Ivan Watson
CNN
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://www.cnn.com/video/world/2010/07/10/watson.haiti.land.dispute.cnn.640×480.jpg caption="UN official: Getting 1.5 million people into more permanent housing takes time" width=300 height=169]
On January 12, the earth shook here. More than 220,000 people were killed. More than 300,000 people were injured. The city and large stretches of surrounding countryside were devastated.
Six months later, not much appears to have changed. It still looks like a bomb just dropped on this city.
The government has barely begun the cleanup process. Roads in the center of the city are still blocked by debris. And some experts predict that it could take up to 20 years to remove all of it.
"We have moved 250,000 cubic meters of rubble, which sounds like a lot, until you realize there's 20 million cubic meters of rubble here," said Imogen Wall, spokeswoman for the United Nations office of humanitarian affairs in Haiti.
|
Filed under: Haiti Earthquake • Ivan Watson • T1 |
Anderson Cooper goes beyond the headlines to tell stories from many points of view, so you can make up your own mind about the news. Tune in weeknights at 8 and 10 ET on CNN.
Questions or comments? Send an email
Want to know more? Go behind the scenes with AC361°
It's impossible haiti will never change, the haitian government is just focusing in keeping all the money for itself. If the US doesn't take over and come to do the job by itself, things will stay the same forever.
Ivan...GREAT reporting that you have done so far. Can't wait to see more from you this week.
It is sad really that not much has been done since the earthquake. But I knew that once the media left that the government and other agencies wouldn't get anything done. It seems I was right on the money! It's really a shame that they have all of that donated money and nothing is being done with it.
I wish the best for the people there and hope that things can pick up and move faster for their sakes.
Cindy...Ga.
I was in Haiti in March and that is exactly what it looked like, like a bomb had dropped on this once beautiful vibrant city. It saddens me to know not much has changed. We all need to do more to help!