A UN Presence

A United Nations Presence

Jamel, Haiti
Summer 2013

I am in Haiti for the summer. As soon as I got off the plane I noticed there is a UN presence. Their big land rovers are everywhere.  They cruise the streets in packs. The Red Cross trucks follow behind them. I met two police officers at the hotel, one from Canada and the other from France.  I tell them I am surprised to see that they are still here.  After all, the earthquake was three years. They tell me the UN has been here over 20 years, ever since Baby Doc abruptly left  town.  They work with the local police forces and train them on how to keep order and uphold the law without violating any human rights.  

The Canadian tells me, “I’ve learned early on that this country is too broken.  It can’t be fixed.  The best you can do is fix pockets of neighborhood but this country will never be fixed.  It’s too broken.”