Tent Cities and (False?) Hope
On January 12, 2010 a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti. Many developed countries came with aid, including temporary housing, and what was formed are now called "tent cities". What is haunting to see today is that eight years later these tent cities not only still exist, but they have grown in some cases. With a quick look on Google Earth or Port-au-Prince you will see the map littered in bright blue tarps clustered all over the city. These are the tarps given through aid and are the lifeline and only roof over many heads for the past eight years. Why has the population in these tent cities grown post-earthquake? Opportunity. The tent cities provide free accommodation in the heart of the city that was otherwise unavailable to the impoverished along with opportunity for food, water and the (false?) hope of permanent replacement housing.
Tent Cities scattered among the fabric of Port-au-Prince.
Tent Cities along the airport where tourists land in Port-au-Prince.
USAID tarps pictured within one of the tent cities.
If the tarps (and probably other resources) are given to these communities as aid, is it really aiding them or just contributing to the problem? Do you think people in this community specifically would figure out their own way to create shelter if they didn't have this aid?
ReplyDelete