Desperate Haitians Survive On Mud Cookies

Slum Residents Suffering As Oil Prices, Biofuel Demand, Weather Drive Food Costs Up

(AP)  It was lunchtime in one of Haiti's worst slums, and Charlene Dumas was eating mud.

With food prices rising, Haiti's poorest can't afford even a daily plate of rice, and some take desperate measures to fill their bellies.

Charlene, 16 with a 1-month-old son, has come to rely on a traditional Haitian remedy for hunger pangs: cookies made of dried yellow dirt from the country's central plateau.

The mud has long been prized by pregnant women and children here as an antacid and source of calcium. But in places like Cite Soleil, the oceanside slum where Charlene shares a two-room house with her baby, five siblings and two unemployed parents, cookies made of dirt, salt and vegetable shortening have become a regular meal.

"When my mother does not cook anything, I have to eat them three times a day," Charlene said. Her baby, named Woodson, lay still across her lap, looking even thinner than the slim 6 pounds 3 ounces he weighed at birth.

Though she likes their buttery, salty taste, Charlene said the cookies also give her stomach pains. "When I nurse, the baby sometimes seems colicky too," she said.

Food prices around the world have spiked because of higher oil prices, needed for fertilizer, irrigation and transportation. Prices for basic ingredients such as corn and wheat are also up sharply, and the increasing global demand for biofuels is pressuring food markets as well.

The problem is particularly dire in the Caribbean, where island nations depend on imports and food prices are up 40 percent in places.

The global price hikes, together with floods and crop damage from the 2007 hurricane season, prompted the U.N. Food and Agriculture Agency to declare states of emergency in Haiti and several other Caribbean countries. Caribbean leaders held an emergency summit in December to discuss cutting food taxes and creating large regional farms to reduce dependence on imports.

At the market in the La Salines slum, two cups of rice now sell for 60 U.S. cents, up 10 U.S. cents from December and 50 percent from a year ago. Beans, condensed milk and fruit have gone up at a similar rate, and even the price of the edible clay has risen over the past year by almost $1.50. Dirt to make 100 cookies now costs $5, the cookie makers say.

Still, at about 5 cents apiece, the cookies are a bargain compared to food staples. About 80 percent of people in Haiti live on less than $2 a day and a tiny elite controls the economy.

Merchants truck the dirt from the central town of Hinche to the La Saline market, a maze of tables of vegetables and meat swarming with flies. Women buy the dirt, then process it into mud cookies in places such as Fort Dimanche, a nearby shanty town.

Carrying buckets of dirt and water up ladders to the roof of the former prison for which the slum is named, they strain out rocks and clumps on a sheet, and stir in shortening and salt. Then they pat the mixture into mud cookies and leave them to dry under the scorching sun.

The finished cookies are carried in buckets to markets or sold on the streets.

A reporter sampling a cookie found that it had a smooth consistency and sucked all the moisture out of the mouth as soon as it touched the tongue. For hours, an unpleasant taste of dirt lingered. At left, a boy shows his tongue after eating one of the cookies.

Assessments of the health effects are mixed. Dirt can contain deadly parasites or toxins, but can also strengthen the immunity of fetuses in the womb to certain diseases, said Gerald N. Callahan, an immunology professor at Colorado State University who has studied geophagy, the scientific name for dirt-eating.

Haitian doctors say depending on the cookies for sustenance risks malnutrition.

"Trust me, if I see someone eating those cookies, I will discourage it," said Dr. Gabriel Thimothee, executive director of Haiti's health ministry.

Marie Noel, 40, sells the cookies in a market to provide for her seven children. Her family also eats them.

"I'm hoping one day I'll have enough food to eat, so I can stop eating these," she said. "I know it's not good for me."

Biofuel is a very bad idea. These poor people are trying to survive on mud because of human greed. and it''s going to get worse.

[emelder]

How can we help ... Is there a sure-fire way to support relief efforts in Haiti?

