Introduction: A Cursed Legacy

Every year, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) reveals a list of the 20 humanitarian crises expected to undergo the most significant deterioration in the upcoming year. In December 2022, Haiti secured its place among the “top 10 crises the world can’t ignore in 2023” according to the IRC. Unfortunately, this former French colony is known for having a notoriously troubled path to development and it is not the first time a crisis has paralyzed the nation.

Haiti’s misfortune traces back to 1492 when Christopher Columbus “discovered” La Hispaniola. The years following Columbus’s arrival were a living hell for the indigenous people of the Caribbean. The Spaniards exploited the island’s resources, enslaved the native Taíno population, and introduced deadly diseases. As if this wasn’t bad enough, the massacre was followed by the importation of African slaves to work on plantations, replacing the nearly extinguished native population.Today, the majority of Haitians are descendants of these enslaved Africans, bearing the lasting impact of a tragic past.

Timeline: Haiti’s History and Current Crisis. For a more details please visit https://concernusa.org/news/timeline-haiti-history/

However, colonization was just the beginning of a series of challenges the island would face. For starters, the nation is situated in a region prone to natural disasters, positioned in the path of Atlantic hurricanes and resting on a fault line between the North American and Caribbean tectonic plates. In addition, the steep topography in the western region amplifies the impact of natural disasters.

For this reason, environmental concerns, particularly deforestation and earthquakes, pose a significant threat to Haiti’s ecological sustainability. Yet, a leading cause for Haiti’s slow recovery after natural disasters is the absence of data on resource allocation. For example, after the devastating earthquake in 2010, there was a massive influx of funds to aid the country’s recovery; however, these funds were poorly distributed around the nation. The capital, Port-au-Prince, received a surplus of resources while more rural areas failed to receive the essential supplies. Not only that but on August 14 of 2021, “Haiti faced a 7.2 magnitude earthquake—stronger than the infamous 2010 earthquake, and yet this catastrophic event has faded from news and conversations [Hatcher, 2021].”

This led me to consider that perhaps a primary contributor to this crisis is the absence of comprehensive data concerning it. After all, if data on natural disasters is poorly collected, what other aspects of Haiti’s crisis are being overlooked? Third-world countries, like Haiti, frequently fall short in appropriately gathering data, often lacking crucial statistics on national deaths, crime rates, and deforestation rates. But if such data were readily accessible, could it serve as a tool for informed decision-making and strategic intervention? In the upcoming sections, we will further explore Haiti’s crisis and why the absence of data equity has been a primary contributor to the challenges now faced by the nation.

Political Instability

Several factors have contributed to Haiti’s current crisis, with the most persistent being the lack of political stability. Despite gaining its independence in 1804, becoming the second independent country in the Americas, Haiti remained caught in a cycle of political turmoil and struggles for self-governance. The aftermath of independence did not bring the anticipated freedom; instead, Haiti was forced to pay the French a ridiculous amount of 150 million francs to secure its independence. An event that is now known as Haiti’s indemnity controversy.

The broken nation was left with no choice but to comply with France’s demand while also trying to build a country from scratch. To make these payments possible Haiti took out “high-interest loans from American, German, and French banks to cover the cost (approximately 80% of the country’s annual national budget and 10 times its annual revenue) [Timeline, 2023]”. Any changes of developing as a country were now out of question. It wasn’t until 1947, nearly 150 years after independence, that Haiti managed to make its last payment.

Without enough resources to feed its people, the government soon became one of the most corrupt governments in the world. This fostered a profound distrust among the Haitian people towards the government. An example of this lack of political stability is the Census Bureau. Despite coming in six languages, none of them were in Haitian Creole or French. Similarly to Democracy’s Data, where Dan Bouk examines the 1940 U.S. census, Haiti’s 2000s Census uncovers a history of political struggle and the impact of data on democracy. The exclusion of one of the primary languages from the Census did nothing but exacerbate feelings of distrust, contribute to a sense of exclusion from official processes, and further worsen the already difficult situation faced by the population.

The absence of linguistic representation, as discussed in Halcyon Lawrence’s chapter, “Siri Disciplines” from Your Computer is On Fire, can be viewed as a tool or weapon of imperialism. Lawrence highlighted instances where language served as a tool for imperialist expansion in the New World, with the colonizer’s language being exclusively employed in newly captured territories. This was precisely the case with Haiti. Despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of Haitians speak Creole, the process of communication with the government (along with Haitian laws) were in French. The exclusion of many Haitians from political participation became a direct catalyst for political instability that characterized the nation in the years to follow.

