Housing

The previous slide show contained some pictures that need a bit of explanation.  Before the earthquake Port-au-Prince was home to three million Haitians.  300,000 were killed in the quake.  800,000 relocated outside of the city.  Two million people are left....most of them living on the streets, or in tents, or in huts that they've constructed from whatever they can find.

Tent cities have been erected in all open areas.... 

The main thoroughfare through Port-au-Prince is a divided road with a four foot median strip down the middle.  Constructed on that median strip are corrugated tin, cardboard, wood and tarp huts.

These huts are homes....

4 square feet in size....

dirt floor....

just a small space...

a shelter....

where many families sleep each night.

Families who are not lucky enough to have a tent.

Activities of daily living are done in the streets.

Cooking,

bathing,

laundry,

market,

all outside.

I was told that even those who are fortunate enough 

to still have houses

 are afraid to stay inside their houses.  

Afraid of another earthquake.

Two million people...

living in fear...

living in filth...

by our standards, barely living at all.