[rushlimpdrug]

How can we help ... Is there a sure-fire way to support relief efforts in Haiti?
-Posted by emelder at 07:02 AM

You can''t help.
It''s a case of the rich getting richer, and the poor having more and more babies.
Otherwise open your wallet WIDE open cause there''s plenty of these stories around.

[flreason]

How in God''s name can we call ourselves civilized and allow this to happen in our hemisphere? Where are the Christian relief agencies? If we don''t help, why should we expect other countries in our hemisphere to support our policies? The current administration had to know about this. It seems to me that this clearly qualifies as a security threat, since desperate people adopt desperate solutions. It''s a waiting opportunity for Hugo Chavez to expand his influence ever closer to U.S. borders.

[Krazcarl]

Don''t we have some extra chow locked up somewhere for emergencies. I would classify this a humanitarian emergency on our border can''t something be done. I volenter to eat lower on the hog so they don''t have to eat mud be going through some difficult times but my dream is not a bowl of rice. We NEED to help this people and thier goverment Needs to stop stealing the states money and take care of these folks. This is one of those things you don''t have to ask if it''s wrong you ask what can we do to help {in the short term not forever}

[b-easy63]

"The problem is particularly dire in the Caribbean, where island nations depend on imports and food prices are up 40 percent in places. "

Americans, try to understand what this means. In 1991, I was in St. Lucia and stayed there for almost a month. I went to the local markets and cooked my own food. In the stores, in 1991, a box of Kellogs Corn flakes cost 13.00 (US) and a can of coke (real, not the local copy) cost about 3.00 US. So if this is so, how much are corn flakes now? 25.00/box?

[b-easy63]

"Haitian doctors say depending on the cookies for sustenance risks malnutrition.

"Trust me, if I see someone eating those cookies, I will discourage it," said Dr. Gabriel Thimothee, executive director of Haiti''s health ministry."

What an incredibly STUPID thing to say. People are eating these "cookies" because they have nothing else to eat--so if he will discourage it--what will replace them? Dreams, wishes and air burgers?

[b-easy63]

Don''''t we have some extra chow locked up somewhere for emergencies. I would classify this a humanitarian emergency on our border can''''t something be done. I volenter to eat lower on the hog so they don''''t have to eat mud be going through some difficult times but my dream is not a bowl of rice. We NEED to help this people and thier goverment Needs to stop stealing the states money and take care of these folks. This is one of those things you don''''t have to ask if it''''s wrong you ask what can we do to help {in the short term not forever}

Posted by crzmeat at 07:37 AM : Jan 30, 2008


The problem with relief efforts to places like Haiti and Africa is that even with foreign relief workers, the majority of the food never reaches the starving masses. Instead it is hijacked by militias and government employees and soldiers--then sold on the black market to pad their own bank accounts. It is hard to even get US airlifted supplies to the people. Lots of countries demand the goods be distributed by their own people--and "their people" often take the goods for their own use and the starving people just keep starving. This is a well known problem.

[b-easy63]

Our jails in Miami are full of Haitian criminals. Do NOT BRING THESE PEOPLE HERE.
See the crime rate,what they do to people in Miami is horrific, Don''''t bring these savages here. Our jails are full of Haitians who murder, hijack turists,beat kids on their way to school, rape girls etc. Pure beasts and wild animals.

Posted by Johnfrost at 07:54 AM : Jan 30, 2008


This is what starving, living on the edge and doing any thing to survive will make any man become--they are a product of their lives--they can''t change that, just because they are in a different country. I don''t advocate bringing anyone here--but understand that when we have policies and reward countries for exploiting their own people and resources for our benefit--there is a harvest--and part of that harvest is the dehumanizing and evil nature that comes out in the population when they are forced to live with deprivation and brutality. This is a common factor--whether it is ''horrible people '' from Haiti, or "former POWs" from other war torn lands. You should read the stories of life in Europe directly after WWII---it was horrific.

[extremophil]

This story almost ruined the taste of my blueberry muffin. Hmmmmm.....think I''ll have another.

