PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (Nov. 6) -- It's raining in Haiti still.. It began to rain Thursday and forecasters predict the effects of Tomas, now a tropical storm, will bring rain through today, and maybe Sunday.
But everywhere, there is the feeling that it's always raining on Haiti, even when the sun is shining. That Haiti is a victim of a cosmic joke. First the poverty, then the earthquake, then the cholera, now hurricanes. Just waiting on the locusts, etc.
There is an old Yiddish tale-and if ever there was a moment for Jewish folklore in Haiti, it's now-about a village man who lives in a crowded house. And every time he asks God for a reprieve, the house suddenly becomes more crowded. Until there he is, with his family, and the goats and cows and chickens, thinking, How did it come to this?
The lesson, of course, is that things could always be worse. And here, like everywhere, they often are.
The U.S. government hasn't yet given its share of the $5.3 billion the world promised Haiti at the United Nations in February. As the Associated Press reported, bureaucratic hurdles in Congress are stalling an effort to give $1.15 billion. The State Department would like to further analyze the situation, to ensure the money isn't squandered by corruption.
But ordinary Americans have already contributed hundreds of millions of dollars for the humanitarian response effort. And Haiti has long been a recipient of international aid. Many were shocked this week, to see how ill-prepared the country was for another disaster.
Link: http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/does-sending-aid-to-haiti-make-a-difference/19705696
What do you think: Should the U.S. keep giving aid? Can Haiti change?
But everywhere, there is the feeling that it's always raining on Haiti, even when the sun is shining. That Haiti is a victim of a cosmic joke. First the poverty, then the earthquake, then the cholera, now hurricanes. Just waiting on the locusts, etc.
There is an old Yiddish tale-and if ever there was a moment for Jewish folklore in Haiti, it's now-about a village man who lives in a crowded house. And every time he asks God for a reprieve, the house suddenly becomes more crowded. Until there he is, with his family, and the goats and cows and chickens, thinking, How did it come to this?
The lesson, of course, is that things could always be worse. And here, like everywhere, they often are.
The U.S. government hasn't yet given its share of the $5.3 billion the world promised Haiti at the United Nations in February. As the Associated Press reported, bureaucratic hurdles in Congress are stalling an effort to give $1.15 billion. The State Department would like to further analyze the situation, to ensure the money isn't squandered by corruption.
But ordinary Americans have already contributed hundreds of millions of dollars for the humanitarian response effort. And Haiti has long been a recipient of international aid. Many were shocked this week, to see how ill-prepared the country was for another disaster.
Link: http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/does-sending-aid-to-haiti-make-a-difference/19705696
What do you think: Should the U.S. keep giving aid? Can Haiti change?
