Some emergencies can be predicted. Every hurricane season, we can anticipate that Haiti will likely be hit with tropical storms.  Others such as the collapse of a school in Petionville yesterday are unexpected tragedies. The community was, as is usually the case, the first to respond.  They tried to remove as much of the rubble as possible but were hampered by a lack of heavy equipment.  Search and rescue operations continued through the night and casualties now stand at 75. According to President Preval, shoddy construction practices could result in other collapses. Below is an AP article by Jonathan Katz on the situation.    Read more »

Natural disasters are a fact of life in Haiti, both in terms of the inevitable tropical storms/hurricanes and the floods/ mudslides left in their wake, largely as a result of the unabated deforestation.  Gustav resulted in 22 deaths, but certainly could have been worse.  While Haiti can't stop the storms, it is possible to mitigate the damage that they cause.  Preparedness is key. Topix carried a Scoop Media World article on the efforts of the international community to help Haiti better prepare for and respond to natural disasters.  Read more »