Broken Promises Add to Slow Recovery in Haiti

It seems nothing has changed in Haiti for months. Landlords continue to disassemble tent cities. And former Port-au-Prince residents continue to flee north as a result, often winding up near Cap Haitien. Temporary housing is gradually being erected, but most organizations still in the country agree things are proceeding at a snail's pace.

Eva DeHart of For Haiti with Love has similar sentiments. She says Haitians are beginning to grow impatient as countries who promised funds are failing to live up to their word: "They've heard all the stories about the money coming in, but they're not seeing anything happening. We need to pray that other countries will keep their commitments because they've promised to help and now they're holding onto the funds, and they're not releasing them so that Haiti can actually accomplish anything."

Of the organizations and countries which have not backed out on what they promised, DeHart said many of them have been swept up in only planning and holding meetings and are failing to put their talk into actions.

Disillusioned and homeless, some of these people make their way up to Cap Haitien in search of a better life. There, For Haiti With Love is hard at work, but DeHart said the situation is still devastating.

Even though the necessary paper work has been completed, customs in Port-au-Prince still refuses to release four food containers belonging to For Haiti, each containing 43,000 pounds of food. Now, two more containers are on their way, but DeHart said they have not received food in Cap Haitien since June 1. Because of this hold up, sadly, "You have to pace yourself. You can't hand it all out, or you give everybody a meal today, and then everybody starves," she said.