[missingamerica]

"Food prices around the world have spiked because of higher oil prices, needed for fertilizer, irrigation and transportation. Prices for basic ingredients such as corn and wheat are also up sharply, and the increasing global demand for biofuels is pressuring food markets as well."

Courtesy of "Commander Guy" George W. Bush and "I''ve never seen a baby I wouldn''t bomb" *** Cheney, two people who expect history to like them better than we like them now.

Oh, and with the demand-side assistance of "free trader" Bill Clinton, who never saw a corporation he wouldn''t sell the working people out to. (I mean, c''mon - do YOU remember a great wave of "We really need to have free trade agreements so we can offshore America" in YOUR neighborhood?)

[dialogue1]

To help the poor people of Haiti, please contact your local Rotary Clubs and Rotaract Clubs. Make them aware what is happening in Haiti. These clubs have a yearly international project where they donate time and funds from the members and public. If they get together with their colleagues in Haiti, somethings can be done to help eradicate the hunger, by having soup kitchens, donating basic staples, digging wells for fresh water, etc and enhancing the quality of lives in rural areas of Haiti. These clubs need your time and donation as well, because alone they cannot do it.

Check out www.rotary.org for more information or google your state or city rotary clubs.

[dialogue1]

If you wish to help eradicate povery in Haiti, please contact the Rotary Clubs in Haiti or your local club and they will be glad to receive your donations to help the people of Haiti. You are also welcome to become a Rotarian, if you have the time, money, and ethical standards to become a member. Please check out www.rotary.org for a registration form.

If you ask yourself what your purpose in life is, it is not to get rich or be better than others, but to help those who are less fortunate than you are. When you die, you leave with nothing but your charity.

[runningralph]

Poverty is caused by indiscriminate breeding. In Haiti or New Orleans. If you can''t afford to care for babies, don''t make them. In China fifty years ago they were in dire straits because Communism is incompatible with farming. They instituted birth control and became rich and powerful. When do-gooders interfere with nature they should demand birth control to prevent creating more starving people. Don''t interfere with the evolutionary process.

[dialogue1]

When we die, we go with nothing but our charity

[rushlimpdrug]

When we die, we go with nothing but our charity
Posted by Dialogue1 at 09:37 AM

If your Haitian you can leave all the hungry kids behind from all the skrewin and leave some victims of AIDS/HIV to spread to other countries.
Plus they can leave knowing that other countries will open their hearts and take in another cycle of this type of "victim" stories.
Guess why people usually don''t have 8-15 kids anymore.
Cause we''d all be eating these cookies.

So Dialogue1, go to Haiti and make us all proud of you.

[clopezalles]

Unfortunatly many people are uneducated about the history of Haiti. With a corrupt government, they will never be able to help themselves. There are many organizations that help in Haiti. I, myself have been there and Haitians are a beautiful people. Yes, there are slums and bad people, but America is full of these too. There is an organization where 100% of the money raised goes directly to help people in Haiti, build schools, medical clinics, etc. newlifeforhaiti.org.
If you really care, do something. If you don''t, then continue to be spoiled in the USA.
PS. Most relief organizations spend most of the money raised to "run" the company, that very few $$$ actually make it to whatever country they are trying to help.

[rushlimpdrug]

Unfortunatly many people are uneducated about the history of Haiti. With a corrupt government, they will never be able to help themselves. . . I, myself have been there and Haitians are a beautiful people. If you really care, do something. If you don''''t, then continue to be spoiled in the USA.
Posted by clopezalles at 10:01 AM

History of Haiti?
When you talk about the Hatians being beautiful people are you talking about the transplanted Africans brought to Haiti or about the original people of Haiti?

[ksjeff-2009]

This grinding poverty is the result of indiscriminate breeding. And the Catholic Church is to blame for that issue, worldwide. Screw yourselves silly, but don''t worry, God will provide. In this case, he is providing mud cookies.

