Home  News Regional News Haiti’s hungry could cause more unrest
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Haiti’s hungry could cause more unrest |
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Sunday, 19 October 2008 |
A new wave of social unrest could be on the horizon for Haiti, if the plight of the hurricane-ravaged nation is not addressed soon, the top UN envoy to Haiti said Friday.
The regions poorest nation was severely damaged by four storms - Fay, Gustav, Hanna and Ike - in the space of about a month leaving over 800 people dead in their wake. In the city of Gonaives alone, 520 were killed.
According to Hedi Annabi UN envoy, the relief effort needed to rectify the problem is beyond the reach of Haiti and the United Nations alone and ignoring Haiti's plight could reignite turmoil, especially since the food crisis earlier this year caused deadly riots in the country.
Annabi told reporters that “A poor, angry and desperate population is not compatible with security and stability."
He expressed confidence in the UN Security Council’s renewal of the mandate of the UN Haiti mission, MINUSTAH, for another year, but said Haiti needs hundreds of millions of dollars to improve drainage and sewer systems there.
With 98 percent of Haiti’s forests destroyed, hurricanes and even heavy rainfall usually create landslides. This aspect of Haiti’s landscape has been a detriment to the country, and as such Annabi is calling for large-scale reforestation along with an alternative energy plan, since Haitians depend of firewood as their main energy source.
Annabi said MINUSTAH was working with Haitian authorities to help the devastated city of Gonaives, which was coated with some three million cubic meters of mud that could turn rock hard. "It's as close as it comes to a hell on earth," he said.
Haiti is still at risk for hurricane damage, as the season is not yet over, but the international community and developed countries are also reeling from the financial collapse and failing economies, so their aid to Haiti could be affected.
The World Food Program, said last month, it could only continue to help Haiti’s flood victims until November.
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