Weare saddened at the unbelievable destruction that has befallen Jamaica's neighbor, Haiti, in the devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010.
The KCOBA joins with the world community in sending our prayers and hopes for the Haitian people's deliverance in this period of great destruction and distress.
Many lives have been lost; many buildings have been destroyed and many, many more are without shelter. And over 200,000 are estimated dead. The amazing resilience of the people of Haiti is once again being tested.
Our contributing editor, Barrington Salmon captured the sentiments of many of us when he wrote:
"As a Jamaican, I am heartbroken by the latest tragedy to befall our neighbors but I hope that this disaster becomes the catalyst for real and wide-ranging change in the Haitian landscape. The devastation could be an opportunity for the world community to contribute to the rebuilding of what is essentially a failed state. It is stunning to realize that to this point, any activity by the Haitian government to attempt to deal with the aftermath has been absent. Pictures coming from Port Au Prince show ordinary people digging, rescuing their neighbors, burying the dead. I have seen no uniforms of a Haitian soldier or police officer which is tragic.
Since enslaved Haitians shook off the chains of slavery and defeated the mightiest armies of France, Britain and Holland in the 1700s, that country's people have suffered incalculably by a policy of ostracism and punishment by France, the US and other European powers. It has not helped that governments, world institutions like the IMF and World Bank and others have turned a blind eye to the blatant theft of billions of dollars by the political and social elite.
At the risk of being accused of meddling in a country's internal affairs, the question facing all of us, is when should we be our brother's keepers?
Our Haitian brothers and sisters are in our prayers for there but for the grace of God go I."
Jamaicans should certainly give thanks. The fault associated with the earthquake that devastated Haiti also extends to the Plantain Garden River in St. Thomas, Jamaica. It is the only important river which does not follow the general rule of flowing north or south. Flowing mostly east, it flows through the fertile Plantain Garden River Valley and enters the sea at Holland Bay.
The fault line that links Haiti and Jamaica is the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault Zone (EPGFZ) and it was also responsible for the 1907 Kingston earthquake. The similarities between the 1907 Kingston earthquake and the are 2010 Port-au-Prince earthquake amazing. You can read the Gleaner special on the 1907 Kingston earthquake here.
The Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault Zone
Life has never been easy in Haiti. After defeating the French to become the world's first country of enslaved workers to stand up and demand their freedom and independence, Haiti was subjected to numerous injustices whose effects are felt to this day. The French government in 1825 demanded 90 million gold francs to "compensate" white planters for property loss due to the revolutionary war and the end of slavery. The former slaves got nothing. To pay, Haiti had to borrow money at usurious rates from France, and was still paying until 1947, by which time its fate as the Western Hemisphere's poorest country had been sealed.
Even the US did not recognize Haiti until after the civil war many decades later. In fact, Haiti suffered an unjust isolation from world trade during much of the 19th century. In the 20th century, a myriad of problems plagued the country: political unrest, corruption, brutal dictators, illiteracy and indiscipline. The US even occupied the country for some 19 years from 1915 to 1934 ostensibly to restore order and protect American interests.
I have been transfixed by the images coming out of Haiti today. Bodies are being dumped in mass graves without any form of burial due to the health implications of decaying corpses in the streets. Memory can raise no trophies on these tombs. And we cannot impute to these poor suffers the fault. Chill penury has indeed repressed their noble rage.
It is time to make Haiti whole--historical justice and morality demand it.
The Florida chpater of the KCOBA has donated $500 to the earthquake relief and members of various chapters have also made individual donations.
The world is responding to the humanitarian crisis unfolding before our eyes. Here in Atlanta various groups are raising funds and collecting supplies in support of the people of Haiti. The Atlanta Jamaican Association (AJA) is one of those groups collecting funds for the cause. Another is the Haitian Alliance.
AJA's President, Errol Ritchie, offers his condolences and heartfelt sympathy to the families affected by the recent earthquake in Haiti, and pledges AJA's support in the relief effort. Mr. Ritchie has been in contact with the Jamaican Honorary Consul here and with the Haitian Alliance.
