Booth 1

Emily Booth
AP Language
13 December 2016
Hurricane Matthew in Haiti
Hurricane Matthew left 350,000 Haitian citizens in need of assistance (Haiti: Hurricane
Matthew Leaves Hundreds Dead). Families are struggling to survive due to disease, hunger, and
violence, while still trying to be hopeful that other countrys generous donations and volunteer
work will rebuild them. Hurricane Matthew devastated the daily lives of citizens of Haiti by
destroying public and economic necessities along with their hope.
Hurricane Matthew disrupted hundreds of thousands of peoples everyday lives, and
sadly, ended some. Three days after the hurricane, CNN reported that 61,000 Haitians were
currently trying to survive in 192 temporary shelters (Haiti: Hurricane Matthew...). Obviously,
trying to fit 61,000 people into less than 200 shelters is not anywhere near comfortable. Not only
are these people struggling to find a roof over their head, at least 100,000 children will be
missing out on learning due to their schools either being destroyed or used as shelters
(UNICEF: One Week After Hurricane Matthew, at Least 300 Schools Damaged in Haiti). In
Travel and Leisure Close-Ups article, UNICEF stated that their priorities are strictly getting
childrens lives back in order by providing them with appropriate school supplies and
psychological support, and restoring school buildings. Many children and families are struggling
psychologically as well as physically due to the traumatizing storm that killed and hurt so many
of their neighbors. According to UNICEF, hurricane Matthews effect on Haiti is the largest
humanitarian crisis since the 2010 earthquake (Haiti: Hurricane Matthew...).

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The strong winds and extensive rain destroyed almost all of the crops in Haiti, especially
the southern area (Haiti: Hurricane Matthew). Marc Soniel Noel, the deputy of Chantal,
explains his fear of the recovery process to CNN reporters, saying that Haitians have nothing
left to survive on, since all of the fruit trees are down and crops are destroyed (Haiti: Hurricane
Matthew). The national director of World Vision, John Hasse, reports that the damage to
crops may result in food shortages and price spikes. Hasse also said that the price spikes and
food shortages could cause disruption and outbreaks of violence as Haitians are fighting for their
lives to get food to survive (Haiti: Hurricane Matthew). Haitis dependence on their crops
as their main food source is leaving them hopeless after they were all destroyed.
An immediate concern after the hurricane was finding and providing clean water to the
victims. The strong winds and rain mixed around the clean water, waste, and mud. UNICEF
reported that in the duration of the month after Hurricane Matthew, at least 1,000 kids acquired
cholera. There are 219 cholera treatment centers in Haiti and 18 were damaged during the
hurricane, so the room for treatment is slim (ONE MONTH AFTER). Cholera is an
infection caused by eating or drinking substances contaminated by vibrio cholerae. When
someone gets cholera, they become severely dehydrated and it can kill within hours (UN
Admits Role in Cholera Epidemic in Haiti). UNICEF is helping 100,000 people a day by giving
them clean water to drink and vaccinating people who havent acquired the infection. They are
also providing cholera prevention kits, that include water purification tablets, soap, and
rehydration salts (ONE MONTH AFTER). They are only able to supply between 100 and
200 kits a day, and considering the amount of people exposed to cholera, that isnt very many.
However, it is important to remember any help is better than none.

