Facts about Poverty in Haiti”). Throughout history and today, Haitians have lived in poverty with small chance of being able to provide for themselves and their families, but organizations such as KORE are investing in the lives of those suffering.

When Haiti declared its independence after a slave rebellion in the late 1800s, France caused massive debt and discrimination in the country when they attempted to take it back. Poverty in Haiti was made worse when the United States intervened years later, supporting the dictatorship that sent the country downhill economically and socially. America was selfishly helping themselves and building their own economy, but was simultaneously destroying the economy of Haiti. In the span of 20 years, the country went from being a rice exporter to a massive importer, but not because of their own doing. In 2010, the biggest earthquake since 1770 struck Haiti, causing over 250,000 deaths and affecting at least three million people, drastically increasing the level of poverty (“Top 5 Facts about Poverty in Haiti”). The earthquake destroyed practically everything, leaving the country in ruins. The small amount of infrastructure in Haiti was destroyed, leaving the government with no way to organize and regulate life. Left without an economy, the country was impossible to save. The World Bank estimates that the earthquake caused eight million dollars in damage, leading the country further into poverty (“Top 5 Facts about Poverty in Haiti”). Although the earthquake happened six years ago, Haiti is still in need of help. These national

About 60 percent of Haiti’s population lives on the street with less than one dollar a day. Only 50 percent of the people have access to a clean water source, meaning that they have to drink from rivers, lakes, and streams, no matter how filthy it is. Even if some have access to an improved water source, a total of 80 percent of the population does not have access to satisfactory sanitation. Those that are able to get to clean water are still in danger of disease and infection. Also, because of the lack of health care, diseases such as hepatitis, typhoid fever, and malaria run rampant. This causes the average life span to range from the mid to late forties. In the video, Poverty in Haiti, Chad Thompson describes his experience in Haiti just four months after the massive earthquake. The information on media and news regarding the poverty in the destroyed country was not nearly as severe as what was actually happening. Children were running barefoot in sewage infested streets with pieces of glass everywhere. The people slaughtered animals and ate fish that were several weeks old in order to survive. The two main results of poverty in Haiti are the huge amount of orphans and devastating living