It’s devastating to watch the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti unfold before our eyes. I feel such a sense of sadness for the people experiencing this unimaginable disaster and their situation hits close to home.

Following Hurricane Katrina, Haitian American writer Edwidge Danticat said New Orleans looked more like Haiti than the US. New Orleans and Haiti are connected by geography, history, architecture, family, and now a mass devastation. They are linked not just by a shared experience of disasters, but also by a first-hand understanding of the ways in which oppression interacts with these catastrophes. Both areas have had to endure a similar history of persistent poverty and inequity, and now a long term recovery to become whole again.

In our time of need following Hurricane Katina Haiti supported the Gulf Coast despite being the poorest nation in the western hemisphere. The Haitian government and local businesses donated $36,000 toward Katrina relief efforts, and Haitian-American volunteers from Florida traveled to Louisiana and Mississippi to aid in the rebuilding effort.

I am immensely proud of the level of generosity Americans always show during a time of disaster. The outpouring of donations, funding, and man power is heartwarming, especially given the recent economic downturn. However while the level of attention and generosity is justifiably high, what happens 6 months from now? 1 year from now? 5 years from now?

In an interview between Brian Williams with NBC Nightly News and Bill Clinton, the two discussed concerns about the long-term recovery.  Brian Williams remarked that Haitian citizens are worried about how they will be able to rebuild their communities.  After my first hand experience with a post disaster recovery, I couldn’t help but think what will happen when the camera lights go away and the world goes back to their everyday lives.

Those of us in New Orleans know all too well that there is a big difference between immediate relief and long-term recovery. I think Hurricane Katrina gave the United States a rude awakening that disaster relief takes weeks, but a long-term recovery takes years. After almost 5 years, New Orleans is still in an intense recovery as it tries to rebuild vital infrastructure such as housing, hospitals and schools necessary for a healthy community. And New Orleans is in the United States, one of the richest countries in the world, and it’s still struggling. Haiti is an extremely poor nation that has suffered even worse devastation than what New Orleans endured so their ability to come back from this disaster will be an immense challenge.

The aftermath of a disaster is newsworthy and heart wrenching. It draws attention with painful round-the-clock coverage, pleas for donations and assistance, and startling images. It’s absolutely vital that a strong and effective immediate recovery take place because lives need to be saved, and relief efforts will set the course for how effective the long term recovery will be.

However, immediate relief happens over the course of weeks while the long-term recovery will take years. And while the short-term relief is grueling and intense, the long-term recovery requires an equal amount of momentum and persistence. The United States and rest of the world must be mindful of this because Haiti is faced will a long road ahead.

Haiti will need our help a year from now when the attention has faded and immediate funding has dwindled. Long-term recoveries take persistence, ingenuity and passion to rebuild a community. Over time it’s the individual people, small businesses and local charities that will have to bear the brunt of cleaning up and repairing the lives of countless people. I hope American communities, like New Orleans, with lessons learned will reach out to Haitian organizations to offer their support so that this country can not only recover, but build better than before.

In addition to the infrastructure aspect of a long term recovery, there is the human aspect. Women were forgotten following Hurricane Katrina, which was terrible since many of the storm victims were single mothers. For a full and equitable recovery to happen, gender analysis must be taken into consideration because female disaster victims have special needs. I encourage you to support women run organizations and those organizations that will help women rebuild their lives. Women will be at the backbone of repairing the many families that have been torn apart.

International aid and assistance must take a long-term view of this crisis and strive to rebuild a stronger Haiti—one that includes a government that can ensure the basic human rights of all Haitians and a nation that is empowered to demand those rights. If Hurricane Katrina taught us anything it’s that Haiti will be in crisis for years to come. Don’t forget this country and help support a fair and equitable recovery for all of its citizens.