Launched TUESDAY February 19, 2020 on www.zReportage.com Story #724: Since July 2018, a deepening political and economic crisis has once again put access to health care in Haiti in jeopardy. While thousands of demonstrators have taken to the streets to protest skyrocketing prices of goods, a lack of economic opportunities, and government misuse of funds, the international community has mostly remained silent. According to the World Bank, more than six million Haitians-about 60 percent of the population of the country-live below the poverty line on less than $2.41 (US) per day, and more than 2.5 million fall below the extreme poverty line of $1.23 per day. This means that most families struggle to buy food or pay for medicines or medical care. The uncertainty and unrest have also led to an increase in violence. Soaring prices have impacted the cost of medications and health access for Haitians, making it that much harder for people to get the care they need. Public and private medical facilities have also been badly impacted by the crisis. All of this has led to critical shortages of health care staff that have left Haiti's health care system on the brink of collapse.
© Richard Tsong-Taatarii/ZUMA Wire

MICHAEL JEAN has been in the hospital for over 2 months from a traffic accident waiting to heal. The inability to afford antibiotics makes healing difficult. The health care system in Haiti is in a precarious state and has little spare capacity to withstand the shock of a mass disaster like an earthquake of major hurricane.
© Richard Tsong-Taatarii/ZUMA Wire

ROSE MERIZIER, 65, is fortunate to have her housing rebuilt by UNOPS. But the quality is poor and the house floods during the rainy season. Fort National is a neighborhood that was heavily damaged during the 2010 earthquake. People have struggled to rebuild with varying degrees of success.
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STOCLIN JALENS waits to get some meds for his operation the next day. He damaged his eye while playing with a friend. The lack of highly trained eye specialists at a public hospital probably means he will lose vision in the one eye. The health care system in Haiti is in a precarious state and has little spare capacity to withstand the shock of a mass disaster like an earthquake of major hurricane.
© Richard Tsong-Taatarii/ZUMA Wire

This is the only large hospital in Leogane, the epicenter of the 2010 earthquake. The health care system in Haiti is in a precarious state and has little spare capacity to withstand the shock of a mass disaster like an earthquake of major hurricane.
© Richard Tsong-Taatarii/ZUMA Wire

DORVIL OSNER JUNIOR, 30, has been in the hospital for 3 weeks from a traffic accident waiting to heal. The inability to afford antibiotics makes healing difficult The health care system in Haiti is in a precarious state and has little spare capacity to withstand the shock of a mass disaster like an earthquake of major hurricane.
© Richard Tsong-Taatarii/ZUMA Wire

DANIEL HIBERT has lived most of his life here in Fort National. He lost a leg in the earthquake but does not have the means to afford a prosthetic leg. Fort National is a neighborhood that was heavily damaged during the 2010 earthquake. People have struggled to rebuild with varying degrees of success.
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ILFANA MONEIS, 20 who is watching her newborn son ANES feels like there is little hope for work and better living conditions in Canaan. Canaan is a 200,000 people + neighborhood where victims of the 2010 Haiti Earthquake moved to when the government opened up the land for settlement. Near Canaan is the Haiti earthquake memorial literally known as January 12, 2010.
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There is a a slow simmering famine going on in Haiti. Parents who cannot feed their children place their children in orphanages or foster homes where one can eat three square meals a day. The billions pledged to Haiti to improve social services and infrastructure have simply vanished due to corruption. Small, private non-profits that have been vested in Haiti for many years seem to be the only social safety net. 2020 could even be worse with the complications of a collapsing government.
© Richard Tsong-Taatarii/ZUMA Wire

GABRIEL JEAN watches a neighbor's child in a shack in Canaan. Many residents have not been able to transition to concrete structures because of a lack of money. Canaan is a 200,000 people + neighborhood where victims of the 2010 Haiti Earthquake moved to when the government opened up the land for settlement. Near Canaan is the Haiti earthquake memorial literally known as January 12, 2010.
© Richard Tsong-Taatarii/ZUMA Wire

PETERSON JEAN,11, has been living at the Masion des Anges foster home for the past 10 months. His parents cannot feed him and put him in this setting so he could eat three square meals a day. The billions pledged to Haiti to improve social services and infrastructure have simply vanished due to corruption. Small, private non-profits that have been vested in Haiti for many years seem to be the only social safety net.
© Richard Tsong-Taatarii/ZUMA Wire

Clodène Gemin lost 3 of 9 children in earthquake moved to Canaan 5 years ago. Most experts agree that that many victims of the earthquake suffer untreated PTSD to this day. Canaan is a 200,000 people + neighborhood where victims of the 2010 Haiti Earthquake moved to when the government opened up the land for settlement. Near Canaan is the Haiti earthquake memorial literally known as January 12, 2010.
© Richard Tsong-Taatarii/ZUMA Wire

ROXEANE VEIGIMA comes from the countryside near the Dominican Republic border. She has TB and has one more month to go before she can head home. The health care system in Haiti is in a precarious state and has little spare capacity to withstand the shock of a mass disaster like an earthquake of major hurricane.
© Richard Tsong-Taatarii/ZUMA Wire

The St. Christophe memorial at Titanyen of the January 12, 2012 memorial is where over 10,000 people are buried here in mass graves after the 2010 earthquake. The memorial is a sad and neglected homage to all who died without being claimed by family members.
© Richard Tsong-Taatarii/ZUMA Wire

Several crosses overlook the memorial and the villages that have sprung up since people moved there from temporary shelters after the earthquake. The St. Christophe settlement at Titanyen is located where the January 12, 2012 memorial is located. Over 10,000 people are buried here in mass graves after the 2010 earthquake. The memorial is a sad and neglected homage to all who died without being claimed by family members.
© Richard Tsong-Taatarii/ZUMA Wire