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Caribbean-Latin America
Haitians Ignore Warnings as Hurricane Nears
2010-11-05
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Mud up to their ankles and a steady rain falling on their tents, residents of Haiti's earthquake camps ignored warnings to leave their makeshift homes as Hurricane Tomas bore down on their deforested and flood-prone nation early Friday.

By evening it was clear most camp residents were not heeding the advice. People in the yard of a high school on the Delmas 33 thoroughfare said their camp's governing committee had passed along the official advice to leave, but they decided to stockpile water and tie down their tents instead.
You can bring a horse to water, but you can't make him drink. You can apparently also save Haitians from earthquake and feed and cloth them, but not make them leave to save themselves.
Posted by:DarthVader

#3  The Haitian folks living in the back-county and mountains have a lot of forethought, are quite resourceful and are extremely responsible, Rob. I've been there and worked with them. There are just very few resources available (whatever the Duvaliers and subsequent governments haven't stripped from them) and they have to work extremely hard to provide for their families and kin. The earthquakes didn't affect them much, but the hurricane, I'm sure, will.

Some diligent younger male members of the country and hill families do move to the coastal cities for jobs to augment their family's income. Earthquake survivors from this group have largely moved back with their families for the time being.

The 'less diligent' (or more criminal) moved to the coastal towns/cities long ago and became the morass of people we generally see as the 'Tragic Haitians'.
Posted by: Mullah Richard   2010-11-05 18:20  

#2  If they applied the concepts of self-responsibility and forethought, Haiti wouldn't be Haiti.
Posted by: Rob Crawford   2010-11-05 14:26  

#1  Why? They know from past experience that the planes, boats and 'Hurricane Relief' concerts from the US will begin any day now.

Either that or the 'coastal' folks are so resigned to their horrible existence (even before the earthquake) that it really doesn't matter anymore.
Posted by: Mullah Richard   2010-11-05 13:07  

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