Two hundred years ago the Haitian people established the second oldest republic in the Americas. For sixty years the U.S. government refused to recognize the Haitian Republic, which resulted from the only successful slave insurrection in history. The U.S. invaded Haiti in 1915 and occupied it until 1934. The U.S. government supported some of the hemisphere's bloodiest, most repressive governments including "Papa Doc" and "Baby Doc" Duvalier who ruled from 1957-1986. After military rule for four years, Haiti had its first democratic election in 1990 and elected Jean Bertrand Aristide with 67% of the vote. A year later a violent coup d'état led by a military junta ousted Aristide. Under Bill Clinton, the U.S. invaded Haiti again in 1994 to return Aristide for the remainder of his first term, at which point the U.S. promised $500 million to rebuild Haiti. In 1995, Rene Preval become president as Aristide was precluded by the Constitution from succeeding himself. In 2000, national parliamentary elections ended in disarray because of a flawed vote count, alleged irregularities and fraud charges. Six months later, Aristide was re-elected with over 90% of vote and remained in power until a couple weeks ago.

A conglomeration of armed groups joined forces to oust President Aristide. The rebels include a core of former officers and soldiers of Haiti's army that was disbanded by Aristide due to a long history of brutalizing the population as well as groups that supported the used to support government but have now turned against it. Guy Philippe, a former police commissioner with a dubious human rights record, claims the leadership of these forces, together with his ally Louis Jodel Chamblain, a former paramilitary responsible for countless atrocities under the military government that ruled Haiti from 1991 to 1994. The current uprising began on February 5 with the rebel capture of Gonaïves. The insurgents have gone on to seize the majority of northern Haiti including the second largest city Cap Haitien as well as several other cities en route to Port-au-Prince.

So what does all of this mean for the one of the world's poorest countries? The crisis in Haiti is creating instability for its democratically elected government and sending a nation plagued by the highest rates of HIV and tuberculosis in the western hemisphere into a worsening health and humanitarian crisis. The rebel forces, already responsible for the deaths of 70 Haitians, continue to terrorize the civilian population. Haiti has long been struggling to resuscitate its economy and improve the health of its people. The embargos established by the U.S. and other nations have done nothing to help its prospects. Average life expectancy has dropped in the last several years to 49.6 years at birth. About 80 percent of the rural Haitian population lives in poverty and the vast majority are undernourished.

After military rule in the early 90's, the U.S., other "donor nations", and multilateral organizations promised $500 million dollars over 2-3 years in development aid to rebuild Haiti's battered health, education, and sanitation infrastructure, and to stimulate what had become one of the weakest economies in the world. Most of this aid has been withheld. Additionally, three loans totaling $146 million-intended for health sector improvement, education reform, potable water enhancement, and road rehabilitation-were approved through the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and by the Haitian government. But these loans have been blocked by a U.S. veto in response to alleged irregularities during national parliamentary elections held in 2000.

With the changes in government, constant vigilance of uprisings, ongoing poverty, and the economic sanctions and embargoes, there have been severe shortages in the public health sectors. Shortages expand across the board including clean water, education, and health services. Currently it is nearly impossible to transport foodstuffs and necessary medical supplies throughout the country. Community-based public health strategies currently in use in rural Haiti to treat tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS rely on health workers traveling to distant locations to deliver medications. If those medications are not delivered due to opposition blockades, hospital closings or a loss of workers, this would serve a death sentence to the most vulnerable populations in Haiti.

Email Sylvia_aparicio@student... for ways to get involved or visit http://www.capwiz.com/ams/mail/oneclick_compose/?alertid=5234001 to sign an online petition.