Haiti (pop. 9 million) is a country that has always been living on the edge. For centuries, this country has been plagued by violence, bad governance, dictatorship, poverty, corruption and environmental degradation. Today, Haiti is the poorest country in the Western hemisphere and it virtually depends on the UN for her security and many other services. Haiti and the Dominican Republic are two countries that share the same Island. To the best of my knowledge, Haiti is the only country in the world where you can determine its national land boundary with her neighbor just by looking at satellite photos. From space you can differentiate Haiti from the Dominican Republic by the greenery in the Dominican Republic and the barren land of Haiti--a country where less than 1.5% of its original forest still remains intact.

Natural disasters like hurricanes and the recent earthquake only come to compound or feed on the man-made ones. With about 84% of the population living below the poverty line, there is no wonder that a cholera outbreak there is feeding on poverty-driven squalid conditions to spread like wild fire. Haiti’s disasters seem to be evolving in a cascading sequences and the desperate population seems to be losing hope, losing patience and even losing their senses. Some have even begun to attack the only institution that is protecting them and ensuring the existence of the country--the United Nations Organization. Situations like these can tempt the people trying to help this country to throw their hands up in despair.

Nobody seems to figure out when Haiti will ever return to normalcy given the complex social, economic and environmental challenges facing this failing state.

The story of Haiti is long and complicated and I can only recommend the links below for more knowledge on the subject.

Historical Timeline of Haiti

http://www.theroot.com/views/haiti-historical-timeline

Timeline of Haiti’s Natural Disasters

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2010-01/14/content_9316563.htm

Environmental History of Haiti

http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/43a/index-ca.html

Njei Moses Timah