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The damage from wind and rain created communication barriers and made it extremely
hard to reach the victims of hurricane Matthew. Ariel Dominique, the head of community affairs
at the Haitian Embassy in Washington, reported that the bridge linking the capital of Haiti and
the worst-affected area in southwest Haiti was ruined, making reaching this part of Haiti
impossible by car. Many other roads are blocked by fallen debris and trees, causing even more
transportation issues. Officials discussed the idea of air dropping necessary supplies to victims
because the roads were too covered (Haiti: Hurricane Matthew). The lack of communication
and the transportation issues made it difficult to respond as quickly as necessary.
The limitations of spendings and help from outsiders detrimentally affected the recovery
of Haiti. Also, Haiti was still in the process of recovering and rebuilding from the earthquake that
hit hard in 2010 (Haiti: Hurricane Matthew...). UNICEF needs over $23 million worth of
donations in order to properly help rebuild Haiti from the combination of the two natural
disasters, and so far they have only received a mere $6 million (ONE MONTH AFTER).
UNICEF needs 17 million more dollars donated from people who are giving their money just out
of the goodness of their hearts, and that is where a lot of the problems come from. It is human
nature for many people to brush things off if it isnt affecting them personally. The United
Nations expressed their belief that after a month of time went by after hurricane Matthew hit
Haiti, it seems as if the world has moved on (ONE MONTH AFTER). When the hurricane
was discussed, many outsiders just say how sad it is but dont do anything about it and just brush
it off. If the damage was more advertised on television and social media, it would be more likely
for people to donate to foundations that will help rebuild.
In the past, Haiti has seemed to take advantage of the United States lenient foreign
policy. Just a few days before Hurricane Matthew, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security

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said it would crack down on thousands of Haitians who had been entering the country illegally
across the southwest border since the spring, putting an end to special immigration policies
Haitians have enjoyed since an earthquake devastated their country in 2010. Under the new
policy, the department said it would deport Haitians who could not show they had been
persecuted or feared persecution at home (Fifield). The United States was very generous in
accepting immigrants after the 2010 earthquake, but it was getting out of hand and being taken
advantage of. Jen Fifield wrote in her article about United States policy that A week after
Hurricane Matthew tore through their home country, Haitian immigrants took to the streets of
downtown Miami last Friday with a plea for President Barack Obama: Haitian immigrants need
compassion, not deportation. The week before the hurricane hit, 40,000 Haitians immigrated
to the United States and more were expected to arrive after (Fifield). Haitian citizens are just
asking for somewhere safe to stay, but that isnt going to solve their problems in the long run. If
they are staying in another country, how will their own country be rebuilt? Staying in the United
States during the hurricane to stay safe from the storm is reasonable, but they should go back to
Haiti after to reconstruct their homeland, with the help of volunteers. The United States stopped
deportations during the hurricane because it was too dangerous, and are debating on what their
new policy should be. 40,000+ Haitians cant stay in the U.S. permanently.
Haiti is a troubled country that seems to not be able to catch a break, especially recently.
The natural disasters that continue to hit the country make it an unsteady and inconsistent
environment that is hard to live in. More stable, durable houses need to be built to ensure the
citizens safety in the wake of an earthquake or hurricane. Crops should be more protected and
shouldnt be the only/main source of food for Haiti. A new, reliable source for safe, clean water
needs to be thought of so that people arent drinking contaminated water and getting diseases.

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Natural disasters get their name for a reason; they cant be stopped. Damage is inevitable, but the
damage shouldnt be this extreme and should be handled better. Running to safety in other
countries is understandable during the storm, but the citizens should be required to go back to
their home country after a certain amount of time to help the volunteers rebuild and renovate, to
prevent the extreme damage, displayed after Hurricane Matthew, in the future.

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Works Cited
Fifield, Jen. "After Hurricane Matthew, Haitians Hope for Change in US Policy." The Pew
Charitable Trusts. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Jan. 2017.
Haiti: Hurricane Matthew leaves hundreds dead." CNN Wire, 7 Oct. 2016. Academic OneFile,
Accessed 28 Nov. 2016.
"ONE MONTH AFTER HURRICANE MATTHEW, NEEDS IN HAITI REMAIN 'VAST,' UN
REPORTS." States News Service, 4 Nov. 2016. General OneFile, Accessed 30 Nov.
2016.
"TREATING CHOLERA IN HAITI AFTER HURRICANE MATTHEW." States News Service, 9
Nov. 2016. General OneFile, Accessed 30 Nov. 2016.
"UN Admits Role In Cholera Epidemic In Haiti." YaleGlobal Online, 19 Aug. 2016. Global
Issues in Context, Accessed 30 Nov. 2016.
"UNICEF: One Week After Hurricane Matthew, at Least 300 Schools Damaged in Haiti." Travel
& Leisure Close-Up, 14 Oct. 2016. Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure, Accessed 30 Nov.
2016.