The numbers from the earthquake are shocking. Haitian President Rene Preval said 170,000 bodies had been counted as of January 27. About 20,000 buildings and over 200,000 houses collapsed or were seriously damaged in the earthquake, which left hundreds of thousands of people homeless. Almost everything has been wiped out. President Preval said it would take 5 to 10 years for the country to return to “normal,” but this may not be enough for the people.
The response from the international community was fast and huge. The United Nations, the World Bank, and de United States promised hundreds of millions of dollars of aid to Haiti. Cuba immediately sent another 30 doctors, who worked with the nearly 350 Cuban doctors already helping people in Haiti. More than 100 celebrities, including Madonna, Stevie Wonder, and Bruce Springsteen, appeared on TV and asked people for donations. Julia Roberts and Steven Spielberg even called people to ask for help. Air cargoes with relief supplies from foreign governments filled the airport.
In the weeks after the earthquake, people heard good and bad news. The good news was that people were being rescued from under the wreckage, even after a few weeks. The bad news was that these were the lucky ones. Others were trapped but could now be saved. On top of that, some people began stealing and rioting. They broke into shops and took clothing and food. Because the government was not functioning properly, the police could not control the situation.
Rin thought carefully about the disaster and understood why her parents were so worried. It was because they had experienced the same kind of disaster. For them, Haiti is far away as a country, but not so far in their hearts. Rin came to understand not only the Haitian people’s suffering, but her parents’ suffering as well. Rin’s parents taught her this lesson: “After destruction, you must rebuild.” Rin knows that it will take a long time for the Haitian people to rebuilt, but hopes that, with the help of the world, the will be able to have better lives in the future.
