Thousands Feared Dead in Haiti Quake

Mainstream news outlets are full of reports today on the horrific aftermath of Haiti’s magnitude 7.0 earthquake, which occured Tuesday. Aid workers and newsmen report that perhaps as many as 100,000 people were killed by the temblor, and an untold number of buildings were destroyed, including the presidential palace, the prison, hospitals, schools and churches. 

Already the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with 80% of its population living below the poverty line, the toll taken by this disaster is almost beyond comprehension. News organizations report that corpses of young and old are piling up today in the streets of the capital, Port au Prince, by the hundreds. While the U.S. and other countries have promised immediate aid and support, the task before them in rebuilding this already chaotic nation is monumental. In recent years, four tropical storms battered the island, which suffers from more than 15% annual inflation.

Reporting on such events is normally outside our purview, but, as with the tsunamis in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific, we would urge you to contribute what you can to relief organizations that are on the front lines of support. Not too many years ago, Haiti was a fascinating place to visit, with a poor but vibrant culture and a rich ‘primitivist’ art movement. We can only hope the silver lining to this tragedy will be that Haiti can rebuild its infrastructure through abundant international aid, so its people can finally climb out of abject poverty.