Looking back at the trail Hurricane Matthew had left behind gave me the shivers. More than 1,000 people were killed by the storm in Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the Americas. This makes me wonder: What could have possibly stopped this massive disaster? Here is a list of things that would have prevented the heartbreaking outcomes of this hazard.

 

1. Haiti's Foreign Policy

 

Sure now, if Haiti was one of the 'great' countries 'ruling the world' today, Hurricane Matthew wouldn't have hit it that hard. Haiti's foreign policies and relations would have been a major reason for this natural disaster to think twice before leaving that trail of sorrow behind.

 

2. Race

 

It is for sure and with no doubt one of the very important factors that would have affected Hurricane Matthew's effects. If people in Haiti were not 'dark' and had a lighter skin color, the fiercest Caribbean storm in nearly a decade wouldn't have resulted in a death toll of 1,000 people.

 

3. Military Power

 

If Haiti was a country that bombed and raided territories and regions which it labeled as 'enemies' simply for economical interests, this for sure would have brought Matthew to a great stop. It is widely known how intimidating countries with powerful military are.





Unfortunately, the real problem we are living with today is forgetting, or more likely ignoring, what is really important. It seems that every man-made disaster becomes very minimal when compared to natural catastrophes.

 

But sadly, it has become so instinctive for us to link the words wounded people, death toll, rubble and destruction directly to human made disasters like bombing,and war. Hurricane Matthew, like many other natural disasters that cause great damages and have significant effects on humanity, should be a reason for us to rethink and reevaluate our priorities and values.

 

For instance, TV stations' coverage for the disaster that wiped towns and villages off the map, as well as damaged at least 300 schools were not of any significance compared to the coverage of some other 'more important' regions that were suffering strong winds, with no fatalities recorded.

 

Moreover, Facebook had no filter supporting Haiti like the one it provided after the Paris terror attack. The safety check that was prompted for the same attack as well as the Orlando shooting in Pulse nightclub that killed 49 earlier this year was unavailable. Despite the horrific fatalities and destruction, the Haitians were not treated fairly compared to others.

 

Therefore, it does not matter how great a country is thought to be, neither does what color people are, nor does what assets each country's land has. As a matter of fact, after Matthew's dramatic and horrible consequences, nothing matters other than providing water, food and medication for the 1.4 million people that are left in need of humanitarian assistance.

 

True, nothing could have stopped Hurricane Matthew, but we as humans can with no doubt stop the disasters we are creating ourselves.

 

The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own.

Photograph: Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty Images