Houses that Lie: Fixing Structural Damage In Haiti and Chile

For an unknowing person walking along the streets of Santiago, Chile, it might not seem that the recent 8.8 earthquake did much damage. That is, until you take a peek into one of the casas de mentira, or houses that lie -- and see that though the outside remains virtually unscathed, inside the ceilings have collapsed, and the walls have caved in.

For victims of the recent earthquakes in Chile and Haiti, a need for shelter has proven to be one of the most troubling concerns. While international donors and aid agencies have been handing out tents, tarps and other make-shift shelter materials, they are neither sufficient in quantity nor in quality.

This predicament leaves millions of people in both countries without sufficient shelter. In Haiti, missing shelter is particularly dangerous: Hurricane season is fast approaching, putting people at risk of literally being washed away by heavy rains. "Plastic or tarpaulin roofs are not going to do the business if there's a direct hit by a hurricane," says John Holmes, the British diplomat who heads the UN's disaster relief program.

And the most frustrating part of all this? There are many buildings in both Haiti and Chile that are actually still livable -- but their inhabitants are too afraid to stay in them because they have no way of assessing the structural damage.

In Haiti, that's where a group of U.S. engineers come in. These structural experts are traveling to Haiti to offer a "crash course" to their Haitian counterparts. The plan is for U.S. engineers to train Haiti's top 10 engineers on how to properly inspect and assess damaged buildings, and for those 10 to then train 200 others. Over the long term, such damage assessment could help lead to new construction standards in the country. But what about all those people who are still sleeping outside? Well, if the inspectors are able to meet their goal of assessing 100,000 buildings in the next three months, perhaps a few will be rendered livable (the hope goes) and will provide more permanent shelter for some of Haiti's earthquake victims.

As for the people in Chile who have been severely affected, the Chilean government is offering some help (in the form of rent assistance), but often for the worst-affected, it's not enough.

What people in both countries need now is more international assistance in the form of tents, lumber, engineers and equipment. And they need it fast.

Photo Credit: Bette_Vonte