This is difficult for people to understand, especially for those of us living in a place that is in the top 1% of the global economy. Some of Haiti's conditions can be obvious, if you're looking; the long history of political oppression, soil erosion, lack of knowledge, education and literacy, a large populace in a small country and international sanctions cloaked as "Humanitarian Aid". If you're not looking, there are very few sources that will point you in that direction. But a question of causes for such poverty is extremely complex. I urge you to stick with it.
   Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and is considered by economic and political powers to be the most corrupt country in our part of the world(only overshadowed by a few African and Middle Eastern countries), and rated by the W.H.O.(World Health Organization) to have the worst potable water resources in the world.  With the exception of the natural disasters of the last 20 years, virtually all that misery is human caused by a tiny minority inside and outside Haiti who have wealth and power to control.
         <<Factoid: Haiti is located less than 600 miles from the southern tip of Florida>>
​The story of Haiti can be depressing and infuriating. Yet I see hope too. To know the causes of Haitian poverty is to clarify the problem. It helps those who feel the calling of social justice to figure out where to focus our passions, compassion, and resources in an attempt to ease the suffering of disease, hunger, and poverty while empowering the people with life, hope, and vision.
   Here is the drill down understood by most NGOs to be the top 10 most important facts about poverty in Haiti:
  1.   24.7 percent of Haitians live in extreme poverty, which is less than $1.25 per day. Even more, approximately 59 percent of Haitians live on less than $2 a day.
  2.  Haiti has a large wealth disparity.
Haiti is ranked fourth on the for income inequality. For Haiti, this means that the top 10 percent of households hold over 80 percent of the total wealth in the country.
  3.  Natural disasters.
Haitian residents are all too familiar with natural disasters, such as hurricanes and earthquakes.
The 2010 7.0 earthquake killing an est. 300,000 and leaving an est. 1,000,000 people homeless and Hurricane Matthew, a category four storm which struck Haiti in October 2017, killing 546 people and affected two million more. 
  4.  Haiti’s GDP growth has slowed.
Haiti’s GDP growth slowed from 1.5 percent in 2016 to 1.2 percent in 2017. This is largely due to crop loss following Hurricane Matthew.
  5.  Haitians suffer from energy issues.
Haitians suffer from lack of or unreliability of electricity. According to USAID, the two key energy issues for Haiti are a broken electricity sector and a dependency on charcoal. This means that a large percentage of the population is without power and those who do have it have unreliable power.
  6. Haiti has poor leadership.
Haiti has been led by a poor line of leaders since gaining independence from France. 
  7.  Approximately 100,000 children under the age of five are malnourished, while 30 percent of the overall population is considered food insecure. This means that citizens do not have ample or consistent access to nourishing food. 
  8.  Many Haitians do not have access to clean water.
About one in two Haitians use unsanitary water, which has been proven to cause illnesses. In fact, about 80 percent of illnesses in developing countries are due in part to unsanitary water.
  9.  Many Haitians lack an adequate education.
Only 50 percent of children in Haiti attend school, making it more difficult to find employment in the future.
  10.  Haiti has a large unemployment rate.
In part due to the lack of education, many Haitians, about two-thirds, do not have formal jobs, resulting in unsteady incomes.
   These important facts about poverty in Haiti have been prominent in Haiti for many years now. Though these issues are still severe, improvements have been made, not all is lost.
                                                                      Credit – Olivia Booth; Photo: Flickr borgenproject.org  MAY 8, 2018 
  If you too feel the calling towards social justice, "Click" the button below for more information 

HOW TO HELP