Tragic events in Haiti: Hackney Gazette Talking Point
Described by UN Secretary General as “one of the worst humanitarian crises in decades” it’s estimated that three million people have been affected by the quake which struck on January 12.
A massive 1.5 million have been left homeless and 200,000 tragically killed, making it a global tragedy on anyone’s scale.
However, it was only after I raised an urgent question in the house the day after the earthquake that the Secretary of State for International Development Douglas Alexander made a statement acknowledging the disaster to the House of Commons.
While Britain’s links with Haiti may not be strong,
none the less I believed the entire Caribbean, and those of Caribbean descent living in the UK, would be looking to the Government's response to this awful tragedy, as I was. Such large scale disasters cannot be dealt with by leaders alone, and nor should they have to be. The world has a wider responsibility to provide aid to those in need. Our Prime Minister has said he won’t walk away from a country that had suffered so much with only a “week’s charity” and I hope he continues to live up to this promise. No man is an island and Haiti will need support from the International community for the foreseeable future. The decision of the Government to treble its funding to provide food, shelter, health and relief work is a positive move and one that I wholeheartedly welcomed. It must be remembered that repercussions from this terrible tragedy are likely to continue for years to come. Families who have been torn apart, left homeless and cast adrift from normal life will need continued support to help them rebuild their lives. Pictures beamed around the world of violent outbreaks and looting showed a desperate society. But unfortunately even bigger dangers are likely to be faced before they are overcome with the possibility of widespread disease a real threat. Still it is the stories of the 90 people pulled from wreckage alive by aid workers including a seven-year-old girl from the ruins of a supermarket and a 16-year-old girl trapped for five days in a small, three-storey hotel, which show the extraordinary feats that can be achieved by sheer human determination. It is essential we do not withdraw our support to Haiti too soon, but rather give them the tools to rebuild their lives. It’s a testament to Britons everywhere that so much has been pledged to help in time of need. They say charity begins at home, but in this case a perhaps we should consider instead to love thy neighbour, no matter how far away they may be.
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