Haitian disaster puts our troubles into perspective

We have many worries, we hear of people talking about the recession, the banking crisis and general doom and gloom attitude in Ireland at the moment. But last Tuesday's earthquake in Haiti should surely put all of these things into perspective. While nobody wants to diminish the genuine worries of many Irish people during the current economic downturn, it's important to remember that many of Haiti's people are worried not about material things, but about where to get clean water to drink, where they will get their next meal, when aid will make its way to more rural parts of the country that was completely devastated by last week's earthquake. Even before this terrible disaster the aid agencies had pointed out that the people of Haiti were being forgotten by the rest of the western world, but it is vital now that the people of Haiti are not forgotten. As the search continues for bodies underneath the rubble of buildings, doctors are fearful that diseases will now spread rapidly as there is nowhere to bring the dead. The looting has started as many people grab what they can from the shells of shops that are left. And while the international community must be commended on launching the relief effort so quickly, with the major powers uniting to ensure aid makes its way to the people of Haiti as quickly as possible, it cannot simply be allowed to slide off the agenda. We all have our part to play in ensuring the people in Haiti are not forgotten. Governments, and indeed the UN, must give whatever resources, be they financial, military supports, supplies or equipment, while aid agencies and those on the ground must ensure the emergency supplies get to the people. The media, too, has a part to play in making sure the story doesn't simply go away when something bigger or juicier comes along. For too long the people of Haiti, which is already the poorest country in the western world, have been forgotten, but this can't be allowed to happen now. Many of the aid workers on the ground, who have worked with various organisations in Haiti before the earthquake, have been astounded by comments that the country's infrastructure was destroyed in last Tuesday's earthquake. Put simply, they say there was no infrastructure to destroy in the first place. The harrowing pictures of the dead, the survivors and the children left orphaned by this natural disaster have left their impact on the rest of the world, but for the people of Haiti this is simply the beginning. What's needed immediately is food, drinking water and medical supplies, but what then for the people of Haiti, which has seen its capital city obliterated, with little yet known about the rural parts of the country? The country needs to be completely rebuilt and already aid agencies are crying out for tradesmen in a bid to bring some sort of normality to the lives of the people in the nation. We all have our part to play, whether in making a simple cash donation, organising a fundraising event, or even, if you have the time and inclination, volunteering your services to an aid agency to help out with the relief effort. Most importantly we must send a message to the people of Haiti, the world is not simply watching, it's doing all it can to get them back on their feet.