6 Months After Earthquake, Haiti

Haiti (Haitian Creole: Ayiti), officially the Republic of Haiti (République d'Haïti ; Repiblik Ayiti) is a Caribbean country. Along with the Dominican Republic, it occupies the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago. Ayiti (land of high mountains) was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the mountainous western side of the island. The country's highest point is Pic la Selle, at 2,680 metres (8,793 ft). The total area of Haiti is 27,750 square kilometres (10,714 sq mi) and its capital is Port-au-Prince. French and Haitian Creole are the official languages.
Status of recovery after six months: As much as 98% of the rubble from the quake remains uncleared; thousands of bodies remain in the rubble. The number of people in relief camps of tents and tarps since the quake remains at 1.6 million, and almost no transitional housing has been built. Most of the camps have no electricity, running water, or sewage disposal, and the tents are beginning to fall apart. Crime in the camps is widespread, especially against women and children. Between 23 major charities, $1.1 billion has been collected for Haiti for relief efforts, but only 2 percent of the money has been released. According to a CBS report, $3.1 billion was pledged for humanitarian aid and has paid for field hospitals, plastic tarps, bandages, and food, plus salaries, transportation and upkeep of relief workers. By May 2010, enough aid had been raised internationally to give each displaced family a check for $37,000.