After the Quake

The devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti has left more than 150,000 dead as heroic individuals work tirelessly to contain the damage and rebuild the struggling nation. Already one of the poorest countries in the world before the natural disaster, Haiti will need aid not only immediately but also years down the road as it reconstructs its infrastructure, recollects its government, and revamps its economy. This extended recovery mission will require a team committed for the long haul as well as a multilateral approach that spreads responsibility amongst all members of the world community. For these reasons, the United Nations is the organization best suited to coordinate relief efforts and rebuild the Haitian state.

The U.N.’s doctrine of Responsibility to Protect makes it the appropriate body to spearhead this endeavor. Adopted in 2001, this policy calls on all nations to provide for their collective security through shared responsibility of world crises. The tragedy in Haiti unmistakably qualifies as a crisis. With this in mind, the U.N. is the proper agent to organize necessary supplies and services in the short term and sustain the Haitian government in the long term, since it can best facilitate the cross-national efforts required under the Responsibility to Protect.

The appeal of a U.N. led rescue and recovery mission lies in its implication of multilateralism and political neutrality. As an association of nations, the U.N. must lead a global response to a severe disaster. All member nations would contribute to the U.N. relief effort, creating multilateral engagement that will foster a much greater sense of respect and credibility than any unilateral response could generate. A unilateral mission could be looked upon with suspicion. The U.N. is a politically neutral body without any personal, economic, or political ambitions, making its involvement the most palatable to all nations.

However, our stance on the future of the operation in no way denounces the American response. In fact, we commend our fellow citizens for their swift and passionate contributions to Haiti. Nearly half of all Americans have donated to the rescue mission—certainly a laudable achievement. Our government also deserves recognition for its coordination of multifaceted relief efforts. Without a doubt, the U.S. has rendered Haiti and the world, a great service with its outpouring of aid.

Although the U.N. should soon take the reigns of the relief mission, it can only accomplish its goals in Haiti if member nations continue providing their unwavering support in the form of money, supplies, and labor. The U.N. is as effective as the sum of its parts, its resolve only as robust as the commitment of its members. While the U.N. should be in charge of coordinating the resources and services, its success depends on the continued contributions of the international community.

Those in charge of planning the recovery in Haiti must recognize the abject poverty and suffering that existed there even before the quake. In order to succeed, the U.N. must nudge the Haitian economy in the right direction by reforesting the environment and rebuilding destroyed infrastructure.

In the past century, Haiti has transformed its ecological landscape by felling trees for charcoal. This practice has eroded the topsoil in many regions, making agriculture difficult for farmers and forcing them to overcrowd the cities, which then leads to crime and poverty. For long-term success, Haiti must transition to sustainable agriculture, which would help the economy as well as the environment.

As an underdeveloped nation, Haiti was especially vulnerable to a disaster of this magnitude. Once the rubble clears, relief groups must focus on modernizing the country’s decrepit infrastructure. The Army Corps of Engineers has specified that any recovery in Haiti must renovate the ports, airfields, electrical grids, and water and road systems. It is not enough to merely restore Haiti to its former condition; true relief means leaving the country with the means to provide essential services to its own people.

The devastation in Haiti has been a real human tragedy. However, the tremendous outpouring of support suggests that there is reason for optimism. When the dust clears, we hope that the U.N. and its constituent nations act efficiently and deliberately to build a stronger and more resilient Haiti.