Economic Meltdown

Unfortunately, Haiti’s long history of injustice and political instability has negatively impacted the country’s economic development. The government is infamous for under investing in crucial societal sectors, such as technology and education. The article “Reflections on Managing a Data Lab in Haiti” states that in Haiti “roadblocks to data production are varied, but include a lack of human and financial resources for data collection and inadequate digital infrastructure for collecting greater volumes and variety of data [Tilus, 2022].” Needless to say, the under investment in technology, along with geographic location and limited infrastructure, made it even more difficult for the nation to access global information networks. In Haiti, there are “relatively low levels of internet penetration (41% in Haiti compared to the regional average of 68%).” The lack of connectivity has hindered the country’s ability to provide accurate and readily available information to its citizens during national emergencies, such as natural disasters. Now, a lingering thought haunts me: If effective communication strategies had issued alerts before such catastrophes, how many lives could have been spared?

As the financial gap grows and fewer people have access to financial services, such as banking and credit cards, the need for intervention strategies intensifies. By now we all know that a financially illiterate country is doomed for failure, but is it possible for a country to invest in educating its citizens when it is struggling financially? Just as in the domino effect, everything that relies on a stable economy, from transportation, commerce, and food availability, has crumbled. For Haitians who are losing everything, hope seems to be the only thing that remains. How can we harness the power of data to guide the reconstruction of a nation that has faced a series of challenges stemming from economic instability?

As much as I wish I did, I don’t have the answers to these questions. However, for now, a crucial step is leveraging data to inform the public about this crisis, raising awareness, and engaging the international community. Notably, Haiti’s history, including the indemnity issue, is omitted from educational curricula in France. This yet another manifestation of a recurring theme; history once again being written by winners and those in positions of power. The lack of France’s accountability is directly linked to the absence of financial records. Unfortunately, this historical instance is just one of many. This illustrates how data can be easily manipulated to disadvantage and exploit communities. Now more than ever advocating for data equity becomes imperative to ensure fair and just use of data, especially for groups that have endured historical injustices.

Healthcare and Child Mortality

Following the political and economic hardships that the nation had to endure, a subsequent problem arised: healthcare and child mortality. In Haiti, many healthcare providers are concentrated in urban areas. As a result, those living in rural areas who seek help will most likely experience delays in service, higher costs, and lower quality than those living, for instance, in the capital. The lack of accessible and quality healthcare services in Haiti leaves many families without the means to address health issues. This is particularly alarming when considering that many of those affected are children.In 2023, it is estimated that 38.8 out of 1000 children under the age of 1 won’t survive, which is eight times higher than the mortality rate in the United States.

Linked to child mortality is the often-overlooked issue of child labor. A 2015 study identified around 286,000 child domestic workers under 15 in Haiti, with cases involving human trafficking and forced labor [U.S. Department of Labor. (2021)]. Needless to say, these children don’t go to school; instead, they are subjected to work in unsanitary conditions with long shifts, ironically prioritizing survival over health. This exploitation of innocent Black bodies is not new and is present in various formats throughout history. For example, Professor Deirdre Cooper Owens explores the exploitation and abuse of Black bodies in the name of medical “advancement” in her book Medical Bondage. While the context may differ, both cases exemplify the systemic injustice faced by historically vulnerable, marginalized individuals.

However, there is still hope. A study conducted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) used participatory methods to gather data on child labor in three rural communities in Haiti. The study consisted of interviewing various groups of children and parents, as well as visiting their homes to observe the family environment. During this process, the community members were fully involved in data collection, which included survey design, interviewing, and data analysis. By using participatory methods to collect data instead of traditional data collection methods, the study was able to capture a more complete and representative picture of child labor in these communities.

Gang Violence and Prisons

There are other subsequent challenges that the country finds itself currently facing: Gang violence and overcrowded prisons. Let’s dissect each one individually, starting with gang violence. As mentioned before, the political class is willing to weaponize Haiti’s struggles to cling to power and thus years of corrupt leadership have brought Haiti to a state of constant terror. Gangs originated under commands from powerful individuals, in this case politicians, who in order to protect themselves and their interest, decided to hire armed groups external to national security forces. Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime stated that a substantial evidence suggest that “Jovenel Moïse, who came to power in 2017 after a controversial election, allegedly operated in concert with the gangs, with members of his government allegedly assisting in massacres by providing gangs with government support in attacks in Port-au-Prince.”

As a consequence of the gang violence and corruption present in the country, it didn’t take long for most prisons to become overcrowded. The lack of data equity in the judicial system is extremely concerning; prisons often fail to collect essential data such as the total number of inmates, their personal identification number, basic demographic characteristics, and the offenses they have been charged with. These holes in the data makes it difficult for the judicial system to assess the magnitude of the crime committed. As a result, a “main cause of overcrowding is the authorities’ excessive use of pretrial detention. As of June 1 (2021), more than 82 percent of detainees had not been tried. Often, detainees are held arbitrarily for over a year before they even see a judge [Human Rights Watch, 2021].”

