Governor General Michaelle Jean (left), speaks with the congregation of the main Cathedral in Port-au-Prince Mar. 8, 2010. Jean is on a two-day official visit to Haiti.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean on Monday called the destruction in her native country “unbelievable,” but expressed optimism that the Haitian people can rebuild their quake-shattered country.

“It’s as if the city has been bombarded. The magnitude of destruction is unbelievable,” Jean said as she kicked off a two-day trip to Haiti.

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ByRory Carroll
Earthquake survivors fear mass pullout of troops is a sign of dwindling international support

US army soldiers load their duffels prior to their departure from Haiti at the international airport in Port-au-Prince. Photograph: Andres Leighton/AP

Thousands of US troops are leaving Haiti in a swift scaling back of US military involvement in post-earthquake security and reconstruction.

A gradual reduction from a peak of 20,000 in early February has accelerated in recent days and by the end of this week fewer than 8,000 are expected to remain in Haiti and on offshore vessels.

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As governments and communities worldwide mobilize to help earthquake-stricken Haiti, Muslims in the United States are doing their part by raising funds and partnering with organizations — both religious and secular — to aid earthquake victims.

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BY TRENTON DANIEL/ tdaniel@MiamiHerald.com

Tired of living off of Port-au-Prince’s crumbs, rural areas are pushing for a decentralization of power and resources.

L’ESTERE, Haiti — This town in the Haitian hinterlands has a mostly unpaved main road, scant public services, a main hospital that closes on weekends and few jobs besides farming.

The situation in L’Estère is typical of small towns in Haiti, where resources — what little there are — flow to the central government in Port-au-Prince and little if any return. The archaic relationship between the provinces and the capital will likely be another casualty of Jan. 12′s devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake.

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Though the arts were impacted by the January 12 earthquake in Haiti many artists are already responding to the disaster with music.

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