Emotional Relief: A Study of International Crisis Response in Haiti

Abstract

On January 24th through the 25th of this year, a recent United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, A service report stated there were a total of more than 30 earthquakes recorded in the southwest of Haiti (OCHA 2022). These recordings were the results of small 5.6 magnitude aftershocks that have and continue to be a part of a pattern of natural disasters plaguing the island(OCHA 2022). In this paper using a review of existing literature, I analyze the roles that history, government corruption, the development of technology, and international relations played in creating natural disasters in Haiti. Then, using qualitative interviews, I analyze the global response efforts to natural disasters and the effects this had on Haitians living on the Island. Using in depth-interviews with civilians, doctors, corporate donors, artists, nonprofit representatives, and international volunteers, I explore the sociological creation of responsibility and adaptation post-disaster. In this paper, I illustrate the effects of socio-psychological factors on Haitian’s ability to recover from the recent earthquakes and the ways that government, international aid agencies, and media coverage have affected Haitian conceptualization of social responsibility and potential policy and tech solutions that could help with recovery efforts.