These challenges are similar to the lack of accurate data during the COVID-19 crisis. The article “The Discomfort of Death Counts: Mourning through the Distorted Lens of Reported COVID-19 Death Data,” by Inioluwa Deborah Raji in Patterns (2020), recognizes the profound loss when we represent COVID-19 deaths as mere data points. The lack of information on prisoners is a form of dehumanization, similar to the depersonalization inherent in representing COVID-19 deaths as statistics. Just like the president’s initial underestimation of the death toll, the lack of information on prisoners diminishes their significance and strips them from any sort of dignity. “The United Nations says 185 inmates died in Haiti last year — many of malnutrition-related diseases. This year, more than 20 have died so far [Coto, 2023].” However, how are the loved ones of these now-deceased prisoners mourning when their deaths were compressed into a number, detached from the personal stories that gave meaning to their lives?

Undoubtedly, the lack of transparency and accountability in the justicial system makes it difficult for organizations to monitor and advocate for the rights of prisoners. Thus, improving the data collection process and management system in Haiti’s prisons is pivotal if we ever wish to address this issue. This can be achieved by generating systems to store and manage large datasets of data pertinent to the prisoners. Additionally, promoting data transparency and accountability in the judicial system can also help ensure that data on prisoners and prison’s conditions is fully exposed. As for now, all I can do is hope that the integration of data equity will play a role in reforming the prison system.

Conclusion: Rewriting History through Data Equity

Understanding the problems that affect the nation is only the first step to solve this crisis. Though it won’t be an easy task, there are a couple strategies that can be implemented in order to solve this problem. First, we must make sure that data is as transparent and accessible as possible. For example, this can include data sharing agreements and government fundings in support of data infrastructure development. Another way to address the lack of data equity in Haiti could be through partnerships and collaboration. The country can partner with domestic and international organizations, such as the United Nations and the World Bank, to develop and implement data-driven solutions. Other private sectors and local organizations can also play a role in improving data equity in Haiti.

Companies can invest in data collection and analysis, such as building data centers and providing data analytics services. According to the World Bank, the mobile cellular subscription rate per 100 people in Haiti was 62.6 in 2020, which is a relatively high rate for a low-income country. This indicates that mobile phones are widely used in Haiti, which presents opportunities for using mobile technology to improve access to information and services, including in the areas of health, education, and finance. Mobile apps can also be developed to provide real-time information on natural disasters and other national emergencies.

Haiti’s current crisis is a complex issue that is marked by political instability, economic collapse, and poorly regulated healthcare services. The impact of the lack of data equity in Haiti is evident in the country’s response to various issues such as corruption, child labor, and overcrowded prisons. In recent years, Haiti is mostly known for the series of devastating earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters that affected the nation. However, the lack of reliable data has negatively impacted the country’s ability to plan and respond to these natural disasters. Without reliable data on poverty, education, and other key indicators, it has been difficult for policymakers to effectively address these issues.

To fight Haiti’s current crisis is to fight a long standing history of injustice, discrimination, and inequality. Therefore, if we wish to once and for provide a long-lasting, substantial solution to these problems, we must focus on developing equitable data-driven solutions aimed to improve the political, economic, and social state of the country.

Additional Resources

Hatcher, Beverley. “Haiti Isn’t a Write-Off, It’s a Warning.” September 16, 2021. https://datavaluesdigest.substack.com/p/haiti-isnt-a-write-off-its-a-warning.

Timeline: Haiti’s history and current crisis, explained. https://concernusa.org/news/timeline-haiti-history/#

Tilus, Castelline. “Reflections on Managing a Data Lab in Haiti.” May 17, 2022. https://www.sdsntrends.org/blog/reflections-on-managing-a-data-lab-in-haiti#

Country Comparisons Infant mortality rate. Central Intelligence Agency. https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/field/infant-mortality-rate/country-comparison/

U.S. Department of Labor. (2021). 2021 Findings on the Worst Forms of Child Labor: Haiti. Retrieved from https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/resources/reports/child-labor/haiti

World Bank. (2021). Mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people) - Haiti. Retrieved from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IT.CEL.SETS.P2?locations=HT

Ioanes, E. (2021, June 22). “Haiti’s gang violence crisis, briefly explained.” Vox. https://www.vox.com/22542924/haiti-gang-violence-crisis-explained

Coto, Danica. “Haitians are dying of thirst and starvation in severely overcrowded jails.” https://apnews.com/article/haiti-prisons-mistreatment-starvation-caribbean-78e79d96fddcfd2acef9cd426e5c17db