Despite the hostilities that sometimes occur between the citizens of Haiti and the Dominican Republic, they are still tied down by the fact that they share the same border, thus their respective fates are more intertwined more than with any other nation.
The recent magnitude 7.0 earthquake that had hit Haiti, considered to be the worst earthquake in Haiti for the last 200 years, of course had its effect on its neighbor. Tremors were reported althroughout the Dominican Republic, although nothing as fatal and as destructive as the one experienced in Haiti.
Haiti, which just experienced internal strife a few years ago, is now faced once more with a terrible crisis that saw the destruction of the parliament, the tax office, and dozens of schools countrywide. It is sometimes unthinkable how a country considered to be the poorest in the Western Hemisphere could stand a natural calamity of this scale. It's like you're already stepped on after being stepped on.
If I will be asked, it is my belief that Dominican Republic has the inherent obligation to aid its poorer neighbor. They share borders, and if something terrible will result out of the calamity and other problems in Haiti, Domincan Republic is bound to be affected as well. This could have serious impacts on tourism in the country, something that the Dominican Republic will not want to happen.
Interestingly, the President of Haiti, Rene Preval, is reported to have arrived in the Dominican Republic for a state visit, though there are no reports just yet from official sources. I wonder if this has any relationship with aid that will be given by the DomRep amidst the thousands of people who have died in the Haiti earthquakes.
Just a note to visitors. Fret not, for tourism in the Dominican Republic and the rest of the Caribbean is not that affected by the crisis. Rest assured that you can still have your dream Caribbean vacation, although it would have been probably better if you could help the Haitians instead.
