The 9-1-1 Call! Chapter 12 Conclusion "Unless Haitians and the world community act individually and collectively to end the poverty in Haiti, a Titanic destruction is forthcoming. According to Dr. Paul Farmer, “health conditions in Haiti are among the worst in the world.” “What’s worse, HIV not only kills 30,000 Haitians each year and orphans 200,000 more, but it has also aggravated an already severe tuberculosis epidemic.” Haiti is dying because of a health crisis, but there are many other crises in Haiti. More than 50% of the Haitian population is illiterate. The unemployment rate is at 70%. These crises result from the failure of the education system and Haiti’s depleted natural resources. Haiti is in a profound state of ecological crisis. The Sun-Sentinel newspaper, headquartered in Dade County, Florida, described this in detail in an article, “Haiti as The Eroding Nation:” “Less than 1 percent of Haiti remains covered in forest. In the last five decades, more than 90 percent of its tree cover has been lost—an area three times the size of the Everglades. The resulting erosion has destroyed an estimated two-thirds of the country's fertile farmland since 1940, while its population has quadrupled. The United Nations calls Haiti a "silent emergency," noting [that] its vital statistics rival those of sub-Saharan Africa.” The poorest nation in the Western hemisphere has become a synonym for Haiti. It is the third hungriest nation in the world, behind Somalia and Afghanistan. This is an economic disaster. Simply put, Haiti is in a chaotic state. HAITI AND HAITIANS: FROM CHALLENGES TO TRIUMPH—THE 9-1-1 CALL! is a relevant book for such dire moments of our history."
