Port-au-Prince, March 22: One restored a Haitian president to power; the other flew him back out again. Former US presidents Bill Clinton and George W Bush are visiting Haiti on Monday, reminding the country of its tumultuous recent past just as frustration over an uneven earthquake relief effort is bringing politics back to the surface.
The ex-presidents are spearheading US fundraising in response to the January 12 earthquake. Tapped by US President Barack Obama for the role, they are making the one-day visit to assess recovery needs.
Charged memories of their policies toward the impoverished Caribbean nation are already mixing with frustration over deplorable living conditions among the 1.3 million homeless quake survivors. Supporters of ousted President Jean-Bertrand Aristide have scheduled protests for Monday — demanding the return of their exiled leader and pleading for more aid.
“We are going to bring our message to the presidents, that our situation here is no good. The way people are living in Haiti is no way for anyone to live,” said Fanfan Fenelon, a 30-year-old resident of the Bel Air slum.
Monday will be Bush’s first trip to Haiti. Bill Clinton, who is the UN special envoy to the country, has made two visits since the quake and five in the past two years. He also visited as president.
The pair will arrive in a country struggling to feed and shelter victims of the magnitude-7 quake, which killed an estimated 230,000 people. Hundreds of thousands still live in dangerous camps, some already flooding ahead of the April rainy season.
On Sunday, a small earthquake caused an apartment building to collapse in the northern city of Cap-Haitien, killing at least three people, according to UN spokesman Louicius Eugene. Three people were rescued from the rubble.
President Rene Preval’s government has criticised non-governmental organisations for not being accountable to the Haitian state. In turn, Haitian officials have been accused of ineffectiveness and corruption.
On Tuesday, a group of Haitian and US human-rights advocates will ask the Organisation of American States for an inquiry into why USD 2.2 billion in aid has not helped more people.
—–Agencies