I must give sympathy to the Haitian victims and their families. May the world step forward and give them solace by providing them a safe place to ‘exist.’
I find it noble of the AFC leader Mr Trotman to call for Guyana to accept some earthquake victims from Haiti. His comments were published in the Stabroek News on January 14.
I had criticized the PNC and the Burnham government for not making such an offer to the Haitian refugees who were drowning off the coast of Florida, in a vain attempt to reach the shores of the USA, while earlier, an offer had been made to refugees from Cambodia to settle in Guyana by the PNC government. At that time, the Haitian refugees were considered ‘economic entrants’ and were not welcome in the United States and many other countries. Later they were treated as asylum seekers.
An offer to Haitians of a safe place to live in Guyana could be misconstrued by many who have a certain political opinion or belief. Many Guyanese may see this offer as an attempt to swing the balance of the current political environment in favour of one or the other.
The Haitians need a permanent solution, not a stop-gap. Giving them monies to ameliorate their plight does not solve the existing conditions under which they are forced to live. Money would repair their broken bones and heal wounds, but it would not provide a safe place for them to continue living. It is to be expected that after they are healed, they would rebuild on the very land that caused the initial disaster in the first place.
Some may argue that is where they call home, and as a consequence, they should stay there and suffer the consequences, thus ignoring the fact that many are economically trapped there and would move to a safer or less threatening land if given the choice.
Haiti has been existing in deplorable conditions for centuries and the powers that be did not see fit to ensure that earthquake-proof houses were built to a specific code. This was so despite the fact there was knowledge that Haiti lies on two fault lines. Due to the fact that the country is poor without many resources, expertise to aid in solving Haiti’s problem was glaringly lacking; then after some catastrophe, billions in aid is sent to temporarily relieve the conditions. The United Nations, which has a permanent presence in Haiti knew that this catastrophe would happen some day.
The knowledge that sooner rather than later, Haiti and California would suffer a disaster of the magnitude we are now witnessing was widely known. Adequate steps to alleviate this calamity should have been taken.
Guyana, therefore, should dispense with its political biases and fear and become a stalwart humanitarian and make land available for farming to the victims. Guyana is grossly under populated with about 9 persons per square mile; surely we could accommodate some of those who are in need and an ease their discomfort.
Many Guyanese are now refugees in other countries and should not have an objection to others settling in Guyana when they have absconded to distant shores.
A carefully laid out plan of effective relocation and cost-sharing, would ensure the earthquake victims assimilated to their new country with ease. We should remember Guyana made land available to Jim Jones and his followers even when they had no pressing social and economic need. I support any effort to relocate the earthquake victims, more so if the cost would be defrayed by the United Nations.
Yours faithfully,
Patrick Barker
