It has been over nine months since a magnitude 7.0 earthquake shook Haiti near its capital, Port Au Prince, destroying homes, killing tens of thousands of people and injuring even more. Yet as the world moves forward, and donations become fewer and fewer, the real question is, “What happens to Haiti now?”

CNN published an article in July citing several countries which pledged financial aid to Haiti and have come up short. The United States is among those countries that failed to follow through with assistance. The U.S. promised Haiti $1.15 billion toward relief efforts, which represents over one-fifth of the world’s total pledge of $5.3 billion.     While I was surprised to learn of the American government’s failure to fully support the devastated island, I was shocked at what little attention the press has delegated to the matter.

In 1993, thousands of Haitians were turned away from U.S. shores under the leadership of President Clinton. He feared that such a large migration of Haitians would undermine its journey toward true democracy. At the time, the Haitian government was nearly overthrown in a coup. The question begs asking; “Was denying the immigrants access to the United States beneficial to Haitian democracy?” Was President Clinton unaware that Haiti is the only nation in the history of the world to boast a successful slave rebellion? If there is a people on this earth who know the vitality of freedom and democracy, it is the Haitians.

More than fifteen years later, just before the earthquake hit, Haiti was still grappling with a weak democracy, poor infrastructure, and the most severe poverty in the Western Hemisphere.

Today, nine months after the earthquake, has the Haitian relief effort simply taken a backseat to other world news? Is there a general consensus that the problem is solving itself? The truth is that while there has been a good deal of progress made in the relief efforts (mostly due to private charity) Haiti still needs a great deal of help. This help needs to come quickly, and needs to be provided by dedicated people.

The damage of the severe earthquake is magnified by the fact that it occurred in such an impoverished nation. This also means that the relief efforts in Haiti must continue far into the future. The struggling Haiti needed aid before the earthquake, making the situation afterwards even harder to fix. Simply putting up tents won’t help the people of Haiti who were injured and lost their homes and their loved ones in the grand scheme of things.

The private donations of the American people and the global community at large have made an enormous impact in the recovery effort. Furthermore, the American Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and Oxfam are only a few of the organizations that have provided time and money and continue to do so. However, there is much more work to be done.

In addition, I think other countries have a responsibility to help Haiti. It is not that no money is going there or that the people who are helping are not doing all that they can. It is because Haiti needs financial stability to reinvigorate its government. Asking Haiti to stand up on its own two feet is like asking someone to walk with broken legs. It can’t be done without therapy, rehabilitation, and most importantly the help and support of others.

Looking at Haiti’s situation right now shouldn’t make people feel at ease. Like other natural disasters in history, the world needs to step up and lend a collective hand. Helping Haiti not only benefits the people facing these unimaginable circumstances within their own country, but also the rest of the world. Why? Getting Haiti out of poverty means it can stand on its own.

Haiti standing on its own increases the chances that the people of the country can work together, which in turn, can enable Haiti to shed its legacy as the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. Education, a higher GDP output, and a greater number of people above the poverty line are all entirely possible. But Haiti’s people can’t get there by themselves.

Donate your support to Haiti. During these tough economic times, whatever little you can offer will make all the difference. We as Americans, the most generous population in the world, must make up the shortfall our government has left. In the age of the global economy, countries are interdependent. Haiti needs its neighbors around the world to act now. Perhaps some day down the road, there will be a country that needs Haiti’s help. Let’s put it in a position to offer it.

 Alison Bowler is a Collegian columnist. She can be reached at [email protected].