On 12 January 2010, an earthquake struck the heavily populated city of Port-au-Prince, causing devastation and a high loss of life. The earthquake left an estimated one million unaccompanied or orphaned children or youngsters who had lost at least one parent. The Haitian government claimed that the death toll may have reached 170,000 or more.1
Children in Haiti are vulnerable to poverty and live under the threat of natural disasters. Save the Children supports welcome centres for street children that provide food and shelter, education and health programmes and counseling and play opportunities. Save the Children also supports children’s rights through direct local interventions and national advocacy.
History
Haiti gained independence from France in 1804 after nearly half a million slaves revolted under the leadership of Toussaint L'Ouverture. After a prolongued and bloody struggle, Haiti became the first independent nation in Latin America and the first black-led Republic in the world to declare independence.2 Tens of thousands of people were killed during the 31-year brutal dictatorship of François Duvalier and his son, Jean-Claude Duvalier (1957-1986). Jean-Bertrand Aristide was elected President in 1990, but was overthrown by a military coup shortly after. Although the country saw a return to constitutional government in 1994, the civil unrest continued, with allegations of electoral irregularities, ongoing extra-judicial killings, torture and brutality.3
Recent history
Jean-Bertrand Aristide became President again 1994-1996 and 2001-2004, but a bloody rebellion and pressure from the US and France forced him to leave the country in 2004. Haiti finally managed to inaugurate a democratically elected President and Parliament in May 2006, but the country is still plagued by internal struggle between rival gangs and political groups. The UN has described the human rights situation as "catastrophic".4 The country´s infrastructure has all but collapsed and drug trafficking has corrupted the judicial system and the police. Many Haitians migrate to the US or other Caribbean countries in search of employment and a better life. Hundreds of thousands of Haitian migrants live in the neighbouring Dominican Republic.5
Social and economic situation
Poverty is the root cause of the high quake death toll in Haiti. In a country where 72.1 per cent of the population live on less than USD 2.00 a day6 - especially in Port-au-Prince, where many are housed in poor and densely-packed badly constructed buildings (90% of the buildings were levelled) - the devastation was greater than it would have been in a wealthier and better prepared country with strict building standards. As the airport and road networks were destroyed, many people were left to fend for themselves, despite a large international relief operation. Only one out 16 600 was rescued, most of them by neighbours managing to dig out trapped people from the rubbles.7
The cost of rebuilding Haiti: homes, schools, roads and other infrastructure could be as high as USD 14 billion, according to a new study by economists at the Inter-American Development Bank.8
Human Rights issues
Haiti is plagued by high levels of violent crime, with kidnappings and sexual violence as some of the most alarming offences. Police ineffectiveness and abuse contribute to overall insecurity. Officers reportedly use excessive and indiscriminate force, commit torture, make arbitrary arrests, and are involved in criminal activity, including kidnappings.9
Haitian women’s organisations recorded at least 110 rapes of girls under 18 in 2008, a number that was believed to represent a very small fraction of the overall problem. Specific legal measures to protect women and girls, such as legislation on domestic violence and marital rape, are still lacking in Haiti.10