Eleven days after the Western Hemisphere's poorest nation was rocked by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake, miracles and tragedies remain an everyday occurrence. Survivors are found alive in the wreckage as powerful aftershocks roll under makeshift housing. Aid shipments are hijacked by gangs amid promises for secure passage of desperately needed supplies. The death toll from the quake has risen to at least 2,207 people, according to Haiti’s Civil Protection Agency. More than 12,200 were injured. More than 50,000 homes were destroyed.
In Haiti, however, hope springs eternal. On Sunday, eight days after the quake, 20 adults and four children reported missing were found trapped in the rubble on Pic Macaya, the civil protection agency said. Pic Macaya is Haiti's second-largest mountain. "They were transported by helicopter ... for treatment," the agency tweeted. "They received food assistance and hygiene kits." Aid is pouring in, despite a spotty history of supplies actually getting to the country's most needy. More than 3,000 humanitarian nongovernmental organizations operate in Haiti, often referred to as an "aid state."
One of them is Mercy Corps, and Christy Delafield is working with them in the hard-hit Nippes region. She says the Haitians there reflect frustration – and determination. "There is a tremendous amount of frustration, a certain amount of sadness," she said. "At the same time there are strong signs of hope, of human resilience. I am continuously inspired and impressed by their fortitude, their courage."
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