While natural disasters do not discriminate, recovery efforts are much harder for certain populations than others. The recent earthquake in Haiti, followed immediately by a tropical storm—and with the backdrop of political instability caused by the President’s assassination and increased gang activity—reveal that poverty and disasters feed one another in a cycle of despair that is very difficult to break out of. A similar effect can be seen in New Orleans with Hurricane Ida. On this episode of All Things we look at how poverty makes communities more susceptible to natural disasters and how it prevents vulnerable populations from being able to recover. Because headlines like these can be paralyzing, and yet we want to alleviate suffering as Christ followers, we close by looking at meaningful ways to engage in recovery efforts both in the US and overseas.

The following links helped to inform this episode:

https://thelensnola.org/2020/03/26/data-center-report-new-orleans-demographics-make-city-more-vulnerable-to-coronavirus-spread-and-mortality/

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/08/22/haiti-earthquake-2021-death-toll-rises-over-2-200/8235246002/

https://apnews.com/article/business-environment-and-nature-louisiana-392d8001a9c69df607d9a7b5b84474fa

https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2021/08/photos-aftermath-hurricane-ida/619938/

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/09/01/hurricane-ida-aftermath-millions-louisiana-still-without-power/5678259001/

https://disasterphilanthropy.org/disaster/2021-haiti-earthquake-and-tropical-storm-grace/

https://samaritanspurse.org/article/disaster-relief-trucks-ready-prayer-needed-as-hurricane-ida-slams-louisiana-2/

https://blogs.worldbank.org/impactevaluations/evaluating-the-best-ways-to-give-to-the-poor-guest-post-by-bruce-wydick

https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/february/popular-strategies-helping-the-poor.html

https://www.compassion.com/sponsor_a_child/how-sponsorship-works.htm

https://www.povertyinc.org

https://grist.org/article/as-the-rich-move-away-from-disaster-zones-the-poor-are-left-behind/

https://www.prb.org/resources/earthquake-magnifies-haitis-economic-and-health-challenges/

https://www.brookings.edu/blog/the-avenue/2015/08/27/concentrated-poverty-in-new-orleans-10-years-after-katrina/

https://www.borgenmagazine.com/climate-poverty-in-haiti/

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/01/why-natural-disasters-are-worse-poor/580846/