Haiti: The Aid Dilemma

Here's the third in a series of ongoing FRONTLINE reports on Haiti with correspondent Adam Davidson of NPR's Planet Money.

children in africa playing on a play pump

Also on FRONTLINE/WorldTroubled Water FRONTLINE/World investigates one of its own stories, The Play Pump, which promised to use a merry-go-round and the power of children to help meet the dire need for fresh water in southern Africa. (Watch Now »)

Q & A With Adam Davidsonco-founder, co-host NPR's Planet Money

There are two Q & As: First, Davidson took an hour on June 29th to answer viewers' questions -- take a look and add your own comments. In addition, FRONTLINE/World's producers asked Davidson about how Haitians are faring today, five months after the quake, and how food aid policies have played out in other poor countries.

Teacher’s Guide Educators can explore this topic further through classroom activities that examine post-quake disruptions to supply and demand in Haiti’s rice industry.


REPORTS FROM HAITI
The Aid Dilemma Davidson examines an intriguing new idea in post-disaster relief.	The Economy of a Tent City Just 10 weeks after the quake, Davidson finds a rich, complex economy sprouting in Port-au-Prince's temporary settlements.	Solving the Tap-Tap Puzzle Davidson explores the artistry -- and economic theory -- behind Haitians' cheap, wildly decorated buses.

INTRODUCTION

In the aftermath of January's devastating earthquake in Haiti, post-disaster relief is creating a new kind of problem for businesses there. The massive influx of food aid has altered the price of rice, throwing the delicate balance in Haiti's food supply chain out of whack and threatening to collapse the country's rice market. It's the kind of problem that can turn a one-time disaster into a crisis that lasts years.

But international aid organizations like the U.N.'s World Food Programme are trying out a new method of delivering relief that they hope will avoid that problem.

"It's a simple idea," says reporter Adam Davidson of NPR's Planet Money. "If people are hungry, don't give them rice. Give them money to buy rice, or vouchers that amount to the same thing. That way, instead of destroying [local] business, you strengthen it."

But as Davidson and producer Travis Fox discover in their story The Aid Dilemma -- part of a unique and ongoing partnership between NPR and FRONTLINE -- a simple idea can quickly turn complicated.

Comments

Have a question or comment? Post it here now.

In order to foster a civil and literate discussion that respects all participants, FRONTLINE has the following guidelines for commentary. By submitting comments here, you are consenting to these rules:

Readers' comments that include profanity, obscenity, personal attacks, harassment, or are defamatory, sexist, racist, violate a third party's right to privacy, or are otherwise inappropriate, will be removed. Entries that are unsigned or are "signed" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. We reserve the right to not post comments that are more than 400 words. We will take steps to block users who repeatedly violate our commenting rules, terms of use, or privacy policies. You are fully responsible for your comments.

posted june 25, 2010