The earthquake in Haiti struck one of the world’s weakest states at the worst possible location – right at the heart of the capital, Port-au-Prince, where the population density was the highest and most of the country’s functioning infrastructure and institutions were concentrated. Considerable long-term assistance will be needed from the international community to rebuild the country.

However, reconstruction needs to be on Haiti’s terms and fine-tuned to the Haitian reality, not a blueprint of what western donors would like to see. It should avoid reinforcing existing inequalities and a relapse into political instability and violence. To achieve this, investment in human capital will be crucial to physical reconstruction, with a strong focus on providing services nationwide.