[nolalou]

Poverty is NOT caused by indiscriminate breeding, it is caused by corrupt governments, who line their pockets and spend no money on sanitation, infrastructure, education, or health care for their citizens.

[skeemeracc]

We are responsible for the multipleHaitian crises. READ and open your eyes. WE impoverished them fro 2 centuries because the did what we did...fought to be free from the European continent. They are still paying reparations to France and Britain for WINNING and this has never happen in recorded history...KNOW THE TRUTH try to sleep well.
Take an hour and listen and learn about OUR dirt
http://www.booktv.org/program.aspx?ProgramId=8620&SectionName=&PlayMedia=No

[prinzowhales]

While Castro is no prize, he and his regime are a thousand times preferable to the US-backed scum who have ruled Haiti...Maybe Americans can get the recipe for those delicious looking cookies to savour as they vote the nation down the tubes this year.

[expatriate07]

Although over-population does not help the poverty problem, I would not say that it is the cause. After all there has been poverty stricken peoples at least since the time of Moses, and overpopulation was not it''s cause at all. I would have to whole-heartedly agree that poverty is caused by corrupt government and it''s greedy benefactors. The earth has plenty of resources to go around but the rich and powerful horde them for their selves. They use it to accomplish things like war upon lands that will make them richer and crushing any threat to their wealth. People usually care little for the poor until the problem becomes to big to ignore. Then all of a sudden everybody cares, at least until they can continue ignoring it again...

[mcv57]

This is crime against humanity, the rich and corporate empires should be brought to trail. I am should if they were white people, they would be feed by now. This makes me want to cry . . . Bill Gates and the Bushwacker sees Africa more important.

[mcv57]

This is crime against humanity, the rich and corporate empires should be brought to trail. I am sure they were white people, they would be feed by now. This makes me want to cry . . . Bill Gates and the Bushwacker sees Africa more important.

[mcv57]

... surely the rich will be comdemned as Lazurus.

[rushlimpdrug]

Guess what?
If I knew my children would be eating mud cookies I wouldn''t have any kids.
Now go forth and multiply. . .

[missingamerica]

Sigh...I was going to say something about - "Hey, wait a minute - what do you mean overpopulation is not now and will not be a problem, and the Earth has now and will forever have enough resources to go around!" - but I got depressed.

[missingamerica]

Maybe we should have our genetic engineers work on a virus carrier to implant chlorophyll in our dermal cells.

Then we all could eat dirt and breed like so many weeds.

[prinzowhales]

The dirt that they are eating is probably much more nutritious than the processed food you are paying mega-bucks for down at the Walmart...and giving to your high fructose corn syrup lapping offspring...

[vmcneal2]

Haiti is the poorest country I have visited and I''ve travelled to many countries. There are so many beggers in Port-Au Prince that I had to pay a begger to keep the other beggers away from me. It''s so sad. Nobody on this earth should have to eat mud. This is not the result of over population....It''s the result a government in Haiti being supported by our tax dollars. We just seem to give money with no oversight and the greedy upper class Hatians just get richer while the people eat dirt.

[runningralph]

Modern day Haitians could work their way out of poverty the same way China did. Birth control. High birth rates plus few resources = POVERTY. The best government could not overcome the demands of a high birth rate. Governments don''t produce food and goods. A government can only try not to let a population descend into mob rule. Until individual Haitians decide to be responsible for the own reproductive systems, the only thing the government could do to reduce poverty, is to enforce population control like China did. China is now, fifty years later, rich and powerful.

[gcrosby11]

If anyone is interested there is a great charity to give to, to help feed children in Haiti - the address to the website is :www.whatiffoundation.org/index.asp .

[gcrosby11]

oops - forgot to add that with the whatiffoundation.org, that 97% of what is given goes straight to a parish in Port au Prince that feeds 750 children a day, 5 days a week. The other 3% is retained for admin costs.

