Devex Newswire: How ‘Haiti fatigue’ makes US and others hesitant to help

The people of Haiti have been beset not just by natural disasters and gang violence, but by cholera, hunger, and corruption too. Billions in aid have flowed to the Caribbean nation — but some officials tell us there's now less appetite to help. Also in today’s edition: It’s been weeks since the dreadful earthquake struck Turkey and Syria. We look at what the nations need — and what they’re getting — in terms of funding and humanitarian aid. + Join us for the next Devex Leader Roundtable event: The women CEOs edition, happening on March 7. This event is exclusively for Devex Pro members. Not yet a Pro member? Start your 15-day free trial now. Haiti’s a mess, despite billions In October 2022, the Biden administration delivered an urgent appeal at the United Nations Security Council to impose a raft of sanctions on Haiti’s gangs and authorize a security assistance mission to ease the violence and enable the flow of desperately needed humanitarian aid to the Caribbean nation. The situation in Haiti has been grim for decades as criminal gangs and corrupt politicians siphon off the already struggling community, but recently cholera, increased violence, and — for the first time — famine have plagued the island’s population. Now we hear that a monthslong campaign by Haiti’s leadership and the U.N. to persuade the United States, Canada — or any regional power — to lead an international force to quell the violence caused by street gangs has largely run aground, fueling fears the country could spiral deeper into chaos. My colleague Colum Lynch dug for details, and diplomats tell him there is “Haiti fatigue” on the Security Council, which means it has become even more sidelined. “That is why everyone is so hesitant,” one senior council diplomat tells Colum, adding that Washington continues to press Canada to lead a multinational force with the capacity to take on Haiti’s gangs. “No one has the appetite for putting troops or police in harm’s way,” the source says. The reluctance to send foreign troops to Haiti reflects a deepening skepticism that the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere can prosper, despite billions in foreign aid and security support, writes Colum. It also dredges up bad memories about the troubled U.N. peacekeeping mission, whose blue helmets introduced cholera in 2010 and became embroiled in a series of sexual exploitation scandals. Read: The world is tired of nation building in Haiti Quake costs The devastating earthquakes that shattered Turkey last month caused $34.2 billion in direct damage, equal to about 4% of the country’s 2021 gross domestic product, according to an assessment from the World Bank this week. A report will soon come on Syria, too, my colleague Shabtai Gold tells me. But that's not the worst number to come from the bank as the death toll in both Turkey and Syria surpasses 50,000 people. “Recovery and reconstruction costs will be much larger, potentially twice as large," the anti-poverty lender warns. Some estimates from private sector groups in Turkey put the extent of the damage at $84 billion. The World Bank noted rolling damage to the economy from disruptions will also add to the costs, and every aftershock — which keep coming — deals another blow to the livelihoods of people in the country, especially since areas hit by the earthquakes already have some of the highest poverty rates in Turkey, according to the bank. Shaky foundations The Feb. 6 Turkey-Syria quakes, referred to as the Kahramanmaraş earthquakes, has turned a spotlight on the immense task governments face to address reconstruction and recovery, and how to manage the billions of dollars of aid committed to the region. Now is the time to prioritize resilient housing as a focus of early recovery efforts, write Monica Schroeder and Elizabeth Hausler, from the nonprofit Build Change, in an op-ed for Devex. Housing is often a determinant of how devastating a disaster will be. In a review of the 10 deadliest earthquakes from the 1950s-2000s, vulnerable housing was cited as a major cause of death. In Turkey, the risk of seismic damage has been known for decades, especially following a major 1999 earthquake that sounded the alarm for many on the weaknesses of the housing stock. So how did it happen again? Opinion: How resilient housing can prevent another earthquake disaster Where the money is going The U.N. has launched two flash appeals to raise over $1 billion for Turkey and another $400 million to address the situation in Syria. The largest necessity in Turkey is emergency shelters, with $247 million needed, while Syria requires at least $128 million for food. Although Turkey’s government received widespread criticism for its response, funding and support have still been quicker there than in Syria, where the dire situation is exacerbated by a decade of civil war. There has been recrimination, too, that the international response, particularly in rebel-held parts of Syria, has been slow. My colleague David Ainsworth has been gathering data on commitments to the earthquake on the Devex Funding Platform, which tracks announcements from over 850 donors worldwide. Funding tracker: Earthquake relief in Turkey and Syria From deadly to deadliest The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has released its first listing of epidemic-prone diseases considered of the highest concern to help the continent’s health sector determine where to allocate resources for preparedness and vaccine development. The pan-African public health agency ranked each pathogen by risk trajectory, epidemic potential, disease severity, and how well the continent is prepared for an outbreak. Unsurprisingly, Ebola came out on top in terms of risk trajectory and epidemic potential, followed by cholera, and COVID-19. The lowest-ranking in this category were plague, rabies, and anthrax. That’s a relief. Ebola, COVID-19, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, Marburg, and an “unknown disease” ranked highest in mean score in disease severity, while chikungunya, poliovirus, mpox, and dengue fever scored lowest. Low is a good thing. Many organizations have been waiting for this ranking to ensure their activities align with Africa CDC’s priorities. Read: Africa CDC publishes its first list of priority pathogens + For the latest in global health, sign up to Devex CheckUp, a free newsletter on the subject. In other news UNHCR has launched an appeal for $137 million to help millions of refugees and internally displaced people in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya. [UN News] Rights advocates expressed concern about pending cuts to food aid to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh as the World Food Programme face aid shortfall. [VOA] Ethiopia has circulated a motion calling for a stop to the U.N.-mandated investigation into atrocities in the Tigray war. [Reuters] Sign up to Newswire for an inside look at the biggest stories in global development.