IN JANUARY this year, Haiti was hit by an earthquake of catastrophic magnitude, affecting an estimated three million people. The Haitian government reported that an estimated 230,000 people had died, 300,000 had been injured and 1,000,000 made homeless.
It also estimated that 250,000 residences and 30,000 commercial buildings had collapsed or were severely damaged.
This was certainly one of the most devastating natural disasters in modern history and the Haitian people, with the support of international aid, are still struggling to come to grips with the ensuing suffering.
But even as they were struggling to do so, they were hit by another tragedy — a massive outbreak of cholera which has so far taken the lives of an estimated 2,000 people.
No doubt the appalling sanitary and living conditions created by the devastating earthquake were, to a large extent, responsible for the epidemic.
In such a situation massive international aid is imperative, especially medical assistance.
Baroness Valerie Amos, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, has said that “so far less than ten percent” of an estimated emergency need of US$164M has been realised.
What is disgusting and unfortunate about the Haitian crisis is the sloth with which the wealthy countries are responding to the dire need for humanitarian action.
While they dither on helping Haiti, they spend hundreds of billions of dollars annually on their armies and on senseless wars across the globe.
In this scenario, Cuba, a poor, developing country has set a most inspiring example of humanitarian solidarity and is making a massive contribution to bring relief to the suffering people of Haiti.
In the face of the cholera epidemic in Haiti, Cuba has deployed an additional 300 doctors, nurses and health technicians to that earthquake wrecked, cholera-plagued and poverty-stricken nation.
As columnist Rickey Singh noted in a recent article in the Chronicle: “This demonstration of practical solidarity, characteristic of the government and people of Cuba in responding to human tragedies across continents, has resulted from an international appeal by Valerie Amos, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs.”
This additional deployment of medical personnel by Cuba will now bring its total complement to more than 1,200 and this is perhaps unmatched by any other country. Unlike the aid that is provided by some, Cuba’s assistance has no preconditions or ‘strings’ attached.
According to former Cuban President Fidel Castro, “Almost forty percent of the sick have been looked after by members of the Cuban Medical Brigade which has 965 doctors, nurses and technicians who have managed to reduce the number of dead (from cholera) to less than one (for every one hundred).”
Over the years, it has become a characteristic feature of the Cuban government and people to provide tangible help to other developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, particularly in the fields of medicine and education.
Guyana has benefitted tremendously from Cuba’s generous assistance especially in relation to the field of medicine.
Cuba has been doing all this despite its economic difficulties which have come mainly as a result of the five-decade long brutal embargo by the United States and countless plots, both covert and overt, to subvert Cuba.
The assistance that Cuba has been giving to its fellow developing countries is immeasurable and invaluable and what it is currently doing in Haiti is a perfect example of its humanitarian solidarity and its commitment towards the alleviation of suffering in whatever part of the globe it may be happening.
Yet the human rights crusaders and the so-called bastions of democracy, almost on a daily basis, are carrying out hostile attacks on Cuba because it is adhering to a political ideology and system which is not to their liking.
But in Haiti it is the same “violator of human rights” which is rendering incredible assistance to help relieve the agony of the suffering Haitian people, while the human rights crusaders and bastions of democracy are reluctant and procrastinating in relation to helping the suffering people of Haiti.