Unkind fate stomps on the down and out

I have to wonder -- why does fate seem to choose those who are already struggling to suffer through new disasters? I take Haiti as a case in point. It was already the poorest nation in the Americas. The UN calculates that 75 per cent of the people live on less than $2 a day. In 2004, tropical storm Jeanne caused 3,000 deaths in the northern part of the country. The 2010 earthquake left 300,000 dead, with another 1.5 million people internally displaced. International aid sent to help the country rebuild had its own setbacks -- a cholera epidemic unofficially traced to a camp for peacekeepers from Nepal has since killed 9,000 more Haitians. And two weeks ago, Hurricane Matthew scored a direct hit on the western peninsula. With at least another 1000 deaths. And an estimated 20,000 homes destroyed. If it were me, I'd be tempted to wave my fist at the heavens and scream, "Enough, already!"

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Categories: Sharp Edges

Tags: hurricane, Haiti

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Unkind fate stomps on the down and out

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