This used to be the the Haitian National Palace. Now it’s a pile of rubble. Here are some more photos of the destruction. (Hat tip @kelllygreen)
source
Doctors Without borders says ALL hospitals in Haiti’s Port au Prince area have either collapsed or been abandoned.
NBC anchor Ann Curry • On the devastated infrastructure of Haiti’s capital and largest city. Haitian authorities say that the quake has destroyed most of the city. Obama has offered significant help to the country, and there will be ways to get that help to Haitians – the airport appears to still be operable. But it appears that the city, ill-prepared for such a quake, is a complete disaster area. source
As we mentioned last night, Wyclef Jean, the most well-known celebrity from Haiti, has been active in trying to help his homeland even before the earthquake, starting the Yéle Haiti Foundation in 2005. He actually was talking on the phone with someone as the quake happened. He’s calling for Haitians all around the world to put pressure on the government. Text YELE at 501501 to send $5 to Haitian relief. source
Everyone who walks in here is crazy, worried, depressed. They want to talk to their family members but they can’t get through.
Miami’s Little Haiti resident Myrlande Cherenfant • On the people that walk into her family’s market, unsure of the fate of many of their families. Cherefant can’t reach her own family members due to the destruction of communication lines in the area. “It’s a dead line,” she said. “There’s nothing.” source
It may be one of the most devastating natural disasters to ever hit the continent, and really, the photos say it all. It’s going to be probably another day at least before a somewhat realistic toll of the destruction can be nailed down – the destruction was so bad that it destroyed communication mechanisms. source
neediness The small country of 9.8 million is one of the poorest in the Western hemisphere. Most people live on less than $2 a day. Plus, the country is still recovering from a devastating 2008 hurricane season. source
dangers Haiti is a country located in a seismically active area largely built on a fault. Plus, there is no national building code, which left many dwellings in severe danger of collapse when disaster struck. source
