San Francisco (Obama.net)- Half of a year ago, an enormous earthquake shook not only the country of Haiti, but also all of the people within that nation, as well as loved ones and family members of those people. The death total was in the hundreds of thousands. In addition, the infrastructure and the buildings of Haiti were destroyed well beyond recognition.
As a result, the United States of America, as well as numerous other states in the world, rushed to provide support for Haiti. This support came in multiple ways. Some simply donated small, medium, and large sums of money. Others sent supplies and food. And then a small percentage of people, including some celebrities like Sean Penn, traveled to the small country to provide relief for the Haitian people in person.
As millions of dollars were donated and a new version of the 1985 classic by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, “We Are The World,” was released to bring relief, the love shared in the world was being felt in Haiti.
However, since then, attention to the tragedy has slimmed heavily. But as the media is no longer keeping a close eye on the relief effort in Haiti, President Barack Obama is urging that we keep our support high as the country is still very early in its rebuilding phase.
Obama said that the immediate support seen six months ago led to countless lives being saved. But now it is time to help Haiti reconstruct. President Obama said on Monday that he and the rest of the United States government are working hard to make a plan that will help Haiti rebuild.
Many are beginning to become annoyed with the slowness of the rebuilding process in Haiti after the earthquake that killed approximately 300,000 innocent people. Even former President Bill Clinton has openly spoke about how the relief efforts need to continue to increase as Haiti is trying to pick itself back up.
The former President’s wife, and current Secretary of State, Hilary Rodham Clinton sent a memo Monday. The statement read, “Six months later, our resolve to stand with the people of Haiti for the long term remains undiminished.”
The Secretary of State agrees with her husband as well as the current President of the United States of America Barack Obama that the United States needs to be there for Haiti. She expressed, “We are committed to helping them realize the Haitian vision for a better nation.”
One of the priorities for the United States in the relief effort is to provide the people in Haiti whose homes were destroyed in the earthquake with shelter that is suitable to live in comfortably until homes can be rebuilt. Reports out of Haiti say that many of these people are still confined to spending their nights in tents half a year after the tragedy.
According to the Senator of Massachusetts, John Kerry, “The window of opportunity is rapidly narrowing for an effective, coordinated international Haitian effort that can make a real difference. We will all be responsible if progress grinds to a halt.”
Many suggest that what is about to come is in fact the toughest part. Providing money for food and supplies in the days following the earthquake was one thing, but to help an entire country completely rebuild from the bottom up is another.
President Barack Obama is up for this challenge. He not only plans to rebuild Haiti, but leave it in a condition where it will be a prosperous nation that will be completely self-sufficient. If Obama can get the rest of his administration and Congress onboard, then the Haitian people can look into their futures and see better days on the horizon.
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