Unsolicited Assurance : Helping Haiti (and effective disaster relief)

The damage inflicted upon Haiti by Hurricane Matthew is the worst since the 2010 earthquake – not a friendly comparison.

Rampant death, destruction, and disease aren’t even the full scope of the country’s worries. Devastated infrastructure and, at least as daunting, uprooted crops mean Haitians must endure this disaster for much too long. Hunger and isolation loom like a new storm. Haiti still hasn’t overcome the 2010 earthquake… who knows how many more years recovery will take with these compounded consequences?

We want to help. How can we provide impactful assistance?

Donating to the Red Cross is probably not the best bet. In 2015, a joint report by ProPublica [1] and NPR [2] condemned the Red Cross’s management of the $488 million raised for earthquake relief in Haiti. Citing statements in the original report, other publications (such as Time, CNN, The Independent, etc.) then ran with variations of the unfavorable headline, “Red Cross Spent Half a Billion Dollars to Build Six Homes in Haiti” [3].

It was at the same time that Reuters reported, “the Red Cross spent at least 17 percent of funds on expenses in Haiti, despite the U.S. group and international federation stating 91 cents on each dollar goes to humanitarian programmes and services” [4]. In other words, the Red Cross’s claim of spending only 9 percent of donations on overhead costs was under contention.

The Red Cross was quick to respond to these accusations of mismanagement. Labeling them as ‘myths,’ the organization asserted figures in support of its efforts. However, the amount of people the Red Cross claims to have provided housing for fluctuates between 132,000 [5] and 135,000 [6], while another statement declares having moved, “more than 100,000 people out of make-shift tents into safe and improved housing… fulfilling our promise to ensure tens of thousands of Haitians are back in homes” [7]. Without dates on these numbers, it is difficult to determine whether they are indicative of progress in Haiti or proof of the organization’s discord.

To make matters muddier, even these projections may have been manipulated. A Red Cross assessment of the housing solutions provided to 132,000 people also has a dubious 'Shelter Category' regarding 'Neighborhood renovation/development', which focuses on improving infrastructure (e.g. roads, utilities) [8]. Within the accomplishments of this category is described “repairing and retrofitting homes” – even though there is already a separate category titled 'Repair/Reinforcement, Retrofit, Relocation, Rental Subsidies & Construction'. There is the possibility that many people were repeatedly listed in multiple categories, inflating the summation. Couldn’t the people who benefited from repaired homes also have benefited from repaired roads? Why are repaired and retrofitted homes listed in two separate categories? Why is there a category for infrastructure in a report regarding housing solutions, anyway? Whatever the case, the lack of clarity does little to instill confidence.

As for the accusations of spending more than 9 percent on overhead costs, the Red Cross flat-out denied them.

The controversy around the Red Cross’s response to the 2010 earthquake has been echoed in recent headlines regarding the Hurricane Matthew aftermath. Published on October 9^th, an article in The Independent reads, “Haitians are urging people not to give money to American Red Cross” [9].

From my personal experience working in Haiti I can confirm the widespread disapproval towards international relief agencies. Shortly after reading The Independent’s recent article, I sent an email to my Haitian friend, Josue, mentioning the poor publicity. He responded, “the Red Cross is worst but most of the NGO don't make durable thing.”

When I first went to Haiti one of the many amazing people I met was Matt Bush, who at the time had just started a new orphanage, All Things New. Matt recently wrote two lucid blog posts detailing why you should donate to small, local organizations instead of large ones like the Red Cross; in fact, he also requests that you don’t donate to his orphanage for the purpose of disaster relief, since that is not the function of his operation.

In Matt’s first blog post [10] he gives an overview of the situation in Haiti and lists two organizations who would make the best use of donations: Hope for Haiti [11] along with KORE [12]. He issues a very specific warning against donating to large international relief agencies, saying, “do not give to the Red Cross. Do not give to organizations who have huge amounts of overhead, who have no connections in the affected area, and who will bring in aid from America and other countries (though some of this is necessary) rather than doing their very best to purchase aid locally.”

In his second post [13] he discusses why. Large international organizations have a likewise larger number of hoops to jump through and employees to pay, meaning less of a dollar donated through large organizations ends up getting to the intended recipients. Additionally, these agencies arrive when they are needed, only then making contacts and relationships on the ground. Many of these relief workers don’t speak the language and aren’t trusted by the locals. Finally, these organizations often bring in supplies from foreign countries. This can be detrimental because it undermines the local economy; for example, in the 90’s President Bill Clinton coerced Haiti to drop taxes on imported U.S. rice, making it cheaper than any competitors and destroying the market for domestic rice [14].

All of these are reasons why small, local organizations like KORE or Hope for Haiti are more effective service deliverers.

Now is just as important a time to donate as it was days after the hurricane. Unlike a developed country which can patch itself up quickly in the wake of disaster, Haiti lacks the infrastructure and resources to get back on its feet. Supporting Haitian agriculture, construction and materials businesses, and medical facilities is critical for revitalizing damaged areas.

Support doesn’t end with these sectors, either. For long-term solutions it is important to invest in the Haitian people and their environment. Donating to orphanages, like Matt Bush’s All Things New, helps prepare a new generation to address its nation’s challenges. Education can give people the ability to forge their own future. Other efforts work with people and plants to recreate a holistic ecosystem. Another organization I encountered in Haiti, CODEP [15] (which was mentioned in a recent New York Times article [16]), plants value-added trees from hilltops down to secure watersheds, improving soil and reducing flooding.

Though Haiti is by no means alone in its urgency for disaster relief, its recent exposure and proximity to the United States make it a neighbor we should consider helping. The Red Cross and other international relief agencies aren't bad options, though neither are they the best.

It is not only our responsibility to provide assistance to those in need, but also to provide assistance responsibly.

Thank you for reading.

Sources

Unsolicited Assurance

Saturday, November 5, 2016

Helping Haiti (and effective disaster relief)

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