Over Half Million Haitians Still in Camps Two Years Later

Nearly 600,000 Haitians observed the second anniversary of the 7.0 earthquake that devastated their Caribbean country from the same temporary camps that were set up during the initial recovery efforts two years ago.

Somber ceremonies were held on Wednesday, including one at Tintanyen, a major grave site just north of Port-au-Prince, the Haitian capital and epicenter of 2010’s quake. There, Haitian President Michel Martelly laid a wreath at 4:53 local time, marking the exact moment the quake struck.

The quake left almost 300,000 people dead, 1.6 million displaced, and nearly 80,000 buildings destroyed, bringing what was already the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere to its knees.

"In a country where people cannot get healthcare isn't that a catastrophe?" Martelly said during the ceremony.

Martelly pointed to the progress that has been made since he took office in May – new roads, schools, and housing for thousands of Haitians. But for many, circumstances don’t look much different than they were two years ago.

For women living in the temporary camps, those circumstances have been particularly perilous, as incidents of sexual assault have been more and more common.

“It is well documented by people on the ground that life in the camps for everyone has increased incidences of violence, particularly gender based violence to unprecedented levels,” the Rev. Canon Rosemari Sullivan, coordinator of the National Council of Churches USA (NCC) and the Episcopal Church recovery efforts in Haiti, told NCC News.

The Rev. Anne Tiemeyer, program director for NCC Women’s Ministries, says that her group is working on a long-term recovery initiative around addressing the increase in violence.

“This is a way that our member communions can help to strengthen the work of local grassroots women’s organizations by partnering with the local faith communities to address the violence and go deeper to work on the systemic roots of violence against women,” Tiemeyer said.

Meanwhile, UN General Secretary Ban Ki-moon, whose organization continues to play a major role in Haiti’s recovery effort, has called on international donors to continue with their support.

"Despite considerable achievements, including in the areas of rubble removal and the resettlement of displaced persons, many Haitians remain in need of international assistance," Ban said.

According to reports, over $3 billion has been pledged to Haiti’s recovery since the effort began in 2010.