Haitian Fate

If you lived in Haiti, you might wake up to the sound of gunfire. If you managed to weave through the capital's violence-stricken streets to get to school, you might find it converted into a shelter for thousands of displacedForced to leave their homes people.

There would be no school lunch - 4.4 million people are suffering food insecurity - and you might even struggle to find water to drink or to wash yourself with. If you got sick, you would struggle to visit one of the country's hospitals, which have been targeted by armed groups. 

Food, water and shelter are becoming harder to find for the country's 11.5 million residents. 5.5 million people are in need of humanitarianPeople or views that advocate for human welfare aid, whilst 3.4 million people are in need of basic water and sanitation.¹

And this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the country's myriadA countless or extremely great number of people or things. problems. Thousands of prisoners are on the loose after gangs stormed Haiti's jails. Following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021, a power vacuumA political situation where someone in power has lost control, creating space for new forces to take their place. has allowed armed gangs to flourish.²

In 2023, almost 4,000 people were killed and 3,000 kidnapped in gang-related violence.³ More than 300,000 people have been displaced.

The anarchyA situation in which there are no rulers. The term can be used to describe complete political chaos or mob rule, but those who call themselves anarchists generally believe in mutual aid and cooperation, not a war of all-against-all. shows no signs of slowing down. At least 12 people died on Tuesday after gunmen stormed two wealthy neighbourhoods in Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince. And late last week, the capital was brought to its knees by gang attacks as civilians desperately attempted to flee.

In the early 19th Century, Haiti became the first independent CaribbeanThe region made up of the Caribbean Sea and its islands, including the West Indies. state after it threw off French colonialWhen a region or country is controlled politically by another. rule. But freedom did not come cheap. France demanded that Haiti pay reparationsProviding payment to make amends for a wrongdoing. to former slave owners, a "debt" which was not paid off in full until 1947.⁴

In the two centuries since it broke free from colonial control, Haiti has been struck repeatedly by dictatorships, natural disasters and economic instability. It is the poorest country in the Western HemisphereThe half of the world that lies west of the prime (Greenwich) meridian and includes North and South America, the eastern Pacific Ocean, the Caribbean Sea, and the majority of the Atlantic Ocean., with half of its population living below the World Bank's poverty line.

The country that was once a beaconA source of light or inspiration of hope for self-determination, freedom from colonial oppression and racial equality has descended into relentless anarchy. But how can we tackle this grave and deep-rooted crisis?

To some, the answer could not be more obvious. For more than 120 years, Haiti paid back its "independence debt" of 90 million gold francs to France, which amounted to as much as 80% of Haiti's revenuesEarned money or income per year. It has been called "the greatest heistTheft or, more accurately, armed robbery in history".⁵

What arguments could there be against France paying back this "debt" through reparations to its former colony? Campaigners claim that the debt was illegal even back in 1825, and by today's standards few would see it as anything other than a gross injusticeA lack of fairness or justice.

Others have taken the US as their target, criticising  its harsh asylumWhen a state agrees to shelter somebody who is fleeing dangerous circumstances. The right to asylum is protected in international law by the 1951 Refugee Convention. policy for refugees from Haiti. On Thursday, the US Coast Guard sent 65 asylum seekers attempting to flee Haiti by boat back to the country's turbulentUnstable or moving violently capital.

Some have even called for an international security force to restore order in the capital. However, some worry that such an intervention from a Western power could recall the country's colonial past. International aid, many have argued, has been slow to reach Haiti, but it might be a more logical first step.

Is there a solution?

Yes: Haiti's problems have their roots in the crippling economic problems the country faced after independence. The only solution is for modern reparations from France and the US to make past injustices right.

No: There will be no clear-cut solution. Neither money or aid would be sufficient in this case, since money will go into the hands of a corrupt government, and aid will be intercepted by the country's many armed groups.

Or... A combination of a number of approaches is the only way to help the people of Haiti. There can be no single solution to such a complex problem.