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January 12, 2012

Haiti Marks Two Years Since Devastating Earthquake 
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Memorials are being held in Haiti to mark the two-year anniversary of
the devastating earthquake that killed roughly 300,000 people and left
more than 1.5 million homeless. Two years later, the recovery process is
just beginning in parts of Haiti. Half a million people are still living
in crowded camps. According to the United Nations, of the $4.5 billion
pledged after the earthquake, only about $2.4 billion has been
delivered. Only half of the debris littering the capital of
Port-au-Prince and its surrounding areas has been cleared.

Becky Wett spokesperson for the Red Cross: "You are right, two years
after the anniversary, up to half a million people are still living in
camps in Haiti, just like this one here in Mais Gate. The Red Cross has
been working to de-congest camps, which means helping families leave the
camps they are in and move to a more dignified, more appropriate, more
sustainable solution. Here in this camp we have helped 1,500 families
leave, that means mainly through rental support, providing financial
support so that people can move to a nearby area, where most of them
have come from anyway, and into a rental property."

Haitian residents say entire neighborhoods in Port-au-Prince have been
ignored during the recovery process.

Otelier Herman, Center For Respect and Promotion of Human Rights: "Two
years after, nothing has been done in the poorest neighborhoods. As a
citizen within the poor neighborhoods, we have found that there was not
a policy for housing and that's why so many people have died."



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