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AFTER being subjected to a number of natural disasters in recent years, Haiti has been repeatedly referred to by some people as cursed or is said to be facing God's wrath. But Haitian Junior Brice, CEO of non-profit organisation LAVI/AYITI, is rejecting those views as "nonsense".According to the 35-year-old who is from Carrefour, a suburban city approximately 10.5 miles south-west of downtown Port-au-Prince, many uninformed people often make pronouncements about his country when it faces tragedies or crises, which he finds nonsensical."Haiti is not cursed. We think that people with those negative comments just don't really know the reality of the country; they just provide comments that relate to their beliefs and are mostly Christian. I just would ask them to kindly take time to know the history of Haiti," Brice told the Jamaica Observer in an interview."That will help them to have a better understanding of what is happening. And also, I would ask them if Haiti is the only country that is affected by natural disasters. Of course, we are affected to a certain extent, but that is because our governments are not interested in building resilience so that we can get prepared," he continued.Brice blamed flawed leadership for the economic turmoil engulfing the country said to be the poorest in the western hemisphere. He also said there was a lack of urgency by the State in rebuilding when faced with adversity."Our problem is the fact that we are being led by politicians who do not have a sense of patriotism. They are all guided by the USA. Of course, they are not the first to work for the development of the country and as we know, the USA has a profound impact in the politics. They are in some ways responsible. Elections and decision-making all go through the USA interest," he charged.On August 14 a magnitude-7.2 earthquake rattled Haiti - killing almost 2,200 people, injuring more than 12,000 and destroying or damaging more than 100,000 homes.Three days later, Tropical Storm Grace drenched the country's southern terrain with between 5 and 10 inches of rain and as much as 15 inches in some areas, according to the US National Hurricane Center.Five years prior, Category 5 Hurricane Matthew lashed the country, claiming 546 lives and causing an estimated US$1.9 million in damage.Back in 2010 a catastrophic 7.0-magnitude earthquake that rocked Haiti killed approximately 250,000 people and displaced five million. As of July 2017, United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Haiti reported that 1.4 million people are still in need of humanitarian assistance.Haiti sits on a fault line between huge tectonic plates - the North American plate and the Caribbean plate - which slide past each other over time.Last Monday, Canadian meteorologist Alana Cameron wrote in a tweet: "My heart hurts for Haiti after a magnitude-7.2 earthquake hit on Saturday... this was the same fault line that devastated Haiti back in 2010."Just last year, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said Haiti continues to face "worsening food insecurity and malnutrition, water-borne disease epidemics and high vulnerability to natural disasters".But Brice is adamant that it's because of improper management of these crises why the country is currently struggling economically."The economic situation of Haiti has been worsening in the last decade due to the multiple political instabilities and the turmoil. The inflation rate at 22.9 per cent pushes more people under the poverty line where 4.2 million people are 'food-insecure'. All of that affects the purchasing power parity of the population with an increase of the food basket price. Overall, Haiti is experiencing a critical period in this economical life," he argued."Secondly, our education system is at the charge of our former colonisers. We have been educated to hate our country and hate our culture. Haitian citizens are not being educated for the country. What we have is a human problem."And the prospects for recovery, Brice added, appear to be very slim."Haiti will not recover from poverty until the politicians become aware that they should serve the country and not for the American, Canadian and French interest. That will take Haiti about a quarter of a century to get back on track. We will need a new class of politicians who will not be an American tool."On July 14, 2021, Haiti received a donation of 500,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines through the COVAX facility, the first doses since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic.At the time, the former French colony was still reeling from the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse on July 7.Jean Gough, UNICEF's regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean, reported that in the first five months of the year "the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths has nearly doubled in Haiti".Said Brice: "My concerns about the spreading of COVID-19 are whether we can manage cases that may occur in the region affected by the recent earthquake, as we know people are forced to be living out of home in camps where prevention measures are not respected. Overall, based on our traditional medicines, people know how to prevent themselves from developing the disease and to treat themselves once the disease has occurred."Brice also argued that special attention must be turned to the mental health of Haitian citizens at this time."I am actually working as the clinical supervisor of a psychosocial programme. Anxiety was one of the mental disorders that have been developed among Haitians during COVID; and professionals, particularly those who were at the front line, suffered from anxiety and burnout," he said."The president's assassination has been considered a temporary shock. It is not really affecting the mental health of Haitians at the point to developing a mental disorder."Brice told the Observer that more people would leave Haiti, which shares the Island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic, if they could, because of the multifarious problems internally."We have been experiencing a brain drain this last decade due to the social and economic situation. Mostly young professionals are leaving the country or are at the point of emigrating as they have no hope about a changing situation for the future. Those who are not able to leave try to find ways to go in our neighbour country or Chile, Brazil, Turkey and now even Guyana."But it doesn't affect me at all. I don't have any thoughts about migrating. I think Haiti needs my competences to help in development, even if the situation is not conducive and safe. I hope that things will no longer remain as they are. We young professionals have to put our strengths together to change the image of the country."