I haven't been following the news much lately, but I would guess that the stories from Haiti might be about how aid is not getting where it is needed, or about distributions that go bad. The organization I work for has done very little relief work since our focus has always been long term development, but even we are being faced with the urgency of the situation. I have to say that the folks I have met are doing their best under ridiculous circumstances. There are parts of the UN compound where you can't even walk for all the tents pitched one up against another. It is all relative of course. Monday night I stayed in a makeshift camp in a small town called Trouin where I pitched my tent with 180 people sleeping under 6 large blue tarps.

The crazy thing is, that I have always thought people here were living on the proverbial edge. It's heartwrenching, and a little frightening because the consequences of this event I think, are yet to come. I'm sorry for sounding so doomsday, and there is a positive side. I think, as do many, that this is an historic moment, not only for Haiti, but for us as a global community. The only question is will we or can we rise to the occasion? This is not a rhetorical question. I honestly don't know either personally, or otherwise.