Don’t turn away

Once again, the people of Haiti need help. Hurricane Matthew devastated parts of the country, killing hundreds of people and leaving as many as 1.4 million in need of urgent aid.

Unfortunately, aid has been slow to arrive, partly because the heaviest damage was in hard-to-reach areas, and partly because of widespread cynicism about the effectiveness of previous efforts to help the country.

Certainly, Haitians themselves are disillusioned. After the powerful earthquake hit the island in 2010, killing some 220,000 people, as much as $13 billion in aid poured into the country. But much of it was uncoordinated and didn’t succeed in rebuilding either the country’s institutions or the homes that were levelled by the quake.

To make matters worse, United Nations peacekeepers introduced cholera into the country’s water system. Ten thousand more people have died from the disease, which continues to claim victims.

And some aid agencies have clearly bungled the job. The American Red Cross raised an impressive $500 million for Haiti after the quake, but a report last year found it had built just six permanent homes. (It says it provides transitional shelter for thousands and rent subsidies for others.)

Canadian donors, however, should not be discouraged. The Canadian Red Cross is an entirely separate organization from its U.S. counterpart and has assured those inclined to give money that it will indeed go to help Haitians in distress. The Canadian government is also involved, pledging money and sending a disaster relief team to the most-affected area.

Haiti has suffered multiple disasters, and the world’s response has often been more harmful than helpful.

But that should not be an excuse for turning away. There are reliable aid agencies that do effective work — including the Canadian Red Cross — and Canadians should not hesitate to help.