haiti: the aid dilemma

related resources

Haiti Country Studies
This website contains the online versions of books previously published in hard copy by the Federal Research Division of the Library of Congress as part of the Country Studies/Area Handbook Series sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Army. The study provides information about Haiti’s historical setting, geography, society, economy, political system and foreign policy.

Haiti, CIA Factbook
This is an excellent source for background information on the nation of Haiti, from the Central Intelligence Agency. The site contains subtopics on geography, demographics, government, economy, communications, transportation, military and transnational issues.

Political and Economic History of Haiti
From the San Jose State University Department of Economics, this page details the political and economic history of Haiti, dating from its early history through French occupation and rebellion to independence. Easy to read and detailed, it includes contemporaneous accounts of the impact and scope of the Jan. 12 earthquake.

Coverage of the Haitian Earthquake

CNN: Haiti Earthquake
This is CNN’s collection of stories about the Jan. 12 earthquake, with a substantial number of videos, graphics, maps, charts and interview transcripts.

FRONTLINE: The Quake
FRONTLINE shows the devastation of the January 2010 earthquake on Haiti, its people and its economy. There are multiple resources provided, including video and audio clips, podcasts, interviews and lesson plans.

NPR: Haiti Quake: Ruin And Recovery
This is a link to NPR’s story archive on the Haitian earthquake, with multiple story links, audio broadcast clips and outside sources.

Relief and Recovery
International Rescue Committee
The IRC responds to international humanitarian crises and is dedicated to reaching durable solutions by promoting “local capacity and self-sufficiency—and promoting human rights, participation and accountability.” The IRC is shown in action in the Haiti: The Aid Dilemma video featured in this lesson plan.

ReliefWeb: Haitian Earthquake
ReliefWeb compiles “timely, reliable and relevant humanitarian information and analysis,” incorporating thousands of sources and relevant content to update those inside and outside the humanitarian community.

Religion & Ethics Newsweekly: “Humanitarian Challenges in Chile and Haiti”
Containing video clips and a transcript of the episode, this Web page details the recovery effort in Chile and Haiti and the divergent approaches to each.

U.S. Naval Construction Force (“Seabees”)
This website is dedicated to the multiple efforts of the U.S. Naval Construction Force (the “Seabees”) to aid reconstruction efforts around the globe. It provides significant detail as to the status of the Haitian recovery process and the U.S. military’s role in connection to it.

“With Cheap Food Imports, Haiti Can’t Feed Itself”
This AP article by Jonathan Katz describes the impact that U.S. trade policies and relief activities have had on the Haitian economy.