Hurricane Matthew: Haiti Haunted by Nature

Once again the people of Haiti in the Caribbean have found themselves at the mercy of the forces of nature. Not even close to making a full recovery from the devastating effects of the 2010 earthquake, the ferociousness of the 145 mph winds, torrential rain and storm surge brought by Hurricane Matthew meant that hundreds of thousands had no hope of surviving the storm unscathed. While much of the media's attention was focused on the possible harm that Hurricane Matthew might inflict on the US East Coast, the real story had already unfolded on Haiti, where towns, such as Jeremie bore little resemblance to their previous incarnations. Haiti's fragility, linked to poverty and ineffective governance, exacerbates its vulnerability to natural disasters, preventing most of its citizens from breaking out of the cycle of poverty. Haiti most certainly needs outside help at this tragic time, it also needs leadership and vision from within, not forgetting a break from mother nature for the rest of this century.