Port-au-Prince is now the subject of global relief efforts and media attention. The reason? Just before 5 p.m. an earthquake struck about 10 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince. The quake, with a magnitude estimated at 7.0, caused the collapse of the National Palace, leveled countless shantytown dwellings and brought more suffering to a nation that was already the hemisphere’s poorest and most disaster-prone. The earthquake was the worst in the region in more than 200 years and left the country in a shambles. As night fell in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s densely populated capital, fires burned near the shoreline downtown, but otherwise the city fell into darkness. The electricity remained out during the early hours Wednesday and telephones were not working. It was not immediately clear how badly the Port-au-Prince airport had been damaged and if it would be able to handle aircraft bringing relief aid from overseas. In the chaos, it was not possible for officials to determine how many people had been killed and injured, but they warned that the casualties could be substantial. So the question remains, will you watch as millions struggle to regain their already impoverished footing or will you find a way to help? With our economy in shambles is it America’s place to offer national aid? Where do we go from here as the “big brother” country? To see some of the most alarming and real photos of the devastation, go to http://haitifeed.wordpress.com
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