[vmcneal2]

High birth rates are one thing but A government that does nothing but line the pockets of the wealthy Haitians with our tax dollars is something else. First, let''s stop giving money to thieves..People are eating dirt. Haiti has lots of problems and greed is at the top of the list. Anyone who has spent any time in Haiti knows what I''m talking about.

[vmcneal2]

Thanks, grosby11...

[olebd]

Where''s the UN? How about they gather up a coalition of countries to help out for a change instead of waiting for the U.S. to do something? Our collective pockets are filled with lint these days. Where''s Tickin'' Tommy Timebomb and all his rich Scientology buddies? Here''s your car wreck Tom...time to stop and help because you just know, you''re the only one that can.

[olebd]

The gal that does the voice of Bart Simpson just gave $10 MILLION to Scientology. Not only is that crazy, it''s just plain vulgar. She makes $200k per episode to do a cartoon voice!!! I''m about ready to throw away the TV.

[korinsha]

"Trust me, if I see someone eating those cookies, I will discourage it," said Dr. Gabriel Thimothee, executive director of Haiti''s health ministry.

He''s going to discourage it? How...? "I''d rather you eat NOTHING than those cookies!" What a jerk. If he can''t offer a solution, or a healthier alternative, he needs to shut up.

[korinsha]

The dirt that they are eating is probably much more nutritious than the processed food you are paying mega-bucks for down at the Walmart...and giving to your high fructose corn syrup lapping offspring...

Posted by Prinzowhales
-----------------------------------------------------
You really think so? So, if I proposed that you eat nothing but mud cookies for one year, while I have access to all of the groceries in Wal-Mart for one year... you honestly believe that after that time, you''d be in better shape than me?

If you consider negative clothes sizes and severe malnutrition a "better shape" then maybe. Wonder how many of those people starving to death in Haiti would turn their noses up at corn syrup and processed food in preference of mud if cost weren''t an issue...? Probably NOBODY!

[runningralph]

45,000 people per month are dying in the Congo. The Janjaweed is committing genocide in Darfur. Somalia has civil war split many ways. Kenya has ethnic cleansing going on. Haitians need help. The list goes on. If we sent out every dime we have next year all these populations would be worse off than today.

[b-easy63]

History of Haiti?
When you talk about the Hatians being beautiful people are you talking about the transplanted Africans brought to Haiti or about the original people of Haiti?

Posted by rushlimpdrug at 10:28 AM : Jan 30, 2008

The Africans in Haiti were brought there more than 400 years ago--they can claim after all this time, to be more indigenous to Haiti, than most Americans can to North America--and since most have ancestry n Haiti that trumps most Americans--what is your point? That is still the history of the country and the fact of oppression by their government and the former Imperialist powers that ruled or aided and abetted dictator rule over them still hold true.

Be careful how you judge others--God is not through with America yet and we seemed to be trending toward a polarized, Brazil type, 3rd world --playground for rich foreigner existence, ourselves.

[bleem3]

This is just insane! Terrible!

[robertkjjj]

Does anyone else find it strange that the poorest countries in the world are in black Africa, the poorest countries in Africa are the black ones(vs the Arab ones), and the poorest island in the Caribbean is the only one that was settled by black Africans? I mean, what the heck is wrong here? Are we supposed to believe this is a coincidence? What causes this? Are we just supposed to believe forever that God has it in for black Africans and their descendants? At what point, if ever, do we expect them to figure out how to pull themselves up, and stay up? I''ve been reading and watching 40+ years of starving and sick and dying black Africans. When does this end?

[paris146]

Well, I don''t know any Haitians, they don''t live in close proximity to me, and it''s not a story frequently on the evening news. Besides, they''re black. Most aid they''re given is usually hijacked and never makes it to the people who need it most. They''re just another sad statistic in a world full of suffering people. Any excuse I conjure up, though, just doesn''t erase the picture I have in my head of those mud cookies, and the men, women, and children desperate enough to eat them. I''m not at all a religious person, but a verse keeps repeating itself, something like, ". . . do it unto the least of these. . ."