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1. HAITI IS THE FIRST BLACK REPUBLIC, AND THE REVOLUTION OF 1804 LED THE WAY FOR THE LIBERATION OF SLAVES THROUGHOUT THE NEW WORLD
2. AFTER WINNING THEIR INDEPENDENCE FROM FRANCE, HAITI WAS FORCED TO PAY 93 MILLION FRANCS IN RESTITUTION (THE EQUIVALENT OF 21.7 BILLION IN TODAY'S CURRENCY)
3. TO PAY THE DEBT ALL OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL WERE CLOSED AND OVER 50% OF HAITI'S FORESTS WERE SHIPPED ACROSS THE OCEAN TO BUILD PARIS.
4. OVER 100 YEARS LATER THE DEBT WAS FINALLY PAID OFF BUT HAITI HAD ALREADY FALLEN INTO A CYCLE OF DEBT, HAVING TAKEN OUT OTHER LOANS TO BALANCE THEIR DEBT TO FRANCE.
5. FOR THE PAST CENTURY, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS PER YEAR HAVE GONE TOWARDS SERVICING INTEREST ON FOREIGN LOANS INSTEAD OF PROVIDING SERVICES TO THE POPULATION.
6. TODAY, HAITI IS THE MOST IMPOVERISHED NATION IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE, WITH OVER 60% UNEMPLOYMENT AND THE MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION FORCED TO SURVIVE ON LESS THAN $1 PER DAY.
7. THE LANDSCAPE IS SEVERELY DEFORESTED WITH ONLY 3.8% OF INTACT FOREST REMAINING.
8. THE TREMENDOUS DEFORESTATION IS CAUSING THE FERTILE SOIL TO RUN OFF INTO THE SEA AT AN ALARMING RATE OF 36.6 MILLION METRIC TONS/YEAR. WITHOUT THIS FERTILE SOIL, HAITI SUFFERS FROM A LACK OF MEDIUM TO HOST AGRICULTURE THAT SUPPORTS THEIR ECONOMY AND FEEDS LOCAL COMMUNITIES.
9. AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION HAS DROPPED 20% IN THE PAST 10 YEARS AND FOOD IMPORTS HAVE SKYROCKETED TO ABOUT 54%, MAKING HAITI ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE TO SHIFTS IN THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET.
10. THE MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO EITHER SANITATION OR CLEAN WATER. ONLY 16% OF THE RURAL POPULATION HAVE ACCESS TO A TOILET/35% IN URBAN AREAS.
11. HUMAN WASTE OFTEN MAKES ITS WAY INTO THE WATER SUPPLY BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE FORCED TO GO TO THE BATHROOM OUTSIDE, IN CANALS, OR OTHERWISE DISPOSE OF THEIR WASTE IMPROPERLY.
12. THERE IS NO WASTE TREATMENT SYSTEM IN HAITI- EVEN WHERE THERE ARE ACCESS TO TOILETS, RAW SEWAGE IS STILL DISPOSED OF WITHOUT TREATMENT, ULTIMATELY RUNNING OFF BACK INTO THE WATER SUPPLY.
13. INFANT MORTALITY IN HAITI IS HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER COUNTRY IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE, AND PREVENTABLE ILLNESS CAUSED BY WATER BORNE BACTERIA IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN CHILDREN UNDER 5.
14. THE CHOLERA OUTBREAK IN 2010 UNNECESSARILY CLAIMED MORE THAN 6000 LIVES.
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