The Long, Hot Summer in Haiti

As if pulled from the pages of Jason Bourne novels, early Wednesday morning, President Jovenel Moïse of Haiti was assassinated at the presidential residence by a team of mercenaries. His wife was injured and is receiving treatment in Miami, FL. With rising rates of poverty and violence, Haitian families face food insecurity and poor health outcomes. How can we help the estimated 1.5 million children who need emergency relief? Below, learn more about Haiti's past and present.

"Freedom or Death."
A number of media outlets have referred to Haiti as a "failed state," but Haiti's fragile position as the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere is more correctly termed an "aid state." How did this happen? In 1492, Christopher Columbus landed on Quisqueya, which the Spanish soon called Hispaniola. The Spanish enslaved the Indigenous Tainos and in 1697 they handed part of the island over to France, which ruled with an iron fist until Haiti won independence in 1804. Jean-Jacques Dessalines, a revolutionary leader, commissioned the flag pictured above in 1803 as a symbol of unity for everyone fighting for freedom. It translates to "Freedom or Death." France did not recognize Haiti's freedom until 1825, when they demanded 90 million gold francs to compensate for the loss of slave labor. It took more than a century, until 1947, for Haiti to pay France.

Generations of global indifference.
Since gaining independence, Haiti has undoubtedly been marred by military juntas and brutal dictators, but it has also faced apathetic neighbors. Due to increased public awareness after the 2010 earthquake, today's U.S. government has a decidedly helpful tone. After this week's assassination, President Biden tweeted that the U.S. is "ready to assist as we continue to work for a safe and secure Haiti."

This will be a long, hot summer.
This year, there was a disagreement over when President Moïse's term should end. He believed his term would end in 2022, not 2021. Protests erupted in response. In Haiti, the presidential term is five years. Elected in 2015, Mr. Moïse would have assumed office in February 2016. There was one problem: election monitors said there was evidence of fraud. A caretaker government took over until another election could be held, so Mr. Moïse took office in February 2017. As tensions escalated, his opposition maintained that his term was marked by food shortages, a lack of safe drinking water, and inflation. Mr. Moïse acknowledged the economic situation and the rise in violence and kidnappings of children for ransom. From 2019 onward, schools have closed periodically to prevent gangs from abducting children en route to classes or their homes.

We can support Haitian families. According to UNICEF, roughly one-third of all children in Haiti need emergency relief because of violence and a lack of access to clean water and proper nutrition. The U.S. Fund for UNICEF's emergency relief for Haiti focuses on family healthcare, reunifying families, and providing safe water. Learn more and donate here.

We can support humanitarian aid workers. Because of the rise in violence, humanitarian aid work has been threatened. Last month, Doctors Without Borders had to temporarily suspend their operations when armed assailants fired in the direction of their emergency center. Donations help them sustain care during emergencies.