Much-needed food-relief imports are rotting at the Haitian ports of Port au Prince and Cap-Hatien, according to the AP. In a country where the UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that at least half the population is malnourished, roughly 4 million people, and 75% of the food is imported, the effects of this problem are immense. The government instituted these regulations in an effort to prevent corruption in the country, which Transparency International has ranked as the most corrupt (followed by Burma and Iraq). Also, the closer inspections were meant to curtail the Colombian drug smugglers who have used Haiti as a stopover on their way to the US.
The effort is noble indeed. Both of these problems do need to be addressed. However in a country with poorly trained customs officials and an antiquated, hand-written customs system, the effects have been disastrous. Food shipments are backed up all the way to Miami! Garbage collectors haul off the rotted food to incinerate the waste. While some destitute people are forced to survive by eating dirt, healthy food sources are tragically perishing at the ports. This problem demonstrates how ponderous government regulations combined with a lack of healthy institutions can have a devastating effect. The Haitian government and relief agencies desperately need to find a solution.
Published Date: March 07, 2008